Amy Irene Robbins Ware (September 7, 1877 – May 5, 1929) was an American author, world court worker, peace activist, and clubwoman. She played a significant role during World War I, serving in various capacities for the American Red Cross and the American Expeditionary Forces in France. She was stationed near the front lines in the days leading up to the Armistice of November 11, 1918, and later became associated with the army college at Savenay. Ware documented her experiences in prose and verse in her book, Echoes of France (1920).
Amy was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 7, 1877, at the home of her uncle, Thomas Barlow Walker. She was the daughter of Andrew Bonney Robbins, a Civil War veteran, and Adelaide Julia Walker, a Civil War nurse. Her father was the namesake of Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Through her ancestry, she was a lineal descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrim John Howland and of Captain Abraham Shaw of the American Revolutionary War. Amy had five sisters, Edith Anstis Robbins, Helen M. Robbins, Adelaide B. Robbins, Ruth Marian Robbins, and Esther Marjory Robbins. Her brother Harland A. Robbins and sister Helen died in childhood. Four of her sisters were graduates of the University of Minnesota and all were members of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and the Association of Collegiate Alumnae.
Amy’s lifelong passion for art was nurtured by spending time among the artworks in the T. B. Walker Collection. From the age of eight, she developed a love for the violin and studied under Carl Lachmund and Heinrich Hoevel. She later became a violin teacher.
She graduated from East Minneapolis High School in 1896, specializing in architecture. She practiced this profession until 1898, including a year’s apprenticeship at the Taggart Agricultural offices. In 1901, Ware received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota, where she studied botany, chemistry, and modern languages. She furthered her education in applied design, woodcarving, leatherwork, and jewelry-making at the Minneapolis Handicraft Guild in 1905-06. She received a Master of Arts degree in 1907 from the University of Minnesota, majoring in dramaturgy, historic design, and archaeology.
On January 3, 1907, Amy became a founding member and secretary of the the Robbinsdale Library Club. At that time books were available from 9 to 4 pm on weekdays at the Robbinsdale State Bank. The members voted to contribute an additional dollar a month to the salary of the Librarian. For a while the Village Council gave one dollar per month but decided it could not afford this expense. The Council did allow the books to be placed in the Village Hall free of charge, including the cost of lights. Previously, the books, mostly donated by citizens, had been kept in the hotel and later in the drug store.
On August 14, 1907, at the age of 29, Amy Robbins married her college beau, John J. Roland Ware at her family’s home in Robbinsdale. Edith Robbins was the maid of honor and Pascal Ware, brother of the bridegroom, was the best man. Esther and Ruth Robbins stretched the ribbons.
The couple resided at 3914 West Broadway in Robbinsdale, known as “The Orchards.” A gift from Amy’s parents, the property extended down to Crystal Lake. In 1908, Amy established the Orchard Crafts Guild, reflecting her interest in handicrafts and architecture.
In 1913 and part of 1914, Amy traveled through Europe with her mother and other family members, including her sister Ruth and her husband, Dr. Fred Rodda; her sister Adelaide Gillette and son Louis; and a cousin, Ann Walker. This journey allowed her to continue her studies in architecture and craft work.
In 1916, Ware appeared as Friar Francis in a local production of “Much Ado About Nothing”at the Shubert Theater on Hennepin Avenue. The Minneapolis Journal noted (with much ado):
“Though mentors of youths forbid them to take feminine parts” on the stage for fear that they’ll grow effeminate, Charles M. Holt, director of the caste of young women is to put on “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Shubert theater tonight, isn’t afraid that the masculine roles will make them mannish.”
The all-female cast raised money for the College Women’s Club and a scholarship fund.
Coming from a family with a strong military tradition, Ware quickly sought ways to contribute to the war effort when the U.S. entered the first World War. On April 6, 1917, the day war was declared, she enrolled in the American School of Telegraphy to study Morse code and radiotelegraphy. She remained there until September 1917 and then established a radio department under the Woman’s Naval Service, Inc., providing radio technology training for women whom Dunwoody Naval Training Station could not accommodate. She taught day and night classes from September 5, 1917, to March 1918.
Mrs. J. R. WARE (Amy Robbins) has gone to New York on her way to France. She goes under the auspices of the Red Cross and the federal government to do canteen work and radiotelegraphy. Mrs. Ware was the first here to qualify for the radio telegraphy service and to offer her services to the government after she had passed examinations in “intensive” training and advanced courses. She also was the first to teach radiotelegraphy to classes of girls here.
–Minneapolis Journal, March 17, 1918
Accepted as a canteen worker by the American Red Cross, Ware sailed for France on SS La Touraine on March 14, 1918. She was first stationed at the Third Aviation Instruction Center in Issoudun, where she continued teaching radio technology to military observers while working at a Red Cross canteen during the day. When the Red Cross called for volunteers to serve near the front, she joined an emergency canteen and nursing unit, serving throughout the St. Mihiel and Argonne offensives in September 1918. She was under fire with Field Hospital No. 41 at Sorcey-sur-Meuse, where she was the only woman present apart from her unit.
Ware observed and recorded the maneuvers of aviators, describing her first air battle in Echoes of France under the title “Birds of the Night.” She continued working with Evacuation Hospitals No. 9 (Vaubricourt) and No. 11 (Brizeaux-Forestierre in the Argonne) until December 8, 1918. Her intense dedication led to exhaustion, and in January 1919 she was sent to the French Riviera to recuperate.
On April 15, 1919, she transferred from the Red Cross to the Army and became a faculty member at the University for the American Expeditionary Forces at Savenay Hospital Center. She taught architecture, mechanical drawing, and lettering for four months before returning to the United States. She was honorably discharged in New York City on June 14, 1919.
The Farnham Company published Ware’s book, Echoes of France, in 1920. Ware’s writing mixed deep emotion and a touch of humor. She described a frantic search for eggs in pouring rain to feed her patients and the challenges of making puddings and chocolate on an army stove with a pipe that was too short—moments that revealed her ability to handle her duties with grace.
The terror, relentless labor, and overwhelming sorrow that must have weighed on the women who served were all captured in her verse. She paid a heartfelt tribute to the indomitable spirit of the American soldier. This small book reflected the unwavering devotion of the American women who stood by the soldiers until the very end. For those who mourned, it served as a true message of hope and comfort.
The volume featured an introduction by Richard Burton of the University of Minnesota and a preface by Edmund Baehr of the University of Cincinnati, who was one of her fellow workers “over there.” The cover, designed by the author, captured a scene evocative of her time in France.
Upon returning to Minnesota, Ware resumed public service. On May 12, 1920, she joined the government service as a teacher at the Army School at Fort Snelling, a position she held until July 1921. She also worked at the E. and R. Special Summer School at Camp Grant, Illinois, in 1920 and 1921.
There is little to indicate that Ware had a happy marriage. She divorced John J. Roland Ware in 1920. He remarried the following year.
Looking for an opportunity during the prohibition era, Ware and her sister Edith Robbins Daniel remodeled an older house as an office and a new business known as the Jefferson Hy-way Tea Shop. The pair spent weekends at the gravel pit picking out stones for the entrance pillars and fireplace. From here, they managed the Andrew B. Robbins Estate and the Robbinsdale Insurance and Loan Agency. The Office/Tea Shop building was on the west side of West Broadway a little north of 42nd.
Amy became the first woman in Minnesota to hold the office of state vice commander of the American Legion in 1921. She also served as the national American representative for L’Institut Foch, a vocational training program for French war orphans, and was the national president of the Women’s Overseas Service League.
In 1922, Ware and Daniels were tireless advocates for a proposed veterans’ hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Alongside Dr. B. F. Robbins, they worked to promote the site, gaining support from Congressman Walter H. Newton and other officials. They believed the Robbinsdale location was ideal due to its proximity to Minneapolis, sitting just north of Rockford Road and about two miles west of the city along the extension of Victory Memorial Drive at Forty-Fourth Avenue North. Plans for the hospital included a 500-bed facility dedicated primarily to mental health care.
To support the project, Ware and Daniel helped organize a fundraising campaign across Hennepin County and the state, securing commitments from 16 farmers who agreed to sell their land for the site of a new veterans hospital. Infrastructure improvements were also planned, including an extension of Victory Drive leading directly to the hospital grounds. A key feature of the proposal was a concrete bridge over Twin Lake, along with a wide landscaped strip of land on both sides of the drive to create an attractive approach to the facility. Additionally, streetcar lines were expected to be extended to the hospital, and nearby railroad lines were considered for potential depot locations to improve accessibility.
The idea gained the enthusiasm of local business leaders and initial interest from government officials such as Colonel Charles R. Forbes, . However, a site near Fort Snelling was chosen for the veterans’ hospital instead.
Ware actively engaged in international peace efforts. In 1925, as chair of the Department of International Cooperation for the Minnesota Federation of Women’s Clubs, she mobilized 50,000 clubwomen to advocate for international cooperation, believing that informed women could help prevent future wars. Her advocacy for the Permanent Court of International Justice earned her a personal commendation from President Warren G. Harding. She also gave radio talks on peace and international relations for the League of Women Voters.
In addition to the League, Ware was actively involved in other organizations, including the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Business Women’s Club of Minneapolis, and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. She was also a violinist in the community orchestra.
Ware passed away unexpectedly from a cerebral hemorrhage at Abbott Hospital in Minneapolis on May 5, 1929, at the age of 51. Her funeral was held at Lakewood Chapel, attended by representatives from the Women’s Overseas Service League, the Women’s Relief Corps, the American Legion, and the Legion Auxiliary. A detachment of soldiers from Fort Snelling served as pallbearers, and a bugler played taps in her honor. She was laid to rest in the Robbins family plot at Lakewood Cemetery.
Amy Robbins Ware left behind a legacy of service, advocacy, and dedication to international peace. Her contributions to women’s education, military service, and global diplomacy remain a testament to her unwavering commitment to progress and justice.