Why do we wear poppies on Veterans' Day? A Minnesotan established the tradition

To honor the sacrifices made by service members on Veterans’ Day, you might see people wearing red paper poppies from the American Legion Auxiliary.

The woman who established this tradition in the U.S. actually had deep Minnesota connections. Dr. Helen Hughes Hielscher was not only a crusader for veterans’ rights but also a trailblazing woman in medicine who practiced in Blue Earth and Mankato in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Randy Anderson, director of the Faribault County Historical Society, joined host Cathy Wurzer on Minnesota Now to tell listeners about the life of Dr. Helen, as she was known.

Dr. Helen was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Minnesota medical school. After WWI, she dedicated her life to veterans’ issues and was a founder of the American Legion Auxiliary, where she introduced the production of red paper poppies as a way to employ veterans and raise money. Later, she was the first woman appointed to the Minnesota State Board of Health.

She was very well read in several languages (she was a big fan of Dante), and she wrote poetry, fiction and articles for magazines.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.