—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 20, 1973
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Homestead
Mrs. Melvin Stienk Accepts Citation...
Society 17 Cited By Veterans Hospital For Unfailing Services
Mrs. Melvin V. (Ruth) Shenk,
Quarryville RDI, accepted a
citation in behalf of Farm Women
Society 17 of Lancaster County in
September for services rendered
for 26 years. It reads:
VALLEY FORGE
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Phoenixville, Pa
Certificate of Appreciation
Lancaster County
Farm Women No 17
In recognition of the invaluable
contributions and many services
given to the patients of this
hospital Your concern and ef
forts for the patients’ welfare
enabled them to have more
pleasant hospital days. The
generosity and kindness that you
have demonstrated is deeply
appreciated by the patients and
staff of Valley Forge General
Hospital
Frank J Shannon Jr. M D.
Colonel, Medical Corps
Commanding
23 September 1973
Others receiving citations
September 23 were the American
Legion, American Legion
Auxiliary, Eastern Star,
Salvation Army, American Red
Cross, Protestant, Catholic and
Jewish church organizations, fire
companies and individuals.
There were in the neighborhood
of 250 to 300 people there. No one
else from Lancaster County
received a certificate. No other
Farm Women groups received
citations although Societies 11,15
and 20 started visiting m 1948 and
went for about three years
The Valley Forge field
representative and the Valley
Forge Adjutant General ex
tended the invitations to attend
the tea September 23rd, served in
Ruth Musser Shenk stands before her fireplace of
memories. The mantle came from her father's old store; the
key rack was her mother-in-law’s clothesline reel; her son’s
sketching: old pictures of her husband, son, brothers, and
herself; her in-law’s mantle clock, and a bell from the old
Central School in East Drumore Township. She would like to
know what the antique tool is that is hanging on the left end
of the mantle. The open end is square and has two sharp
edges.
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Notes
Pat Erway, Editor
Farm
Feature
Writer
Mrs. Chariesi
McSparran
the American Red Cross Building
by the Red Cross. Mrs. Ernest
Shaub, also from Farm Women
Society 17, and two members of
Farm Women Society 11 ac
companied Mrs. Shenk to the tea.
The Valley Forge General
Hospital, m service more than 30
years, cared for Army ser
vicemen who were injured in
World War II and conflicts since
then Some were mental patients,
some amputees and some blind.
They did have 2,000 patients there
at one time but the government is
phasing it out. There were only 19
patients there in September and
they will be gone by January. The
hospital will be completely
phased out by July 1974. The Red
Cross used one of their buildings
for crafts, recreation and
rehabilitation for the men.
The various individuals and
organizations rendered many
services to the patients at the
Valley Forge General Hospital.
Each time Farm Women Society
17 went they took 15 cakes, dozens
of cookies, doughnuts and candy -
- all homemade - pretzels and
potato chips. They went the last
Tuesday of February and March
for 26 years and from 1947 to 1962
went also in April. At least two
members went each time.
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(Left to right), Mrs. Samuel Wenger, Mrs.
Melvin Shenk and Mrs. Ernest Shaub,
charter members of Farm Women Society
17, display a few of their Society’s
memorabilia -- the secretary’s and
sometimes a carload went. They
took turns going. Almost
everyone went some time. It used
to take two hours to get to
Phoenixville before the roads
were improved.
In 1947 when Farm Women
Society 17 started taking food to
the Valley Forge General
Hospital Mrs. Lou Buffenmyer
was president, Mrs. Samuel
Wenger vice-president, Mrs.
Martin Eshleman secretary and
Mrs. Stanley Kreider treasurer.
There were 24 members then.
This group was organized in
1940 by the Society of Farm
Women State president, Mrs.
Adaline P. Edwards. Mrs. Harry
Shank was county president.
They were encouraged to
organize by Mrs Charles
Schreiber. They took their
children to their meetings and the
children took part in the
programs. Mrs. Edwards said
that they were the only society
that had more children than
members at their meetings
This society has rendered
many community services
through the years besides giving
to the Valley Forge General
Hospital. They gave donations to
families who were ill, families
who had fires and families in
need. They bought a wheel chair
for one person and a record
player for a member’s child.
They made contributions to
Easter Seals, Heart Fund and
other drives. They took meals to
sick people and took their kitchen
band to Embreeville State
Hospital. They folded seals and
stuffed envelopes for Heart
Haven and the Tuberculosis
Society on Janet Ave., Lancaster
- in fact they did this last week.
They sang on the county Farm
Women program and put on a
play for the state convention.
They had a hat show at
Quarryville.
Mrs. Samuel Wenger, Mrs.
Ernest Shaub and Mrs. J. Everett
Kreider have served as county
officers for the Farm Women.
The women of Society 17 have
had a lot of good times together
They took trips by bus and by
auto to various places. They went
to a television show in Baltimore.
They made two recipe books
which were mainly for their own
use. They have had interesting
programs, including demon
strations, at their meetings.
To finance their projects they
served suppers for men’s groups
at the former Farm Bureau
Building on North Queen Street,
Lancaster, held public suppers m
Sam Wenger’s garage at the
Buck, held auctions at their
meetings and served meals at the
Southern Lancaster County
Community Fair. They still hold
auctions at their meetings, have
food stands at sales and take
sandwiches and pie to sell to
employees at the PP&L Company
plant at Holtwood for lunch.
At present they have 28
members Mrs. Shenk is
president, Mrs Veryl Graver
vice-president, Mrs. Leonard
Sprout secretary and Mrs. John
Lefever treasurer. They still
have 6 charter members Three
of those active charter members
are Mrs Samuel (Pearl)
Wenger, Mrs. Ernest (Grace)
Shaub and Mrs Melvin Shenk.
Mrs Shenk is president for 1973
and 1974 and was president in
1963 and 1964. She also served as
secretary and vice-president
Mrs. Wenger was president 1940
and 1941 and 1967 and 1968. She
served as secretary, treasurer
and vice-president. Mrs. Shaub
president's books, service certificate, two
cookbooks they compiled, Farm Women
state history and a favor from the Valley
Forge General Hospital.
was president 1942 and 1943 and
1969 and 1970 and was also
secretary, treasurer and vice
president. Mrs. Wenger adds
“And here we are, over the hill.”
Judging by their activities this
can’t be true.
Mrs. Shenk and husband live at
the home where he grew up in
Mechanic Grove. His father had a
chick hatchery there. They have
remodelled and restored the
house using an antique decor.
Mrs. Shenk has many lovely
antique pieces of furniture and
household items and has used
much ingenuity in furnishing her
home She says “I like antiques
that can be used.” Melvin is a
foreman at High Steel Structures
Inc of Lancaster. They have one
son, Robert, who is a sophomore
at Penn State University, taking
Landscape Architecture Ruth is
the daughter of Mrs. Esther
Musser, a member of Farm
Women Society 11, and the late
Abner G Musser who operated a
general store at the Buck for
many years. She is a member of
Robert Fulton Chapter of
Eastern Star and the Shenks are
members of the United Church of
Christ at Quarryville
Mrs Shaub’s husband is a
retired carpenter They live on
route 272 north of the Buck.
Shaubs are active members of
Chestnut Level Presbyterian
Church and Grace is a member of
the Women’s Association Grace
was on the advisory board of the
Southern Lancaster County
Family Health Center, when the
center was planned and put in
operation, and served as
secretary of the board three
years She is interested now in
organizing an auxiliary to the
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