Trivia 11-14-17 Who Am I?

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When my husband's untimely death left me a widow with a considerable estate, I dedicated my life to 'relief work'. As secretary of the Keokuk Soldiers’ Aid Society, I visited troop encampments and organized a statewide system of local aid societies. I fought a 'running battle' with male-dominated aid societies, but, more importantly, my relief workers and I convinced the Army to open special diet kitchens at army hospitals to improve the care of wounded soldiers. After the war, I was active in the Temperance Movement, the Women's Auxillary of the GAR and led a campaign to establish homes for elderly Civil War nurses and the widows and mothers of veterans. I successfully lobbied Congress to provide pensions for Civil War nurses.
Who am I?

credit: @WJC
 
When my husband's untimely death left me a widow with a considerable estate, I dedicated my life to 'relief work'. As secretary of the Keokuk Soldiers’ Aid Society, I visited troop encampments and organized a statewide system of local aid societies. I fought a 'running battle' with male-dominated aid societies, but, more importantly, my relief workers and I convinced the Army to open special diet kitchens at army hospitals to improve the care of wounded soldiers. After the war, I was active in the Temperance Movement, the Women's Auxillary of the GAR and led a campaign to establish homes for elderly Civil War nurses and the widows and mothers of veterans. I successfully lobbied Congress to provide pensions for Civil War nurses.
Who am I?

credit: @WJC
You are Annie Turner Wittenmyer.
 
When my husband's untimely death left me a widow with a considerable estate, I dedicated my life to 'relief work'. As secretary of the Keokuk Soldiers’ Aid Society, I visited troop encampments and organized a statewide system of local aid societies. I fought a 'running battle' with male-dominated aid societies, but, more importantly, my relief workers and I convinced the Army to open special diet kitchens at army hospitals to improve the care of wounded soldiers. After the war, I was active in the Temperance Movement, the Women's Auxillary of the GAR and led a campaign to establish homes for elderly Civil War nurses and the widows and mothers of veterans. I successfully lobbied Congress to provide pensions for Civil War nurses.
Who am I?

credit: @WJC
You are Sarah "Annie" Turner Wittenmyer - Source
 
MRS. ANNIE WITTENMEYER, CIVIL WAR HEROINE

There were many Iowa women who performed heroic tasks during the Civil War. The one most
remembered for her service to humanity was Mrs. Annie Turner Wittenmeyer of Keokuk.
Mrs. Wittenmeyer was a widow at the time of the Civil War Her husband had left her wealthy
She was an energetic woman and helped in the camps and hospitals around Keokuk when the war
broke out.
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She helped organize the "Keokuk Soldiers Aid Society". This organization raised money to buy
food and clothing for the ill and wounded soldiers in the hospitals.
While visiting her brother at an army hospital in Sedalia, Missouri, Mrs. Wittenmeyer was
shocked at the food served to the patients. Knowing that these sick men needed better food than
greasy bacon, bread and coffee, she came up with the idea of "diet kitchens."
She took her idea to authorities in Washington, D.C., and was given approval to establish these
diet kitchens in all the larger Union Army hospitals. A special kitchen was attached to each hospital
and foods like toast, chicken soup, milk, tea, gruel and vegetables were made available for the
patients. By the end of the war, there were over 100 diet kitchens in operation.
In 1862, the Iowa legislature passed a law requiring the governor to appoint two or more sanitary
agents for the state. Mrs. Annie Wittenmeyer was named to be one of these agents. In fact, the law
stated that she be one of the agents. She served two years in this capacity. She was responsible for
buying needed supplies with state funds and seeing that the supplies got to the people who needed
them.
General Grant said of Mrs. Wittenmeyer "no soldier on the firing line ever gave more heroic
service than Annie Wittenmeyer rendered."
Mrs. Wittenmeyer was also a leader in the establishment of the Iowa Soldiers Orphans Homes.
After many dying soldiers in the hospitals begged Mrs. Wittenmeyer to care for their children, she
decided to see what she could do for these children. She helped raise money for the homes. The first
home was started in Farmington, Iowa, in July of 1864, and was later moved to Camp Kinsman in
Davenport. There was another home at Cedar Falls from 1864 to 1876. In 1866, the state took over
the management of the homes. The State Children's Home in Davenport was named in honor of Mrs.
Annie Wittenmeyer.
After the Civil War, Mrs. Wittenmeyer moved to Pennsylvania and was involved in
humanitarian works there. She died in 1900.

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