George E. Mudge.  GEORGE E. MUDGE WAS THE FIRST SIBLEY VETERAN TO DIE DURING WORLD WAR I.  GEORGE WAS BORN AT RIPLEY, NEW YORK, ON OCTOBER 8, 1898.  ON MOVING TO SIBLEY, HE BECAME INVOLVED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.  HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS; ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE M.E. SUNDAY SCHOOL, PRESIDENT OF HIS SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS.  ON ARPIL 24, 1917 HE ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AT SOUX CITY. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO FORT LOGAN, COLORADO, AND LATER RETURNED TO FORT WINFIELD SCOTT, CALIFORNIA, DUE TO HIS HEALTH.  IT WAS BELIEVED THAT HE CAME DOWN WITH SCARLET FEVER COMLICATED WITH KIDNEY TROUBLE AND HEART FAILURE.  GEORGE PASSED AWAY ON MAY 16, 1917.   

COMMANDER ORAN K. PARROTT, VICE-COMMANDER LEO M. GALLAGHER, ADJUTANT CLIFFORD C. BANNON, FINANCE OFFICER L. DAYTON GARBERSON, CHAPLAIN WALTER L. CAREY, HISTORIAN LOVETT POLLEY AND SERGEANT AT ARMS T. CHESTER TREGILGUS.

     On November 17, 1919, men that served during World War I, met and organized Sibley’s American Legion Post.  Their first decision was to select the name for the post.  The names that were recommend was either Reed Guthrie or George E. Mudge.  The committee voted to name the post George E. Mudge.  He was Sibley’s first causality during the war.  The post received the Charter for George E. Mudge Post, State of Iowa, No. 324 on the Twelve day of December 1919.  The post membership has varied from 52 members in 1919 to 390 members. The George E. Mudge Post obtained quarters in the Osceola County Court House sharing the room with the Women’s Relief Corps and the Sibley’ American Legion Auxiliary until November, 1931.  The American Legion building was made possible through the generosity of Mrs. Helen Baldwin Gates.  Mrs. Gates was a widow of a Civil War veteran of Sibley.  Mrs. Gates, passed away in April, 1982, giving a donation of her estate to the George E. Mudge Post for the erection of a building in Sibley.  The Post, with the addition of some funds of its own, erected the building at a cost of approximately $50,000.  The building was formally dedicated on Armistice Day, 1931, with the Rev. Harvey Travis of Waterloo making the Dedicatory address.

In April 1931, the contract was signed to build the Legion Building.  On October 20, 1931 the American Legion held the opening ceremony for the building by having a dance at the building.  The post has maintained a very active participation within the community by sponsoring dances, plays, community basketball games, boxing exhibitions, purchasing and the installation of safety signs for the school, sponsoring the local Boy Scouts, and building the stadium for the fair grounds.  The Post membership has declined to a total of 35 members.  They continue to support the community in Posting the Colors for local events, providing honors for fallen veterans, showing honors during Memorial Day, and in maintaining a loan closet of medical equipment for the members in the community.