Abstract
The Nita Longo Rieger Collection on the Desert Chapter of Gold Star Mothers consists of materials dated from 1947 until 1995 from the Desert Chapter of Gold Star Mothers Inc. located in Las Vegas, Nevada. It includes newspaper clippings about the group, a history of the chapter, photographs of meetings and member events, and programs from the dedication and rededication of a monument erected by the group.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Nita Longo Rieger Collection on the Desert Chapter of Gold Star Mothers consists of materials dated from 1947 until 1995 from the Desert Chapter of Gold Star Mothers Inc. located in Las Vegas, Nevada. It includes newspaper clippings about the group, a history of the chapter, photographs of meetings and member events, and programs from the dedication and rededication of a monument erected by the group.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Grace Darling Siebold founded American Gold Star Mothers Inc. in 1928 and opened membership to other mothers whose sons died in military service to the United States. The group offered not only support to members, but also volunteered in and donated to veterans hospitals.
The Desert Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers Inc. was organized in Las Vegas, Nevada in May 1946. The official induction of members took place on February 13, 1947 at the War Memorial Building in Las Vegas. Original members were: Gladeus Page, Myrtle Cheel, Margaret Medberry, Margaret Mae Nicholson, Anna Catherine Heywood, Irene Williams, Lola Williams, Loretta Opper, Gladys St. John, Olive Roberts, Erna Robinson, Helen Lovell, Ella Heap, Osabella Armstrong, Sue Barrett, Josie Dondich, Bernadette Magee, Lucy Stewart, Thelma Swanner, Nettie Gwen, and Margaret Rice.
The group raised money to build a monument honoring men who died in military service from Clark County, Nevada in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. On May 30, 1952 the city leaders dedicated the monument in City Hall Park located in downtown Las Vegas. The construction of a highway on-ramp forced the dismantling of the monument in the 1960s. On May 30, 1995 the City of Las Vegas rededicated the monument at its new location at the corner of Bonanza and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The Desert Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers Inc. appears to have decreased in activity since the 1970s.
Source:
“History.” American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. http://www.goldstarmoms.com/About/History.htm (accessed June 29, 2016).
Preferred Citation
Nita Longo Rieger Collection on the Desert Chapter of Gold Star Mothers, 1947-1995. MS-00408. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1999 by Nita Londo Rieger; accession number 1999-013.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff.
In 2016, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Angela Moor revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards.
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Separated Materials
Some of the photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in Nita L. Rieger Photograph Collection, 1920-1964. PH-00315. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.