Quite the Host

     On the society page of the Denver Post on Tuesday, February 22, 1910 an article shows Elmer J. Armstrong (my grandfather) as one of the members of the Leisure Hour Club who had been responsible of a party on the previous Saturday evening.  The event could have been in honor of George Washington's birthday which was celebrated on Feb 22.  Elmer J. Armstrong was not an officer yet so the enlisted men had probably been put in charge of the event.
     I don't know exactly when Elmer met Mary Blandford but she lived in the area at that time. The following is a picture of them on an outing but the date was either 1910 or 1911. If they had known each other at the time of the party would Mary Catherine have helped with the plans?  I know that if I was in charge of a party I would have gotten help from Jayme.

Rear left to right: Mary Catherine Blandford, Elmer J. Armstrong, Maud Blandford, Milby Hayes
Front: Bess, Ella B.

     Maud Blandford was Mary Catherine's younger sister.  Milby Hayes was in the Hospital Corps with Elmer.  Milby was another soldier listed in the article above.  Milby Hayes was also a witness at the marriage of Elmer and Mary Catherine in April 23, 1911.  Bess and Ella B. were nieces of Mary Catherine and Maud.
     The article mentions that they served ices.  While trying to figure out what ices were, I found a book online: Ices, And How To Make Them: A Popular Treatise (1900). The overview says  On Cream, Water And Fancy Dessert Ices, Ice Puddings, Mousses, Parfait, Granites, Cooling Cups, Punches.  One can buy the book online, but I don't think I need that book in my collection.  I would guess ices are like ice cream.