24-—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 11, 1972 •I* •!• \ . \v* \ sf s '• 55th Annual Farm Women Convention By Mrs. Charles McSparran Farm Feature Writer The 55th annual convention of the Society of Farm Women of Lancaster County was held last Saturday at the Lancaster School of the Bible, 901 Eden Road, Lancaster with an attendance of 440 members and guests. Registration and the bazaar began at 9 30 am The bazaar committee was Mrs Roy Hollinger, Society 24, Mrs Howard Martin, Society 23, Mrs Lloyd D Strubel, Society 16, Mrs J G Longenecker, Society 5, and Mrs Eugene M Neff, Society 30. Many and varied home-made baked goods, gifts and arrangements, also farm products were sold as quickly as they appeared The registration committee was Miss Ida B Kunkle, Society 10, Mrs R Eugene Hummel, Society 13, and Mrs Lloyd Derr, Society 8 The president, Mrs Aaron H Denlmger, Society 7, presided at the all-day meeting which began at 10 30 am Mrs Richard Jackson, Society 21, was pianist and Mrs Esther Kreider, Society 50 Years with . . A Tribute to Society 8 November marks a half cen tury for Farm Women Society 8. Members will celebrate today with a golden anniversary dinner at Hostetler’s Banquet Hall, Mount Joy Approximately 75 members and guests are ex pected to attend. Society 8 was organized on November 28, 1922 by seven women m the Donegal area The first society m Lancaster County was begun in the Lititz area in 1917 Three charter members are living. Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer, Charter members Mrs. Mary Hossler Shaeffer (center) and Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer (right) go through stacks of records with Mrs. Anna Risser, as she prepares the history of Farm Women Society 8 for the anniversary celebration. s ,t f ' -'' V ' * -' "' c n\V \. f "'* *' *' O' ■f"- V " (>''' ' ' v ' '-1. > *4-; NV ' ‘ V Martin Greenleaf Named Farm Woman of the Year Mrs. 17, song leader. Mrs. Roy Sauder, Society 27, conducted devotions and Mrs Carl Johnson, Society 15 and vice-president of the county, led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. Stuart Lease, president of the Lancaster School of the Bible, brought greetings and extended a welcome to the Convention members. The secretary, Mrs Leo Snader, Society 24, and treasurer, Mrs. J. Clayton Charles, Society 23, gave reports. The vice-president, Mrs John son, reported the county has 1,018 members, donations totaled $6,982 08 of which $1,955 was given for flood relief and $1,255 was contributed to the Farm Women’s County project, the Lancaster Association for Retarded Children Mrs Denlmger reported she traveled over 3,000 miles during the year attending County board meetings, local Society meetings, neighboring county conventions, State Convention and the Spring Rally in Somerset County. The state president, Mrs. Virgil Duppstadt of Somerset County, reported 906 attended State Farm (Continued On Page 28) • • Neffsville, who was elected vice president at that organizational meeting m 1922, has been a continuous, active member ever since. Mrs. Mary Hossler Sheaffer, Elizabethtown, is a member today, but dropped out of Society 8 for a few years. Miss Sadie Earhart, May town, was elected secretary at the intial meeting, but is no longer a member. From these original seven members, the group has grown to 50 women, one of the largest societies in the county. Mrs. Martin C. Greenleaf Sr. (center), (left), Society 25, newly elected secretary, Society 15, Lancaster County’s Farm and Mrs, Milton Funk (right), Society 23, Woman of the Year; Mrs. Sterling Elmer newly elected^ treasurer A feature of the anniversary celebration will be a history of the Society’s 50 years, compiled by Mrs. Anna Risser, Bainbridge, from yearbooks, minutes, correspondence and other records of the Society. Mrs. Risser joined the group in 1924, so almost rates charter status. According to these three early members, the society was founded to provide a social and educational outlet for farm wives. Saturday afternoon was selected as a convenient meeting time, as farm work slowed for the weekend. Mrs. Risser said, “Today the group’s interests are wider. The character of the membership has changed - there are no longer just farm wives, but also school teachers and others who work away from the farm.” Programs that first year were not very different from programs of Farm Women Societies today. Mrs. Abram Wolgemuth, then president of Lancaster County Society of Farm Women, talked on the purpose of organizing. Mrs. Sheaffer told how the Christmas stocking originated, and there were four demon strations - on making salads, canning, baking cakes, and candy making. Mrs. Witmer said, “In those early days Penn State Extension personnel visited the societies and presented demonstrations. (Continued On Page 25) * I > * Allen and I decided to try something different this year. We went turkey hunting. He had been practicing with his turkey-call for quite awhile. We didn’t leave as early as we planned as there are so many details to take care of before you can get away from the farm for a day. This time we remembered our guns, boots, lunch, license, shells, etc. But, we only got as far as the by-pass when the car stopped. So Allen did all the things a man is supposed to do after lifting the hood shake this, jiggle that and check on something else. Then I apprehensively told him the gas gauge now showed empty even though it had shown full at home. It played a trick on us which caused us to climb a steep bank and over guard rails and walk to a nearby farmer for gas. Most farmers with their gas tanks are almost as handy as a gas station. Without further ado, we arrived in the Blue Mountains about noon. I’ll tell you right away neither of us saw any turkeys. But the woods were much noisier than it 0 \do' s VWI* 0 * g ' r ■ - - r \ f ~ ’ A> V -V. x -.9 Jr ‘Jr A x *JFk* is a month later when we usually go for deer. The chipmunks were everywhere and chattering away so noisily they made the forest sing with their short, sharp sounds. The witch hazel trees were covered with soft, feathery yellow blossoms which really contrasted strongly with the big brown oak leaves which were scattered everywhere. About three o’clock I saw two deer grazing nearby and they didn’t notice me sitting on a big stump with over 125 rings on it. I had to have something to do and so I counted them as best I could for there was green moss over most of it. While munching apples I contemplated the surprise and pleasure the little chipmunks would have the next day when they found the cores. We had our day away from farm chores. However, it was mighty pleasant to come home to a warm house, a good supper already prepared by three lovable children and sit down to rest. -v; “v - * vi r.-i
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