By Dr. Bill Stewart

March is Red Cross month. Most of the time the Red Cross, one of this nation’s most respected helping organizations, does not get a lot of publicity. However, when disaster strikes—as it has frequently at this time of year in this area—the Red Cross is on the scene very quickly. The Red Cross has mobilized popular support on many occasions over the years during, especially during times of war and violent weather.

•   May 31, 1918—Mr. and Mrs. Polytinsky, proprietors of the Hotel Hilda in Decatur, have offered the entire proceeds of the hotel and café today to the Red Cross fund. The Red Cross workers gave a dance last night at the Hilda to further augment the fund.
•   Oct. 10, 1918—Christmas packages for American soldiers in German and Austrian prison camps must be received by the American Red Cross before Oct. 15. Only one package will be sent to each prisoner.
•   Oct. 31, 1923—County workers in the Red Cross Roll Call were announced by Judge Thomas W. Wert, chairman. Hartselle is represented by Grover C. Graves. The Roll Call is the name given to the Red Cross’s annual membership drive. The community representatives take the lead in raising funds for alleviating suffering wherever it is occurring. Even though this decade of the ’20s might find some enjoying prosperity they have never known before, others, especially small farmers here in the South, are in bad need. In many instances their farms have been seized because of nonpayment of property taxes.
•   Jan. 22, 1942—The Red Cross sewing room is located over Brothers Store, Room 6. Materials are cut and readied for making small clothing accessories that can be sent to the front.
•   Jan. 26, 1943—The Junior Red Cross Council held a business meeting after classes had dismissed at Morgan County High School today. The Red Cross is making good use of all age groups in the war against Nazism.
•   June 1, 1944—Misses Beth Howell, Ruth B. Puckett, Sarah Phillips and Jesse Nell Lee worked Tuesday in Decatur at the American Red Cross room.
•   March 22, 1952—A tornado ripped across Morgan County. Four died as a result of the violent weather. The Hartselle armory has been designated as the county Red Cross relief headquarters.
•   Victims of last weekend’s tornado in northeast and southwest Morgan County are interviewed by Red Cross volunteers at the armory every day.

Hartselle Mayor John Burleson is taking the leading part in the tornado rescue work, while the Red Cross is providing vital assistance. Mayor Burleson expressed the fear that more dead may be found in the Winton community. With respect to those who had lost their residences due to the tornado, the mayor said most of them had found shelter with friends who escaped the storm.

•   Reports made by the Red Cross and other relief agencies say that, as a result of the tornado, houses were broken as if into kindling and scattered over areas of 100 yards or more. Telephone poles were blown akilter, and giant trees were snapped off at the trunks. The storm narrowly missed the most heavily populated areas of Hartselle and Falkville. Residents of both communities were thankful to have felt little effects from the tornado winds.
•   Casper Woods, operator of a filling station in Falkville, told how he had heard a “roar” and looked in the direction of Massey and “saw a funnel- shaped black cloud moving swiftly from the Southwest,” he said. “The cloud seemed to be twisting, and I could see trees and debris falling as it was spewed from the cloud.”
•   In Massey, the England family was in their home when suddenly they seemed to be lifted off the ground and thrown aside. Members of the family and some friends were blown to a wooded area 100 yards away.