Memorial Day & Hatfield Historical Society

The  story of a past church member

-The Hatfield Historical Society's new exhibit is called, Through Marian's Eyes: A Red Cross Canteen Worker Recounts World War I" (see attached poster). It will be open from 11 to 12:30 (before the parade) and from 1:30 to 3:30 (after the Town Hall ceremony). 

The exhibit is based on Marian Billings, a 37-year-old Hatfield woman who left her job as business manager of the family farm and sailed to France in August 2018 to do her part during World War I. Her journals not only tell us what life was like for a Red Cross canteen worker, but give us touching and sometimes gruesome stories about the soldiers she cares for. The exhibit also features mini profiles of a number of Hatfield WWI soldiers. 

The exhibit OPENING will include a Red Cross canteen tent -- starting at 1:30 pm -- staffed by costumed Red Cross canteen workers (some Smith Academy juniors), with a few WWI soldier reenactors (more Smith Academy juniors), and the girls will be serving the soldiers and visitors canteen fare - including coffee, lemonade, chocolate drops donated by Richardson's Candy Kitchen and cider donuts donated by Atkins Farms.

The Historical Society invites you to come visit the exhibit and participate in the canteen. They also ask you to pin up a card and a remembrance poppy with your WWI family member's name in front of the library. 

Kathie Gow
Curator, Hatfield Historical Museum     hatfieldhistory.weebly.com
​Oral History Producer     wordspicturesstories.com