She felt called to do more to ease the stress of these soldiers who were serving or had served their country in war.īy chance, Moina read a poem in a magazine written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae who was a Canadian physician. Miss Michael used her own meager salary to buy flowers to brighten up the dreary basement. Men and women in the military along with university secretaries visited the room each day to read, sing, and visit with others. She decided it would be worthwhile to help the soldiers before they left for their assignments overseas, so she opened a reading/meeting room in the basement of a hall on Columbia's campus. She reflected upon what she could do to help the war effort. She applied to go overseas but was denied due to the fact that she was too old. In the autumn of 1918, she completed the training presented by the YMCA and held at Columbia University in New York City so she could become a canteen worker. She delivered treats to the nearby military camp and invited soldiers to share a meal at her home. She knitted sock and rolled bandages with other local women. She wanted them to be remembered for their service and sacrifice. When it was announced that the United States was joining in the war in Europe, Moina vowed to do whatever she could to help the soldiers. Congress's vote on whether the nation would enter the war. When the Germans sank an American ship in March, 1917, she prayed the United States would not enter the war.Īt this time, she was a teacher and dorm mother at the University of Georgia's Normal School. In the summer of 1914, Miss Michael had been traveling in Europe when World War I broke out. Moina's mother was determined to help her daughter become educated so Moina could teach her younger siblings and the neighbor's children.Īfter three years of boarding school fifteen-year old Moina cleaned out an abandoned slaves' cabin on the plantation and opened a school for her siblings and a few local children. ![]() Families had lost everything in 'The Surrender' and could not afford to hire a teacher for the local children. ![]() ![]() Moina Belle Michael was raised in the small community of Good Hope, Georgia, after the Civil War. With the centennial of the World War I armistice approaching on November 11th, 2018, I decided I wanted to feature books about 'The Great War' or World War II each Monday of this month for my Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts.Ī couple of months ago I began searching the local library's online catalog for appropriate titles, and I was thrilled to find this gem in the collection!
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