Gold Star Mother's and Family Day

 This past Sunday, Sept. 27th, was Gold Star Mother's and Family Day.  The name was changed from just Gold Star Mother's Day to and Family Day in 2011.

Gold Star Mothers Inc.

The American Gold Star Mothers Inc. was formed in the United States shortly after World War I to provide support for mothers who lost sons or daughters in the war. The name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a Service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the United States Armed Forces. 

Living servicemen were represented by a blue star, and those who had lost their lives were represented by a gold star. On the last Sunday in September, Gold Star Mother's Day is observed in the U.S. in their honor.[

The Gold Star Mothers was founded by Grace Darling Seibold of Washington, D.C.

Our Gold Star Mother's

Most of our Gold Star Mother's stories have been lost through the years or more likely, never were told. If we are fortunate we might come across some memories as we look through the archives of The Crittenden Press. Here are two interesting articles about two of our Gold Star Mothers and how they handled their grief and channeled it into something for the betterment of their communities.

Dec. 1936 – Death Claims County's Gold Star Mother. Mrs. W. H. Ordway, 75, died at her home in the Crayne community. Mrs. Ordway had been for many years a resident of the Crayne community and was well and favorably known throughout Crittenden County.

She bore the distinction of being the first gold Star Mother in the county during the world war; her son, Ellis B. Ordway, was the first Crittenden Countian to be killed on foreign battlefields shortly after he was detailed over seas. He died in France, July 26, 1918 of wounds received in action.. Some years later, on March 28, 1924 the local post of the American Legion was named in his honor. His body was returned to the United States in March 1921, and was buried with military honors at the Crayne Cemetery.

Mrs. Ordway was popular in her community and was always lending her efforts to the betterment of the community and giving freely of time and effort in all matters that would benefit or serve to enhance civic betterment and improvement, by doing so she was honoring the memory of her son who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Mrs. Julia Long and her husband, William Ordway, are also buried in the Crayne cemetery.

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From an article written in 1980 from The Crittenden Press.

Christmas was a bleak holiday for the George and Hattie Winn family in 1944. Their youngest son, Harold, was killed in France that year in World War II, July 13, 1944. The family had no reason to celebrate. “I was grief-sticken; I felt as if my whole world had tumbled in, I was on the verge of insanity,” Mrs. Hattie Winn, said, Harold was my baby.

Mrs. Winn went into seclusion for a year after Harold's death, comforted only by a gardenia grown from a cutting he gave her when she visited him at Camp Wheeler in Georgia.

On their way to dinner at the Officers' Club one night Lt. Winn picked three gardenia sprigs for her to wear. Mrs. Winn wrapped them in a napkin and brought them back to Kentucky to plant. From only a sprig it flourished and grew. She cherished the plant and the memories it held for her and her son.

Harold was soon assigned over seas. He wrote her from the trenches of France, “Mother, I don't want to be selfish, but I wish I could be home again between clean sheets.” A short time later he was killed.

During the sad days when news was received of her son's death the gardenias were neglected and the cherished gardenias died. This grieved Mrs. Winn and she thought of that bush back in Georgia from whence the blooms came. She wrote her son's commanding officer, and was first afraid to mail it afraid he would consider her just a silly sentimental woman. Finally, she did mail the letter asking for another cutting. But realizing the importance of the plant, the commanding officer of Camp Wheeler sent her the entire plant instead, with his “Kindest personal regards.”

The Gardenia Bush was four feet tall and necessitated the buying of a small greenhouse. Even with such careful sending the plant lived only two years. With a greenhouse on hand, friends suggested the purchase of pot flowers. When Mother's Day rolled around, people asked to buy her flowers and with this, Mrs. Winn became a florist. She said that the new flower business has given me a new lease on life. I always loved flowers, Mrs. Winn said, and the beauty of them and the pleasure they gave to other people, helped me with my grief, and I found didn't feel sorry for myself anymore.

Mrs. Hattie Winn died in 1984 and is buried at Mapleview cemetery.

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I think all our Gold Star Mother's from World War I and World War II are gone now, we will never know their own stories of grief of the loss of the son or daughter, but it's nice to think and remember them on their special day, Gold Star Mother's Day, the last Sunday in the month of September.