MALOY, IOWA CENTENNIAL HISTORY: 1887 - 1987
MALOY'S CLUBS
NORTH CLUB
In the 1930's the ladies north of town formed a club. Iowa State Extension send out the home economist, Vera
AKERS, to present lessons to the women on nutrition, food preparation and sewing for the home and family. The
club was called North Club. Some of the earliest members were Mrs. BENDER, Mrs. MOBLEY and Alberta,
Mrs. HANNON, Myrtle and Clara LEMLEY, Mrs. KEPLINGER and Mrs. W. LYNCH. They met in the homes. The club
continued until around 1965. In later years the members met every two weeks at someone's home, took a covered
dish for the noon meal and did work for the hostess. Sometimes in the summer they helped can by snapping beans
or shelling peas or picking apples. Usually they tied or pieced comforters, tore rag rugs, patched or maybe
brought their own hand-sewing or knitting. The last few years it became a social club.
NORTH CLUB LADIES Mrs. Mendenhall, Mrs. Keplinger, Carla Lemley, unknown,
Myrtle Lemley, Alberta Mobley, Florence Hannon, Mrs. Bender and Mrs. Mobley.
TOWN & COUNTRY CLUB
The ladies of Maloy met in the home of Mrs. Earl LYNCH on a Thursday afternoon of May, 1950, and organized a new
club which they named "Maloy Busy Bees." Officers were Rose WARIN, president; Frances LYNCH, vice-president;
Audrey DUGAN, secretary and treasurer; Grace WHEELEN, assistant secretary and treasurer; and Flora HOUCK,
reporter. Mary Ellen DUGAN and Opal WILLIAMS served as entertainment committee; Mary C. WARIN and Pearl BRUNER
comprised the flower and card committee. The colors chosen were red and white and the club flower was a rose.
After a short period of time, the ladies of the surrounding Maloy rural area were invited to join the club. This
was the beginning of what is now the Maloy Town and Country Club. After the club was consolidated, the decided to
meet monthly at the Frank CARR Dance Hall. They met at 10 a.m. and enjoyed a potluck dinner, then had a program
or project of interest to them. The meetings were adjourned early in the afternoon as some had children coming
home from school. Later the meetings were changed back to the homes with an acting hostess and an associate
hostess to help plan a program or some other form of entertainment, and to serve refreshments. Over the years,
the club has consistently had fund-raising projects to finance their several goals, two of which were donations
to the Cancer Foundation and Heart Fund. The club members have made several quilts to sell by means of a
raffle. They still sponsor an occasional community card party. Other projects of interest were making lap robes
for the nursing home residents, candle making, needlepoint, hammered aluminum trays and pictures and various
crafts. The club is still [1987] active. The members now meet in the evenings on the first Wednesday of each
month, September through May. They have two special meetings each year in December and May. At these meetings they
have a dinner, a special program and a gift exchange. Space prohibits listing of the many members who through the
years have come and gone. The present [1987] membership is small, but the members still enjoy their social
occasions. Present members include Betty CONLEY, president; Sheryl KEENAN, vice-president; Jane BRABY, secretary;
Pauline WHEELAN, treasurer; Anna WARIN, Rose WARIN, Goldie JACKSON, Carole DAVISON, Mary Ellen DUGAN, Colleen
CONLEY MINNICK, Carme BRABY GREENMAN, Gladys CARR, Mary C. WARIN and Rita SHAY.
BACK ROW, L-R: Mrs. Wheelen, Ruby Worthington, Florence Hannon, Leta Sullivan,
Eleanora Cavender, Mrs. Orville Bear. FRONT ROW, L-R: Mary Lynch, Lula Stuck, Mrs. Keplinger, Lorraine
Nichols and Maxine Wheelen.
SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 p. 72. 1987.
Courtesy of the Mount Ayr Public Library
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011
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