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1959-2009: Molino Homemakers Celebrate 50 Years
December 3, 2009
In December of 1959, June Cleaver was the perfect homemaker on the Leave It to Beaver television series. In Molino, a group of homemakers began to gather in December 1959 to learn more about becoming better homemakers. And the group they formed, the Molino Homemakers Club, is still going strong.
On Wednesday, members of the Molino Homemakers Club gathered to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.
“They saw a need for an organization to teach them, make them better homemakers and let them meet their neighbors,” current Molino Homemakers President Nancy Holland (pictured left) said. She was a young wife and mother of a newborn and an 18-month old when she joined the group in the early 1970’s. She and her husband had just moved to Molino, and she was looking to meet other women in the community and learn more about being a good homemaker.
There have been a lot of lessons learned and a lot of friends made during club meetings that focus on everything from canning, to cooking, to sewing to anything Martha Stewart. Often, generations of homemakers from a family have been members of the group.
Today, club members range in age from their 40’s to their 80’s. Young wives and young homemakers are conspicuously absent from the group. Holland admits that the June Cleaver traditional homemaker is a dying breed in today’s world.
“So many of the young women work now,” she said. “And those that aren’t working are busy with small kids and so much else. Maybe if we taught more microwave cooking…”
Wednesday’s 50th anniversary meeting started as all other meetings — not with the tap of a gavel, but with the tap of a large spoon.
After quick business meeting — including a reminder that dues of just $5 per year were to be paid in January – it was time for show and tell.
One member displayed a newly finished quilt for the other ladies. We won’t share her name because the quilt will be a Christmas gift, and we don’t want to spoil the surprise.
“I spent about seven hours working on that edge,” she said, admitting that she did stop a few times to see a couple of “important” things on television as she worked on the quilt.
Another member displayed a large cross stitch design that she had just finished. She explained that her design included cross, stem and back stitches. It’s a sewing art form that is becoming rarer today.
“You can’t hardly find the patterns any more in the stores,” she said. “They just quit carrying them.”
Following the show and tell session, the women of the Molino Homemakers Club held a cookie exchange. It’s simple concept — bake a few dozen cookies to share and go home with samples of each cookie baked by other members.
Sharing is, and always has been, part of the group, Holland said. “Club members are always here for each other.”
The Molino Homemakers Club started with a meeting in the home of Lillie Miller in December 1959, a meeting organized by Ethel Atkinson from the Escambia County Extension Service. Charter members included: Elsie Enfinger, Sara Gibbs Rikard, Margaret Helms, Mary Louise Lackey, Lillie Miller Stock, Olene Robinson, Rathma Saunders and Anne Vidak.
Sara Gibbs was elected president and meetings took place monthly in a member’s home. Miller and Vidak were hostesses of the first meeting. with Atkinson presenting a program each month. Just as today, lunch was prepared by the members and served after each meeting. The first December 1959 meal included potato salad, Waverly wafers, homemade pickles, wedding cookies and tea.
Each quarter, the club president and a delegate would attend a County Extension Council workshop and then return to the club to share the information. Countless projects and countless lessons were held over the five decades of the club. Club members would enter the results of their new found skills in the county fair — items like handmade quilts, crocheting, knitting, crafts and canning. Many ribbons and a little prize money would always return to the club from the fair.
Today, the 30 or so members of the Molino Homemakers Club has outgrown those home meetings, holding each monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. at the Molino First Assembly Church. Two charter members, Sara Gibbs Rikard and Mary Louise Lackey, still attend club meetings.
“Though faces have changed, the Homemakers continue to enjoy the friendship, devotions, programs and always a good lunch following the meeting,” said club member Terri Brown. “Our purpose is to be an instrument to others for the art involved in learning crafts, homemaking skills, areas of concern within our community, the state and the world. We continue to share our talents and wisdom to the next generation of homemakers.”
Pictured top: Members of the Molino Homemakers Club: (top, L-R) Olene Carraway, Jana Peaden, Frances Cheney, Elizabeth Barlow, Barbara Jones, Carol Carter, Dot Halstead, (second row) Millie Brantley, Annie Smith, Mary Beauchamp, Shirley Clayton, Kelly Connell, Tara Turnipseed, Barbara Hendrix, Becky Dorch, (third row) Terri Brown, Mary Jernigan, Ann Philen, Melba Lamb, Ruth Miller, Carolyn Peterson, Penni Summers, (sitting) Mary Louise Lackey, Lucile Whitegon, Linda Cmehil, Elsie Perry and Nancy Holland. Pictured top inset: Club President Nancy Holland. Pictured middle inset: Olene Carraway picks the perfect cookies during the club’s cookie exchange. Pictured bottom inset: Cupcake pin cushions that were given to each member. Pictured below: Wednesday’s 50th anniversary meeting of the Molino Homemaker’s Club. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “1959-2009: Molino Homemakers Celebrate 50 Years”
If I didn’t live so far away, I’d most certainly join!
As one of the youngest members of this wonderful group, I can not say enough great things about it! I have been a member for about 4 1/2 years and love it. What I learn from the other ladies in our group is not just how to chicken scratch, make a tote bag etc – What I learn most is from the wisdom of this great group of ladies. Every meeting I go to I leave with a sense of well being. I encourage all ladies to join. You will never meet a more geniune group of people. All you need to do is come on the first Wednesday of the month @ 10 am at the First Assembly Church on Molino Road. Just walk in the door and we will take you from there! Thank you to William for coming to one of our meetings!
Congratulations Ladies..!!!!
Your are the backbone of this wonderful country we live in! I hope that the younger ladies will find interest in this club and others like it.
The who’s who of Molino…you could search this country over and never find a greater group of Ladies….Thanks for a great story.
Im a working mom who lives in Atmore but I would absolutely love to attend a group like this! I was a stay home mom for 12 years and wished that I had known about this group then! Like L. Stevens said, us moms in our 30’s and 40’s mostly missed out…and I didnt have any grandparents or other family around. Id sure like to join. I dont think we have a group like this in Atmore, sadly.
Anyone remember when there was a group for high sc hool girls called FHA (Future Homemakers of America)? Boy do I wish I lived in Jay! As a young wife and mother I struggled through self teaching so many of these skills. So many of us 30 and 40 somethings were “Latchkey” kids and our moms were busy working and earning a living to pass on these skills. Many of us have moved away from families and don’t have Grandmas around either, what a treasure trove of info these ladies must be! Keep up the good work ladies!
Mrs. Vidak certainly loved you!
I went to some of the meetings with my grandma, Anne Vidak. I had so much fun as a little girl going, I used to beg to stay home from school to go. I miss her so much. It’s nice to see/hear her name still mentioned in Molino history.
Great story, good job William
Keep up the great work ladies.
“Holland admits that the June Cleaver traditional homemaker is a dying breed in today’s world.”
A sad truth in today’s society. God bless the homemaker! I would love to see a Jay Homemaker’s Club.
escambiamom — Meetings are 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. They are looking for new members.
Sounds like a great group! Can anyone come to the meetings? What time are they? I’d like to take my daughters sometime. Congratulations to the ladies.
What a great article. Over the past years I have learned a lot and made wonderful friends.
Thanks for the article, don’t we feel like celebrities!! You missed all that good food, but are welcome anytime to come back. First Wednesday at 10… Love your paper, hope you are enjoying doing it for us.
What a great story! I bet these women can cook up a good meal!
Such a refreshing story and a great group of women! Thanks for the story, and than you ladies for caring enough about your families to be good homemakers.