Local Actor To Portray Edith Wilson In Veterans Day Reenactment

RACINE, WI -- In honor of Veterans Day and the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, First Impressions, with the help of the Meredith family will host a historical reenactment: “Edith Wilson; To End All Wars”.

Jessica Michna will perform the role of the wife of President Woodrow Wilson at 1 p.m. on Nov. 11 in the Preservation Hall at 704 Lake Ave. in Racine.

Prior to the program, at 11:30 a.m. there will be a Suffragette Rally by women demanding the right to vote. Present Wilson signed that into law before he left office.

Also on display will be information on the Wisconsin Nurses Honor Guard. This group provides an honor guard for the funerals of Wisconsin nurses.

During his time in office, Wilson suffered a stroke that severely affected his left side. To protect her husband's place in history, Edith Wilson, who married the president during his first term in office, screened all matters of state and decided which were important enough to bring to the bedridden president.

White House physicians kept the condition of the president quiet until many years after he had left the office and passed on. Edith Wilson's role in U.S. history is not without controversy, as her critics said that she functioned as the country's de facto chief executive until her husband's term completed in 1921.

In her later years, Edith Wilson led the Woman's National Democratic Club's board of governors when the club opened in 1924.

This is a free event, but a donation box will be available for those who wish to donate. All monies raised will be turned over to the Veterans Home in Union Grove to help, in some small way, those veterans have a happy holiday season.

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