{{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox person | image = Sarah D. Winans (Journal of the 22nd Convention of the National WRC, 1904).png | alt = B&W portrait photo of a woman with her hair in an upd=-do, wearing a white blouse with a brooch at the neckline. | caption = | birth_name = Sarah Darst | birth_date = May 14, 1841 | birth_place = Lostcreek Township, Miami County, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = June 4, 1915 (aged 74) | death_place = Toledo, Ohio, U.S. | spouse = {{marriage|John Cory Winans|1866}} | known_for = 21st National President, Woman's Relief Corps | signature = Sarah D. Winans signature (Journal of the 22nd Convention of the National WRC, 1904).png }} '''Sarah D. Winans''' ({{nee}} '''Darst'''; 1841–1915) was an American charitable organization leader who served as the 21st National President of the Woman's Relief Corps (WRC).<ref name="Logan1912">{{cite book |last1=Logan |first1=Mrs John A. |title=The Part Taken by Women in American History |date=1912 |publisher=Perry-Nalle Publishing Company |via=Wikisource |page=354 |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Part_Taken_by_Women_in_American_History/Women_of_the_Woman%27s_Relief_Corps |access-date=16 March 2024 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> For 50 years, she served in the cause of patriotism and relief of Civil War soldiers, widows, and orphans.<ref name="Journal1915">{{cite book |last1=Galbraith |first1=Viola |editor1-last=Woman's Relief Corps (U S. ) National Convention |title=Journal of the ... National Convention of the Woman's Relief Corps |date=1915 |publisher=Griffith Stillings |pages=206–09 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j2oTAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA206 |access-date=16 March 2024 |language=en |chapter=Sarah D. Winans, Past National President}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Sarah Darst was born at Lostcreek Township, Miami County, Ohio, on May 14, 1841.<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915" /> Her father was Rev. John Darst (1790–1875), a German Dunkard.<ref name="Journal1915" /> Her mother was Mary (née Strausberger) Darst (1812–1904). Sarah had four older siblings: Anna, Catherine, Benjamin, and Rebecca.<ref name="familysearch">{{cite web |title=Sarah Darst |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LT49-3CH |website=www.familysearch.org |access-date=16 March 2024}}</ref>
Winans attended Lindon Hall Academy and the Girls' Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana.<ref name="Journal1915" />
==Career== From the beginning of the Civil War until its close, she was assiduous in promoting the work of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, and in looking after the comfort of the soldier in the hospital, on the field, and in the camp.<ref name="Logan1912" /> Winans organized an Aid Society under the U.S. Christian Commission, the first of its kind in Ohio. This organization was known as the Woman's Central Association for Relief, which was also referred to as Woman's Aid. The principles of this society were about the same as the American Red Cross of later years.<ref name="Journal1915" />
On September 25, 1866,<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915" /> she married John Cory Winans (1840–1915),<ref name="familysearch" /> a soldier of the 44th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and 8th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, who carried his arm in steel splints all during his life.<ref name="Journal1915" />
When the WRC was organized, she found that her work was only begun, and that the field had widened.<ref name="Logan1912" /> She joined A. H. Colman Corps at Troy and in 1886, was made president and served two terms. She was elected president of the Department of Ohio in 1889. During that term, her administrating reached its zenith of power and influence.<ref name="Journal1915" />
In San Francisco in 1903, at the 22nd annual convention of the WRC,<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915cont">{{cite news |title=Soldiers' Friend Is Mustered Out (continued from 1st page) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/troy-daily-news-soldiers-friend-is-must/143505747/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=Troy Daily News |date=5 June 1915 |page=2 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> she was elected National President without a dissenting vote. Winans began her first work of patriotism immediately following her election as National President, by placing in National Headquarters a large silk flag. She made the presentation speech of a flag to the University of Tennessee. The WRC's National Order was incorporated during Winans' term of office, and signed by Winans, Kate Brownlee Sherwood, Clara Barton, Mary M. North, Sarah E. Phillips, and Lizabeth A. Turner.<ref name="Journal1915" />
When her year was finished at National President of the WRC, she found that there was other work to do. She was made a member of the Andersonville Prison Park Board, and when the chair position was made vacant by the death of Lizabeth A. Turner, Winans was asked to fill the vacancy.<ref name="Logan1912" /> She served six years on the Board out of the twelve the WRC owned it. Hundreds of bearing pecan trees and 400 rose bushes which she helped train with her hands contribute to the memory of the 13,920 soldiers lying in the cemetery.<ref name="Journal1915" /> On May 30, 1911, she presented a monument and tablet (upon which were memorialized the history of the gift of the park to the WRC, and their transfer of it to the United States Government) to Belle C. Harris, national president of the WRC, who in turn presented it to a representative of the Government, Captain Bryant. It stands within the stockade at Andersonville.<ref name="Logan1912" /> She was for 14 years on the board of the Andersonville Prison Improvement Association.<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915" />
Her most forcible speech was delivered at the executive session of the National Council of Women of the United States at Indianapolis, February 2, 1904; her subject was "Peace and Arbitration," giving its fundamental principle as love, serving charity without ostentation.<ref name="Journal1915" />
Winans was a regent of the Memorial University at Mason City, Iowa, established by the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and the WRC.<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915" /> She was made a member of the Board of National Order of Patriotic Workers of America; she was the only woman on the Board.<ref name="Journal1915" />
==Personal life== Mr. and Mrs. Winans lived in Toledo, Ohio.<ref name="Logan1912" /> The couple had two sons, Harry (1868–1911) and Frank (1871–1914).<ref name="familysearch" />
Sarah D. Winans had been in failing health during her last year. After being stricken by two strokes, she died at the family residence in Toledo, Ohio, June 4, 1915.<ref name="TroyDailyNews1915">{{cite news |title=Soldiers' Friend Is Mustered Out. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/troy-daily-news-soldiers-friend-is-must/143499163/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=Troy Daily News |date=5 June 1915 |page=1 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Winans, Sarah D.}} Category:1841 births Category:1915 deaths Category:Woman's Relief Corps national presidents Category:People from Miami County, Ohio