During World War I, as part of her work with the Milwaukee Chapter of the American Red Cross, Stella Mathews assisted with the organization of United States Army Base Hospital No. 22. The unit was sent to Beau Desert, Gironde, France in mid-1918 and remained there until the following May. After the war's end, Mathews participated in Red Cross Missions to Poland and Greece, before returning to work in the United States. On June 21, 1939, wishing to recognize Stella Mathew's contributions, the International Red Cross awarded her with the Florence Nightingale Medal (pictured above), which is the highest award given for international nursing services.
[Milwaukee Small Collection 84: Folder 2]
