This Day in Norwood History-December 4, 1941-South Norwood Knitting Unit Aids Red Cross

Piling up close to 700 hours of knitting in the brief three weeks since it has been organized, the South Norwood unit of the American Red Cross knitting division have turned out 30 garments, it was revealed today.

Miss Sadie Howard is the chairman of the South Norwood unit that meets every Thursday evening in the Balch School.

Many of the women who from this busy unit are housewives, office, and factory workers, who put in every available spare hour knitting Red Cross garments in the evenings.

Linked with the South Norwood unit in the volunteer service is the Finnish Branch of the International Workers organization who boasts among its members, Elsie Aho, one of the prized 100-hour Red Cross medal award winners. She has a total hour record of 127 to date.

The unit formed on November 3rd and within a month has compiled an enviable record.

Not all the women volunteers have as yet turned in their work hours and the total records are therefore somewhat incomplete.

Among the Finnish workers are Elsie Ahò with 127 hours, Fanny Koski, Mrs. Heino, Greta Halme, and Fanny Heikkinen with 51 hours each, Higa Wari, Lydia Anderson, Gilda Kaski, Fanny Ylikoki with 26 hours each.

In a separate unit are Emily Moses with 74 hours, Rose Saloom, Gerry Bader, Francis Suman, Molly Jazastias, Mrs. DeBerto all with 26 hours, Helen Tratt has 52 hours, and Eva Banzie with the same number, Isabell Vasilauskas has 51 while Helen Mazieka, Celia Max, Mrs. Sheehan, Milly Tulls, Mary Zabronski, Alma Antonen, and Margaret Selwyn had worked an unrecorded number of hours. Beatrice Cofsky and Domicella Stepnof have turned in 25 hours each in Red Cross knitting work.