Gleanings From
In Christian Fellowship
By Shirley Lindahl
Edited by Jerry Rutherford
More History of Women's Fellowship
Bazaars have always been popular for raising funds within the church. In the '20's dish towels always sold well. The group purchased five dozen 100 pound flour sacks at 75 cents a dozen, bleached and hemmed them for sale. Today we hold mini-bazaars on the 1st Sunday of the month (except in the summer) to raise funds for our kitchen remodeling fund.By 1925 the circles again took new names as #1 & #2 became North Division and #3 & #4 became the South Division. That year one of the their projects was a census of the church community.
Progress came to the kitchen as they were able to finally purchase an electric stove. The cost was $168 including having the building wired properly. The old wood stove had served them well and hundreds of dinners had been prepared on it. But the biscuits would always burn if the cooks didn't prop the oven door shut with a stick!! The committee would have to go out to the wood shed to replenish the wood supply. They even chopped it sometimes!! We recently purchased two new stoves to replace our 1920 antique!! Thanks to the funds from the Mini-Bazaars!
During the '20's there were many activities and fund raisers by the Ladies Aid. Church social activities were a very important of daily life. They worked with local businesses to serve merchant lunches and also served monthly dinners to the Business Women's Club. A new piano was purchased with some of the funds raised. Many dinners were also held at the church. It was mentioned that one of the members, Grace Kean, invited all the women members of the Ladies Aid to have a basket picnic lunch at her Rose Hill and she would furnish fresh strawberries from her garden.
In 1931 eleven of the young women met at the home of Etta Blau to form a new circle to be called Happy Time. The object was "to study along lines of practical helpfulness to young mothers." Their goal was to be an organization for helping each other and not a fund raising group. Meetings were held in the evening so that the husbands could "baby-sit."
Times were depressed in 1933 when the Ladies Aid sponsored a "hard times" party with costumes to be judged for originality. The group also ran an ad in the East Side Journal offered to "tie comforters." The charge would be $1.25 for finished edges or $1.50 for blanket stitch.
A secretary of one of the groups wrote in her minutes, "None of the committees had a report to make except the work committee. They reported by handing out work to the defenseless." (That type of procedure is still used today in many meetings. ---If you failed to attend, you are appointed to do the job!)
The best known of the depression time dinners were the All-State dinners.
For seven years the church sponsored this community wide event. Guests sat
at tables by the state of their origin. Prizes were given for the best table
decorations. This, like most church dinners, featured chicken in some form
prepared by the Ladies Aid. This reunion dinner was served to over 200
people each year.
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