HomeMy WebLinkAboutmothers clubMOTHER'S CLUB
By Wilma Fisher
Out of the stressed day to day existence of the beginning of the depression years, 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. 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. The ladies made pillow tops on which they embroidered their names to commemorate the occasion.
(1933 photo and pillow top photo)
[Rear, left to right: Carrie Schaber, Ada Rumsey, Edna Graham, Lida Griffen, Vera Drew, Harriet Wixom, Nellie Wilson. Front: Cora Rumsey, Martha Peterson, Lena Teeter. Susie Hansen
took photo].
Camp was held there in Lisle in 1934 but the 1935 flood badly flooded 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, usually luncheon, with a business meeting followed by some form of casual entertainment.
"Mother's Camp 1934" expressed first hand the joys of camping mothers as follows:
On Tuesday morning just about ten
Enfield mothers left their homes again.
On parade, they left in style,
Wended their way to the village of Lisle.
There with laughter and with play
They loafed around till Saturday.
Did they quarrel? Not a bit!
Such a group of women you ne'er did hit.
Swimming, sewing, lectures and croquet
Were some of the pastimes of the day.
And Mrs. Perkins, "we'll never forget,
With "Mr. Doodle", Oh, my sides ache yet.
The morning opened like a morning flower,
A hymn, a prayer at our "Quiet Hours".
Dishes were washed with right good fun
It wasn't a chore that any would shun.
The evenings were the best of all,
We all took part, both short and tall.
Some "Indians" were loose one night at one
But three of the gang they missed the fun.
Then there was tall "Jack Spratt" and his plump wife
and "Marys" lamb most true to life.
Poor Eliza and babe ran across the ice
Chased by a blood hound with fierce white eyes.
The "Irish Washerwomen" gave us a start
You'd never guess who took the part.
So with music, poems, laughter, and song
Our good time lasted the whole week long.
Anonymous.
"Camp Poem"
by Lean Fisher August 1934.
While to Enfield horns were honking
While the Enfield group were there
O, such laughing and such talking
You could hear us everywhere.
As for ghostlets and the goblins
We gave them a merry chase
It was hard to tell for certain
Who would win the final race.
There were Vera's, Cora's, Martha
There were Nellie's, Irene too,
As for Lena there were plenty
And then Carrie's, Edna, Sue.
O, there surely is a mixture
If our names you always knew.
We will try to make you happy
And to keep from being blue.
Of course we had one little Betty
She was black sheep of the flock.
Although baby of the family
We loved her an awful lot.
And then Saturday we parted
And went our homeward way;
Back to dishes and the cooking,
Thru with papers and with play.
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.
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. A daily out-of-home job for many women made the social need for an away-from-home diversionary get-together rather passe. Now "moms" needed to spend spare time with
their families.
Many fond memories exist in the minds and hearts of the offspring of these Enfield Mother's Club members. Such a memory is related by Catherine Teeter Kellogg as follows:
"I was only twelve and pretty young to take on the daily chores of a "Mother" in a farm home for a week. We always had hired men and some years foster children and elderly ladies living
with us. The garden didn't wait for my "vacating" Mother to return as the canning had to be done.
My Mother was a very resourceful women, asked my widowed Aunt to come and help out. As she was my favorite aunt, and recently moved to Endicott, it was a real treat for me and I enjoyed
it very much.
My Aunt Pearl had a small family so was not always used to cooking in large quantities. I recall our putting dry beans to soak one afternoon for the next day. They increased and soon
filled several pans and we had enough for several days. In fact, Mother arrived home before we had finished them, and we took a little good natured kidding.
Although we wouldn't express our feelings I think we all enjoyed having Mother gone a weeks vacation, however we were also happy to have her back "to take over the reins' ".
The Town of Enfield New York Christian Hill to Enfield Falls, edited by Members of the Enfield Historical Society and Sue Thompson, Enfield Town Historian. 2002.
In the original photo this name appears over the doorway.