Homemakers hold spring council meeting

Submitted by Sharon Higgins and Jolinda Allerdings

The Fallon-Carter Homemakers spring council meeting was attended by about thirty-two members and guests. Baker Homecraft Club planned the day around their theme "Return to Our Heritage." The meeting was May 31 at the Baker Senior Center.

Clubs represented at the meeting included the two Fallon County clubs: Baker Homecraft and Willard Homemakers. Three of the four Carter County clubs were represented: Albion 400, Diligent Doers, and Homemaker's Heritage. Puptown Pioneers is the fourth club in Carter County.

The meeting was led by the officers: President Molly Barkley, Vice President Jesse Scott and Secretary/Treasurer Sharon Higgins. A moment of silence was observed for the members passed since the last meeting. They were Rita Knipfer, Jeanie Tauck, Vera Tauck, and Noralla Thomas.

They announced the winners of the Hazel Padden-Sara Kerr-Minneclair Hoff Memorial Scholarships of $500 each. Kendall Shepherd received the Carter County scholarship. Nick Buerkle received the Fallon County scholarship.

Members brought items for the basket raffle to raise funds for the scholarships during the meeting. Over thirty-three items were raffled, and they raised $530 for the fund.

This year, three ladies reached the milestone of 50 years as Homemaker Club members. Shirley Barth, Alice Kay Schweigert, and Kathy Stieg were presented certificates during the meeting. Barth remembers her fellow members were teachers or teacher's wives. They had secret pals. Barth remembers helping her Baker Homecraft Club host the Senior Girls Tea for graduating seniors and their mothers each spring.

Alice Kay Schweigert brought copies of the four editions of cookbooks that Willard Homemakers had published during her 50 years as a member. With the funds from selling cookbooks, she said the club was able to help the community in many ways. Working as a nurse at the hospital, Schweigert said joining Homemakers was a way to get acquainted with her rural neighbors.

As a new member in 1973, Kathy Stieg was recruited to design food drawings for the dividers in the Willard Homemakers Cookbook. She said her husband's grandma, Jesse Stieg, said "we're going to club today," and that's how she began as Willard Homemaker member. Stieg remembered one of the early workshops by the extension was to learn how to use a microwave.

In 1982, Stieg's family moved to Carter County and she joined the Homemaker's Heritage Club. Her favorite memories were the trips to Spearfish Canyon in the Fall, projects and fair booths they've made, attending Women's Week in Bozeman, and their Christmas parties. Her favorite community service projects were making quilts for the nursing home in Ekalaka and the homeless shelter in Rapid City.

County Agent, Amanda Williams gave an update on the events planned by the Extension Office. Williams introduced the new Administrative Assistant, Jolinda Allerdings. Part of Allerdings' job will be assisting the Homemaker Clubs and writing the Homemaker's newsletters.

After lunch, the group toured the O'Fallon Historical Museum. Melissa Rost, the curator of the museum, led the tour and told many interesting historical stories of the 1916 Fallon County Jail and sheriffs personal quarters. The ladies enjoyed reading through numerous Homemaker Club scrapbooks. Rost discussed one of her latest projects, she is researching the Elizabeth Scott Hospital in Baker. Many Baker residents have been telling her stories about their relative being born there.

To close out the day, the ladies tested their skills at identifying the uses of antique household and kitchen items in a display case.

The Homemakers Fall Council Meeting will be hosted by the Diligent Doers Club in Carter County. A tentative date is early October for the meeting.

To learn more about Homemaker Club events call the Extension Office at 406-778-7110.