March 29, 2024

Club news

Catholic Daughters

Catholic Daughters Court Joan of Arc No. 428 met Nov. 13. Mass was held at 6 p.m. with Father Ken Halbur.

Tom Bradley presented on his time on the USS Liberty with pictures. The information was enjoyed by all and many questions ensued. He and his wife were delightful and presented the information well.

The November committee served pork roast, corn casserole, layered lettuce salad, cranberry relish and desserts following the presentation. The committee was made up of Anita Studer, Jane Collins, Lois Nelson and Betty Bradley (Tom’s mother).

The meeting was called to order at 8 p.m. by Regent Teresa Weis with recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by all members present. Email any changes for the call list to Retta Ripperger.

Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The treasurer’s report was approved as presented.

Right to Life had their annual meeting at end of October. Donations of diapers are still needed.

Communication – Betty Baker – let her know of any members who will be in need of a card. Currently, Dan and Jean (Miller) Gibbons have family members with multiple health issues.

ReRun is still needing help Tuesday afternoons, and will be closed Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, so staff can spend time with their families. ReRun is in need of blankets, towels and winter coats.

Old business:

• CD of A Sunday was well attended with members processing at Mass and filling two rows.

• The Conception Abbey trip was attended by 19 members and seven guests. A $100 donation was left to cover the costs incurred by the Abbey for lunch and convent tour.

• Thank you to all who donated and helped with the bake sale – $369.25 were raised with these efforts.

• Soctoberfest was completed and added to the Pack a Purse donation.

New business:

• State convention will be held in Okoboji this year. Ripperger will be attending a workshop to learn more about her district deputy duties.

• Soup supper, which is held in conjunction with ASP members, will be Nov 17. A sign up sheet was completed for soups donations.

• Pack a Purse – A table was filled with purses full of toiletry items to be given to those in need at the domestic violence crisis center. Thank you to all who donated.

• It was discussed and decided the quilt committee members from last year will make another quilt for the St. Malachy Foundation.

• Donations were split equally between national projects and local projects.

The membership prayer was recited to end the meeting, and adjourned at 9 p.m. A motion was made by Betty and seconded by Mary McElroy, with all in favor.

The project for December is a Christmas family basket. Bring a favorite ornament to share its story with the group and cookies to be provided to shut-in members of our church to the next meeting, Dec. 11, starting with Mass at 6 p.m. at Holy Spirit. All ladies in the church are welcome. Join the group to explore becoming a new member. Program will be presented by Ripperger on family life.

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Bancroft History Assembly

Three life members and seven regular members answered roll call at the Dec. 3 meeting of GFWC/IOWA Bancroft History Society.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The minutes were approved and the treasurer’s report was placed on file for audit.

Peg Anderson will check into seeing about the local scholarships. Christmas at the historical village will continue from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 8 and 16 at the Edaburn House. Members will take down decorations at 4 p.m.

Volunteer lists will be due Jan. 21 at the next meeting.

Nancy Trask will present a program at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the library on the Monument Men.

On Feb. 2, the club will be celebrating its 124th anniversary with a party at St. Johns United Church of Christ in the parish hall. They are inviting the other two federated groups, friends, past members and prospective members.

Martha Musmaker was named Volunteer of the Year for the food pantry.

After the Club Collect, Musmaker presented the program about Julia Ward Howe, who was an author, teacher, preacher and activist. She also wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

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Union County Genealogical Society

Tessa Hull presided over the Nov. 28 meeting of Union County Genealogical Society with eight members in attendance. The following officers were elected for 2019: Hull as president, Saundra Leininger as vice president, Lynn Schlaht as treasurer and Jackie Shafar as secretary.

Kathy reported the http://iagenweb.org website for Union County had passed its six-month inspection.

Kathy, Hull, Leininger and Jane Briley will meet to plan next year’s society programming. The next First Saturday Workshop will be Feb. 2 on beginning genealogy. The Dec. 1 open house, celebrating the 40th anniversary of society’s creation, was discussed.

Locating Creston’s oldest resident for the 150th anniversary of Creston’s founding was discussed. The next meeting will be Jan. 28.

Following the business meeting, members shared finger foods and Christmas memories.

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Ladies Literary Circle

Connie Rhine, her home decorated with family Christmas keepsakes, greeted 13 members of the Ladies Literary Circle (LLC) Nov. 30. Following the reading and approval of the secretary’s and treasurer’s reports, members were reminded of the circle’s commitment to the Christmas open house from 1 to 4 p.m Dec. 1, 2, 9 and 16 at the Union County Historical Village. The members unanimously approved a contribution to the historical society. In other business, the circle committed a donation to Union County Christmas Basket that will be given to the campaign following the next meeting.

With no more business to be acted upon, Dottie Dunphy was introduced as the reviewer for the afternoon program.

When a story consists of two major characters, each from a different era, it is a challenge for even a skillful author to keep the reader tracking the story line. When Dunphy reviewed, “The Alice Network,” by Kate Quinn, she did a masterful job keeping the events in this historical fiction story straight for the members.

One of the two main protagonists in the book shares her story starting in 1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also obsessed with a hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

The reader is intermittently given a flash back to 1915, a year into WWI, when Eve Gardiner desires to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she is recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy occupied France, she is trained by the “queen of spies.”

Now is when the two individuals cross paths and eventually connect creating the plot. For 30 years, Eve has been haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network thus driving her to spend her later years drunk and secluded. And then her course of life changes just as it changes for Charlie. Upon a chance meeting, Eve hears a name she hasn’t heard in decades which launches them both on a mission to find the truth.

Female friendship is a constant theme throughout the book. This story reveals genuine strength that is found in women, a story every woman could relate to.

The next LLC meeting is the Christmas music program Dec. 14 presented by Sherry McKie and Marilyn Engleson at the home of McKie.

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Kiwanis

The weekly Kiwanis meeting was held 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Windrow meeting room with 23 members and one guest. President Terry Freeman presided, Jim Nelson gave the prayer and Dennis Carter was the finemaster.

The club is holding a food drive for the food pantries in town starting Dec. 10 and running until Dec. 27. There will be carts at the banks and grocery stores for people to donate non-perishables to this worthy cause.

Kiwanis is also helping Dec.14-15 with the Christmas Basket loading and delivery. Members will sign up at the next meeting.

New member, Justin Cole, was introduced at the meeting and welcomed by members.

The program was given by Stephanie Lane, digital learning specialist at the AEA. She discussed the Authentic Learning Network at Creston Community High School with the communication and service technology class. She explained how the students were working in the community and businesses to learn real world problem-solving skills and how to get involved in their community with service projects.

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Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary

Ladies Lakeshore Auxiliary met Dec. 5

Canasta winners were Cheri Lilly, first; Rose Blakesley, second; and Mary Jane Marigon, third.

Cheri Lilly won the door prize.

Barb Bills will host cards and chatter Wednesday, Dec. 12.