Helen Morganti page

Helen Morganti was born 1913, the youngest daughter of William A. Morganti who was a long time Homestake employee. She graduated from Lead High School in 1931 and BHTC in 1941. She was teaching at Edgemont when the construction of BHOD started. She went to work at the depot and quickly moved up to Public Information Officer for the Corps of Engineers. She was involved with "The Provo Peeper", an early publication for the depot. In her position with the Corps of Engineers she was asked to help with problems that Sioux Ordnance Depot, Sydney, NE, was having with employee morale. As the Corps of Engineers wound down its work on the Ordnance Depots at the end of the year (1942) she enlisted in the Hostess Corps and went to work at Camp Carson, CO. When the war ended she moved back to Lead and taught school for several years. The following articles are from the period shortly before the war and on through the war.

The Anemone

BLACK HILLS TEACHERS COLLEGE

VOLUME XXXIX SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA, MAY 23, 1941 NUMBER 23

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Meet the Seniors

Gladys Parker

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Helen Morganti

Helen Morganti, Lead, has had a varied career. She worked in a store five years, went to an undertaking school, worked in a funeral home, sang for stations KOBH and KFYR for a year, and is now ready to teach. She is going to teach dramatics and English at Edgemont next year.

Singing is Miss Morganti's major activity. In 1932 she placed second in a state Atwater-Kent radio contest. She has been assistant in the music department at BHTC for three years.

Summer school at the University of Wyoming will complete Miss Morganti's college work, which she has taken in three years. She has taught tennis every year.

The Anemone, Jan. 13, 1939; Helen Morganti kept her singing voice in training over the holidays by singing at six funerals and three weddings.

The Anemone, Oct. 13, 1939; Tennis tournament: Women's singles, Morganti is favorite and barring upsets should win.

The Anemone

BLACK HILLS TEACHERS COLLEGE

VOLUME XXXVII SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA, MAY 10, 1940 NUMBER 15

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Harp Outstanding Feature in Spring Recital

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At the senior spring recital many of the students heard harp music for the first time. The seniors has a great deal of difficulty in obtaining the harp. The student body had agreed to finance transportation of the harp so that they might have the opportunity to hear it played.

After conversing with the owners of the harp at Deadwood, Miss Heidepriem sent telegrams to Denver, Laramie (who wanted to sell a harp), Lyon and Healy, Chicago.

Miss Isabel Wray's own harp was finally obtained from Evanston, Illinois after she had made a long distance call to her father and mother. It was loaded on the Burlington at 11:30 Saturday night and arrived in Spearfish Monday.

Miss Wray earned her degree in music at the University of Michigan. She gives generously of her talent. She played for convocation for the YM and YW convention meeting. She is now preparing numbers for her music class in the training school and the rest of the training school.

Miss Wray and Miss Morganti displayed true artisitic talent at the senior recital and we hope to hear them again.

LEAD DAILY CALL

LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA, SATURDAY, May 31, 1941

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Local and Social

Miss Helen Morgani, youngest daughter of Mr. W. A. Morganti of Lead and graduate of Lead high school, received her professional B. S. degree from the Black Hills Teachers college Thursday. During her stay at Spearfish Miss Morganti has been active in extra-curricular activities despite the fact that she completed the four-year course in three years time. She has been the assistant in the music and physical education departments for the entire time. She is a member of Pi Kappa Sigma, national sorority: Beta Tau Gamma and the Education club, honorary scholastic societies; Props and Liners, dramatic society; Speech Arts, Y. W. C. A.; Tau Sigma Phi, honorary science fraternity; Psi Lambda phychology organization. She has also been the soloist with the college mixed choir. Miss Morganti has three majors, English, speech, and history. She is taking a course in aviation at the Black Hills airport which will lead to a private pilot's license. This summer Miss Morganti plans to attend the University of Wyoming at Laramie. Next fall Miss Morganti has received the appointment in the Edgemont high school where she will teach dramatics and English.

LEAD DAILY CALL

LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA, THURSDAY, December 23, 1941

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LOCAL and SOCIAL

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Miss Helen Morganti, well known local girl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Morganti of this city, who is director of music in the Edgemont high school this year, has been accorded a high honor, according to the December 13 issue of "The Anemone," official publication of the Black Hills Teachers college at Spearfish. The article in this issue which also carried a picture of Miss Morganti is quoted herewith: "Pi Kappa Sigma, national educational social sorority scholarship cup comes to the local Chi chapter for a year, for maintaining the highest scholarship standing during the year 1940-41. If this standing is maintained for three years in succession, the local chapter keeps the cup. Helen Morganti, B. S. '41, received the highest grades of any Pi Kappa Sigma girl in the United States for which she will receive a scholarship ring, Mildred Hagstrom, president, reports."

At open house last Thursday about 150 people used the new furniture and were served refreshments. In the evening Miss Helen Morganti and Miss Ellen Colgan each sang solos accompanied by Miss Alice Hult and Mrs. Fritz on the piano, and in the afternoon Mrs. Swick played the piano. Miss Dorothy Brown gave a humorous reading.

The Edgemont Tribune; Sept. 30, 1942; pg. 4; U.S.O. HIGHLIGHTS; Community Chorus

People who like to sing will be interested in a community chorus to have its first practice under the direction of Miss Helen Morganti Friday evening at 8 o'clock in the U.S.O. Center.

Anyone from Edgemont, Provo, or the Depot who enjoys singing is invited, as a good-sized group of men and women able to give some enjoyable music under this capable leadership should turn out for the weekly practices. High school students are also invited to participate.

The Edgemont Tribune; Jan. 6, 1943; pg. 1; FORMER TEACHER NAMED RECREATION HOSTESS

Miss Helen Morganti, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Morganti of Deadwood, who was formerly head of the public relations department of the Black Hills Ordnance Depot at Provo, and who had the distinction of being the only woman holding such a position in the Omaha division, recently was appointed the position of recreation hostess at Camp Carson, Colo. This new appointment carries with it the rank of lieutenant. Miss Morganti is the first Lead woman to be so ranked by the seventh service command, of Omaha, Nebr. Mrs. Bea Cleland, of Deadwood, is also at Camp Carson in the capacity of cafeteria hostess carrying the same rank.

LEAD DAILY CALL

LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA, FRIDAY, March 19, 1943

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FORMER LEAD GIRL RECEIVES MERIT BADGE RECENTLY

CAMP CARSON, Colo., Mar. 19. - Miss Helen Morganti of Lead, S. D., now recreational hostess at Service Club No. 1 at Camp Carson, Colo., had the honor on March 9 of receiving a "merit award" in the form of a medal, to a "soldier on the home front" for the excellent work done at the Sioux ordnance depot in setting up and assisting in the execution of a complete recreational program at that plant.

The medal was in recognition of her services to the contractors in supervising the building of a trailer camp and barracks on the area and aiding in the completion of the plant ahead of schedule by keeping the men and their families happy and on the job.

Colonel Blunt, commanding officer of Camp Carson, after praising Miss Morganti, read the following inscription from the medal: "Presented to Miss Helen Morganti, one who made possible completion of the combat equipment storage area at Sioux ordnance depot ahead of schedule. With the sincere appreciation of Major Perli Lewis, corps of engineers, and Captain Frank H. Fristoe, assistant area engineer."

During the time Miss Morganti was doing this work at Sidney, Neb., she was also head of public relations at the Black Hills ordnance depot at Provo, S. D. At the close of the position at Provo she went to Camp Carson.

Miss Helen Morganti, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Morganti of Lead, has been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in the hostess corps of the U. S. service according to word received from Camp Carson, Colo., where she has been stationed as a recreational hostess for the past nine months. With the promotion came a transfer in August to Fort Logan to take over the directorship of the service clubs there. Miss Morganti had asked for a release in order to go overseas with the Red Cross, but was instead given this position.

Helen F. Morganti, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Morganti of this city, arrived home Sunday afternoon from Denver and will spend a ten-day leave with relatives and friends. She has been stationed at Ft. Logan, Colo., where she has been supervising the building and subsequent operation of a new gymnasium, a new fully-equipped library, service club and a siz-lane bowling alley for the use of enlisted men. She has been transferred back to Camp Carson, Colo., as director of service club, and will report there at the completion of her vacation.

Miss Helen Morganti, a first lieutenant in the U. S. Army hostess corps, who cme here from Ft. Logan, Colo., ten days ago to visit her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wlliam Morgantil, will leae tomorrow on the noon train for Camp Carson, near Colorado Springs, Colo., shere she has been assigned as recreational director of Camp No. 2.

Miss Helen Morganti, of Lead, director of Camp Carson, Colo., Service club No. 2, is pictured with two other persons, one the highest Red Cross blood donor in Colorado, and the other a blood donor chairman, in a recent issue of a Colorado Springs daily, taken during the session of the five-day mobile unit visit to the Fine Arts Center in that city. Miss Morganti, a new Gallon club member, is shown signing the honor roll. She has given blood 11 times, including three times to an army agency, according to the story accompanying the picture.

"Ah, that's my old outfit!" They aren't saying it, but that is probably what these battle veterans are thinking as they point to their old insignias on Miss Helen Morganti's Army arm patch display at the Haven. Over 500 insignias covering organizations from division size down to that of regiment are mounted on the blankets. From left to right: PFC John E. Longbrake, Tq. Det; PFC Raymond J. Konieczki, Recon Section Co. F; Pvt. Edwin B. Huff, Recon Section Co. E.; and Tec. 5 Louis F. Zurowski, Recon Section Co. B.

One of the most interesting attractions featured at The Haven in recent months is the Army patch and insignia exhibition of Miss Helen Morgan, service club hostess, which is on display in the lounge. During her two years at The Haven, she has collected more than 500 patches of divisions, corps, wings, squadrons, regiments and military groups of all sorts.

When it was at Carson, the 122nd Infantry Battalion started Miss Morganti on her happy with a gift of several divisional patches. She is now compiling a history of all the divisions for which she has patches, and at present all but 30 of them were given to her by soldiers once stationed at Carson and in Colorado Springs. The large, colorful displays are to be used for publicity purposes in the coming Seventh War Loan Drive.

Imbued in the service club collection are fascinating stories connected with obtaining the patches. From the European battlefields Miss Morganti was sent a bloodstained 9th Coast Artillery arm insigna, which was cut from a soldier wounded in battle. She also possesses a patch from the 106th Division, which was in battle around besieged Bastogne last December.

Among other patch treasures are Australian and British arm brassards sent by the 345th Ordnance Depot, 71st Evacuation and 35th General Hospital units, besides insignia from the Second Corps mailed from the Casserine Pass in North Africa, and a Fifth Army patch sent straight from the war-torn Anzio beachhead.

In addition to the insignia, Miss Morganti has general stars from Maj. Gen. Terry Allen, 104th Division commander, and Brig. Gen. Bryant Moore, his assistant. Not to be excluded is a patch from the famous First Division, which was sent Miss Morganti by Lt. Col. Jerry Kellcher, now executive offier of the 415 Regiment of the 104th Division.

Four Red Cross ladies sewed the more than 500 patches on GI blankets, besides threading captions for each patch. The women who did the sewing were: Mrs. Catherine Ellsworth, Miss Eilsen Carrick, Mrs. Edith Springer and Miss Blanche Johnson. The display is still on exhibition at The Haven for everyone to view, and it is hoped that every Carson service men and women will have a chance to see it.

BLACK HILLS ORDNANCE DEPOT

MISS HELEN MORGANTI