HomeMy WebLinkAboutMothers club summer 2018 Sue Thompson NL ArticleMOTHER'S CLUB - Sue Thompson, Enfield Town Historian
Out of the stressed day to day existence of the beginning of the depression years of the 1930’s, there arose the idea by Reverend Dutton S. Peters and his wife, Martha, that there was
a need in behalf of the women of local Enfield families to have some diversion from the duties and plain hard work that made up their lives.
To that end, a Club and annual Mother's Camp was set up. Charter members were: Vera Drew, Lena Teeter, Edna Graham, Lida Griffen, Susie Hansen, Martha Peterson,
Ada Rumsey, Carrie Schaber, Nellie Wilson, and Harriett Wixom.
It began with a core of eleven women who went to Lisle, New York to the hostel called the Happy Valley Homes, for a week's vacation in August of 1933. In 1935 flooding was bad in Lisle
so there was "no camp this year", as related by Doris Snow from the records of her mother (Susie Hansen).
After the "Lisle Years", Mothers' Camp was held some years on Cayuga Lake and sometimes on Kayutah Lake (Also known as Cayuta or Little Lake) near Odessa, N.Y. A private cottage was
rented by the group and supplies for the week were purchased or solicited from the members.
The ladies in teams, prepared meals, cleaned up, and provided entertainment in the form of readings, poetry, skits, song fests, etc. They walked and swam for other recreation. On the
final day of camp, family members, coming to retrieve their "renewed" mother, were often invited to share the picnic or last meal before departure for home.
Club meetings were bimonthly at members’ homes and consisted of a meal with a business meeting followed by some form of casual entertainment. Occasionally a day trip was planned, such
as an outing to Corning Glass Factory, Corning, N.Y. in 1952 with lunch at the Grace Methodist Church served by the ladies of that church.
Forty-four years later the Mother’s club met with the following members as of May 1977:
Alice Baker, Carol Baker, Jesse Baker, Mildred Bates, Irene Brown, Nellie Decker, Edna Graham, Viola Harvey, Grace Hill, Fayette Hines, Lina Jones, Joyce Laue, Jennie Leonard, Mary Pelham,
Martha Peterson, Warena Rumsey, Elizabeth Rumsey, Irene Scott, Doris Snow, Marian Thorton, Elizabeth VanDezee, Jean VanDezee
The club flourished through the years until the 1980's when the last of the original members were gone and the requirement of every day life changed radically from those of fifty-some
years earlier.
Members and non-members, who have come and gone to camp and meetings over the years:
Mary Ammark, Alice Baker, Carol Baker, Jessie Baker, Mildred Bates, Marce Bennett, Irene Brown, Pearl Caley, Jerry Cockerill, Nellie Decker, Cora Dempsey, Vera Drew, Lena Fisher, Wilma
Fisher, Edna Graham, Ana Green, Hollen Green, Lida Griffen, Susie Hansen, Viola Harvey, Grace Hill, Fayette Hines, Carrie Hoffmire, Joyce Lable, Lina Jones, Neva Laue, Winifred Laughlin,
Cora Leonard, Jennie Leonard, Caroline Lewis, Blanche Marshall, Esther McFall, Dora Monroe, Sara Nousse, Bernice Payne, Mary Pelham, Martha Peterson, Warnea Ramsey, Marie Ross, Ada Rumsey,
Cora Rumsey, Elizabeth Rumsey, Elmina Rumsey, Carrie Schaber, Irene Scott, Doris Snow, Eva Snyder, Joyce Soule, Mazzei Spencer, Helen Stanton, Ethel Taber, Isabelle Teeter, Jessie Teeter,
Lena Teeter, Marian Thornton, Blanche Tucker, Elizabeth Tuckerman, Hilda Tuner, Hazel Updike, Elizabeth VanDerzee, Jean VanDerzee, Marie Wagemaker, Helen Wilkins, Emma Willett, Gladys
Willis, Harriett Wixom, Nellie Wilson.
If you are interested in more information on the Mother’s Club, I have scanned pictures, minutes and other various records and placed them on our Town of Enfield Public archival site
under Mother’s Club: http://townofenfield.org/documents-public-laserfische/