Telegraph | Nov. 27, 1942 Due to the thoughtfulness of Father Patrick McDaid, over 700 service men that passed through the Canteen Thursday were served a turkey lunch with all the trimmings. Father McDaid donated 12 turkeys, the cran- berry jelly, 100 candy bars and the soft drinks that were served during the day. Late in the evening, he learned that the ladies serving were running out of turkey, so he took the turkey from his own table and took it to the Canteen. Yesterday was one of the busiest days that the Canteen workers have experienced. Over 700 men were served in the Canteen, and many more than that went through on troop trains, all of which were serviced. No outside group was on duty dur- ing the day, all work and contributions were taken care of by the regular Canteen organization, and the ladies had their hands full but handled the situation in good shape. The war’s first Christmas was approaching, and the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor with it. Canteen supporters were determined to flood the troop trains with an extra helping of Christmas cheer. Telegraph | Dec. 2, 1942 Boxes are being placed in the stores of North Platte today where all citizens are asked to place a Christmas gift box to be given the men in service who pass thru the Canteen during the
Christmas holiday. Those in charge of the program are asking that all gifts be of a value as near 25 cents as possible. This is requested so that the boys receiving gifts will not be disappointed when one would receive a ten-cent gift while his chum might get one worth a dollar. It is not the value of the gift that counts, it is the thought that goes with it. “Prowler,” Daily Bulletin | Dec. 16, 1942 M.L. Sievers, Arthur Thiel, Richard Quick, S.W. Snell, Roy Mathiewson and C.B. Beisner of the Municipal Light and Power Plant of this city proved themselves good fellows when they in- stalled a Christmas sign at the Canteen yester- day. The men also helped with the decorations of the [Canteen] hall, which are very colorful. Also sending decorations and helping were the W.J. O’Connor department store, the J.C. Penney Co., O.H. Thoelecke and Harry Mead. “Prowler,” Daily Bulletin | Dec. 22, 1942 Floyd Seaburg … has made and installed a six-foot Victory sign that added beauty and spirit to the decorations at the Canteen. “Prowler,” Daily Bulletin | Dec. 23, 1942 The Yuletide spirit is shown at the Canteen by the beautiful decorations hung by the ladies. Wreaths were made by Mrs. Mike [Rose] Loncar, Mrs. Walter [Daisy] Belzer and Mrs. [Mary] Beatty, with the evergreen donated by the city of North
Platte. Others who helped make the Canteen more decorative were the J.C. Penney Co., which gave Santa Claus; the O’Connor Five and Ten Cent Store, which gave colored rope; Mrs. Jason [Bertha] Sawyer, who decorated the tree; Mr. Meade, an electrician on the railroad, who did the wiring; Floyd Seaburg, who did the carpenter work; and many other persons who donated time and materials. These decorations, sprinkled with an increasing number of uniforms due to holiday furloughs, add much to the Christmas spirit.
The Telegraph looked back on the Canteen’s mo- mentous first year with a Christmas Eve story.
Telegraph | Dec. 24, 1942 One year ago tomorrow a small group of women met all trains that passed through North Platte and gave every service man on them a treat as an expres- sion of good will from the people of this community. Thus started the North Platte Canteen. … Included in the group that worked the first day were Mrs. C.A. [Tirzah] Wahl, Mrs. Ted [Edna] Neid, Mrs. Bruce [Mae] Eshom, Miss Edwina Barraclough, Miss LaVon Fairley, Miss Rae Wilson, Mrs. Sam [Marie] Carroll, Mrs. Bob [Dorothy] Miller, Mrs. Jack [Edith] Carroll, Mrs. H.F. [Elaine] Wright, Miss Wilma Lannin, Mrs. Mike [Rose] Loncar and [her] two daughters [Patsy and Dorothy], Mrs. Jason [Bertha] Sawyer and G.H. “Dad” Wilson. … Continued on page 54
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