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  • Sunday, February 10, 1918

    Made 2 thousand cookies and had the best luck.

                Had a wonderful meeting, and the hut was crowded; the men seemed interested and God came near. The guns roared and the house shook. The Chaplain told of having just put seven of our boys in their graves; all were young. One had such a pleasant smile on his face; one whose face was half gone; and another’s legs were all that were left. How very hard it is. God bless and keep the poor loved ones.

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  • Saturday, February 9, 1918

    Made donuts and pies, cleaned up. My what a grand rush for them. How the boys do like homemade things to eat. Was very tired but happy.

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  • Friday, February 8, 1918

    Woke up feeling kind of sick so stayed in bed till nine o’clock. Miss Van Harden made me some coffee and brought me some cakes from the kitchen. They had gas drill. In the afternoon I made one thousand donuts, and they went as fast as I could make them. The boys left for the trenches. Some of them said goodbye, feeling it was the last time till Christ’s coming. I do praise God for having talked and delt with a few.

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  • Thursday, February 7, 1918

    A fine busy day. The doctor had told me that they have just taken two young boys to the hospital, one has lost his eyes and the other will die. Mustard gas was the cause. Have been talking to one of the boys who lost his buddy and he showed me things from his pockets all bloody; how sad. But God had blessed his chum’s death by the converting of the one who lives. He has saved him and has a real work of grace in him. One man was shot 18 times and lives and suffers. The Germans sent gas over our boys, but today they have to stand back because our Sammies are doing them some hurt. One of the men put a post in the ground in front of the trench; he had to put it in again. The Germans shot it; the shell made a large hole, and by night the men had a place to bathe, the first wash for a week. The heavy artillery has been firing all evening and night. A very heavy bombardment. The men lost quite a large number. The troops from here are going in and oh, it hurt to see boys 17 going to death or worse; but they are the bravest of boys. God comfort and keep them.

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  • Tuesday, February 5, 1918

    Scrubbed the floor of our room. I had an old lady to help, and she has lost all and is very sad, poor thing. Put up the counters and so many came to get things to take to the front. And it was fine to be able to say a word of cheer and tell them of Jesus. They had much to say about their life at the front. God is good to us.

  • Monday, February 4, 1918

    Breakfast with the officers. A fine bunch and we had lots of fun. Then we went to try to get things in order. We had a real treat. Gen. Dunken invited us to dinner and my he is a fine man. And all his staff. After dinner we went to view the city. Talked to a good many of the boys and had a chance to cheer them up. Then supper with and a fine time. We talked and heard some great stories that would make you creep. Then to bed.

  • Sunday, February 3, 1918

    Ansauville: We were up early and packed and all ready for our trip. Got to the hut and the boys brought breakfast to us. My, it was cold, The men came in to say goodbye, and it seemed like leaving home. We got our gas masks and feal like real soldiers.

    Went to Ligny for dinner and then got in the new car to go to our new place of business. It was a very fine white ride; the frost looked like ice on the trees and grass, a fine countryside. Went to visit a family of Hustlers at Semyny. They have only tents pitched among the trees and have nuts galore but are doing fine. Then we went to find a place and it was some place; then to cue stop. On the road we read the signs “the enemy see you,” so we went fast but could see the trenches and wire and our dear boys on the job, bless them. The next was our stop in the village. Oh my, dirty! Well. It was very dark, no lights allowed, so all must be done in the dark. First, one of the officers came and took us in his care; his name is Capt. E. A very fine man. He was the town mayor because he had trench feet and they were very sore.

    First to our rooms. It was a fine one. As usual, the house of the mayor, but his family is as usual, all the animals live in the same house. Our room was so picturesque. In the center a large table and one high bed, one stand, and two broken chairs. But on the walls on one side are horses and camels and all kinds of lovely dressed soldiers. On the other a big battle among hills. The other two sides were Princes and Lords in hunting dress. It was very fine. On one side a stuffed eagle on another a deer and another wild boars head. A fine room I thought. Oh my, yes.

    The Capt. took us to supper. It was eggs, bread and jam, butter. Then back to our rooms We had a dog robber who made our fire and got water and all classy. In this room there are electric lights. We are about five miles from the Germans. The 16th and 18th are in the trenches and they have a very hard time of it.. They only have two meals a day and not much then. Quite a few have been killed and a large number badly hurt. This place was shelled a year ago and most of the buildings are badly torn. Our place is roofless and has many holes in the sides. One man showed me a letter with blood on it. It was from his buddy who had been killed at his side. He told me the story with great tears streaming down his cheeks. So many of the boys have lost their friends.

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  • Saturday, February 2, 1918

    Made breakfast and cleaned up then in came some men who were cold so we made them some coffee. Then who should come but Adj. Starker. My, it was good to see him. He has Hickie and Russel with him. He told us to be ready to move the next trip, and we were all upset. The cooks came and we told them and they gave us our dinner early. Adj. told us to only take necessaries, so we went to Ligny with very heavy grips. We go a little ways and decided to let one of the men get it for us. We left it at a woman’s house, and Dan went and got it. We had a very pleasant visit, and Fred and Florence walked home with us. Poor Fred sprained his arm while in Paris; he is now a wounded man. When we got home we found that three German soldier spies had been caught and it caused a lot of excitement. Then a French lady was coming to entertain in the evening so all was fine. One of the most wonderful time. The men stayed till nine thirty. Had a real family time talking with the different men, and there are some real Mothers’ boys. The same escort took us home.

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  • Friday, February 1, 1918

    Got up at six and had breakfast in the kitchen. The men signed the payroll in the hut, and it is an interesting time. Lt. Clarkson was in with them.

    The cook told Cadet and I that we could use the stove, so at ten we had our donuts finished. The Adj. came up to the hut and was a little better. Then one of the men came from Menacourt, his name is Bell, he is a very fine boy from Co. L. 26.

    I was talking to a man from the Supply Co. and he was telling me about the fine trip they had coming over. There was a large number of them and the boat was the Fatherland; all the boys were from Minnesota. He is a Christian and has been for three years and is keeping good over here in France. He don’t like the life here. Their first billets were in a place called Chartiers, the place were seven hundred Prussians were shot by the French. In the place where the men slept, the building was riddled with shots and splashed with blood, and our men slept in there for three nights. The place where they buried the dead was an old trench, and the guns that were used were Mitralleuse.

    We had our usual family take us home as guard, Irish friends. The same man put out the lights. Dan came and took some supplies of tables and chairs to the front.

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  • Tuesday, January 29, 1918

    Got up early. Adj. was sick, so Cadet and I run the show. We made donuts. The men were in the hut all day, so Cadet made the donuts with the cook’s help and I stayed in the hut. We had a lot of work and were kept going. I played many games. At night the hut was crowded and we played games and sang and we went home with about twenty soldiers as a protection. I made Adj. toast and cocoa and tried to keep her alive; her cough was a little better. I went to bed. It was a very cold night.

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