Arthur’s Woman’s Club closing up after 90-some years

By Editor | June 16, 2026 |

By Marty Yeakel

(Note: Thanks to the late Kent Stock for much of this information which comes from an article he wrote in 2015 on the 80th anniversary of Arthur Woman’s Club.)

HISTORY OF ARTHUR

WOMAN’S CLUB

While officially, the date for the establishment of the Arthur Woman’s Club is 1935, the actual history of the club and its different iterations is a little more murky than that. Early information found in the club’s history files before 1935 states that the club was organized in 1908, but no other information about that has been found by this writer either in the club’s files or in the Arthur Graphic newspaper archives. In 1916-17, there are booklets referring to the club as the Arthur Women’s Club. Other information found between 1938-1950 refers to the Junior Woman’s Club. After 1951 these same booklets show the name as Arthur Evening Woman’s Club until it becomes Arthur Woman’s Club at some point.

Kent’s information from the newspaper article in 2015 states that, “In 1935, a group called the Arthur Woman’s Club already existed and met in the afternoon. A group of younger ladies preferred an evening meeting time so they decided to form the Junior Woman’s Club which was chartered on August 27, 1935. This eventually became the Arthur Evening Woman’s Club which is now the present-day Arthur Woman’s Club. Thus making 1935 the official year for the original organization.

Meetings over the years were held in various places – members’ homes, churches, Fleming Funeral Home, and eventually the Legion Hall on Pine Street. (Where Ann Singer’s home is today.)The booklets mentioned contain names of members, past presidents, bylaws, committees and meetings among other things. Notably women were usually mentioned using their husband’s names even up until the current century. Some of those names are familiar to older people in Arthur such as Mrs. Reese Watkins, Mrs. Richard Baker, Mrs. Everett Fitzjarrald, Mrs. Corwin Craig, Mrs. Carter Odum, Mrs. Everett Bradford and Mrs. Delbert Albers just to name a few of the charter members in 1935. More recently are some current members, Mrs. Lawrence Aschermann, Mrs. John Daily, Mrs. Terry Ferchow, Mrs. Clifford Kauffman, Mrs. Jon Malin, Mrs. Danny Miller, Mrs. Mark Yoder who have all served as president of the organization.

The purpose of the organization is still the same as it was in 1935. “The Club is organized to promote civic betterment, social and educational entertainment for its members.” “The group’s goal is to improve health, educational opportunities and in building community spirit through various programs, sponsorship of festivals and special events, fundraising activities, scholarships for graduating seniors as well as supporting our schools and residents of the community in various ways to meet the needs of all.”

In 1985 a dinner and style show was held to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary and a style show was held in 1995 for the 60th anniversary. Carolyn Haney even wrote a song to commemorate that event. Clothing from the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s was featured.

MO-DO FAIR STAND

Arthur Woman’s Club has probably been best known over the years for running the fair stand at the Moultrie-Douglas fair each summer. Records indicate this started in 1945 when the fair was held at the grade school. In 1951 a tent was erected at the present day site of the fair and the stand. The fair stand was the main fundraiser for many, many years for the club. Iris Dicks (a member since 1959) and Arlene Aschermann (a member since 1957), remember setting up and taking down the fair stand was a “real chore and hard work.” Early on there were dirt floors and Iris remembers walking around in the mud at times. Equipment for the stand was located above what is now Steve Howell’s barber shop on Vine Street and moving the equipment and tables up and down the stairs was very difficult. Club members’ husbands were a great help during those years and they were rewarded with a big turkey feast in the fall to thank them. As most remember there is almost always a big storm during fair week and finally in 1968 a permanent structure (the one we see today) was put in place. Barbara Gerichs was president at that time and her husband Glen along with other members’ husbands were a big help with the building. This made a big difference as supplies and equipment could now be kept in one place year round. Woman’s club members who helped back in those days have many stories to tell about the work, the late nights, and mostly, the fun they had at the fair stand. One favorite memory from the early years was spending two days cooking up BBQ for the stand, first in members’ kitchens and later, when it became too big for a home kitchen, at the Methodist Church.

This writer’s (who is now also a Woman’s Club member) memory of the fairstand back in the day was how much I looked forward to the year I got to work in the stand. The Club did this in order to help students earn money toward their senior trip. This tradition went on for many years and is just one example of the organization’s way of helping students.

Recently Woman’s Club members have had the stand open during the Freedom Celebration and fireworks. For the last two years the Arthur JFL parents and players have manned the stand during the fair and Freedom Celebration.

RAT RACE AND

OTHER EVENTS

Once the Fair stand became more expensive and less profitable for the club other sources of fundraising became necessary and in 2003 the club took over the Labor Day/Cheese Festival Rat Race which continued until last year. Because the ladies of the club knew nothing about running a rat race they were very appreciative that Dave Crist helped get them started. Various events such as 5K/10K race, one mile fun run, Pat Wood Memorial 5K walk and the popular Cheese Chase for the kids were part of the event. Many hundreds participated in all these throughout the years and many runners/walkers made it a part of their own annual tradition during the Labor Day weekend. Club member Kat Burdick remembered that children of club members were given the opportunity to design a t-shirt for the cheese chaser event. Her son Kody designed the shirt when he was 11 and then was very proud to ride in the Labor Day parade.

Another annual event that the Arthur Woman’s Club supported was the Halloween Festival which predates the involvement of the woman’s club. Club members were involved with various aspects of the Festival in the early years but in 1978 the club officially took over sponsorship of the event. Games, haunted houses and costume contests took place in the high school gym until just a few years ago when the Park District started a Trunk or Treat event in Eberhardt Park and club members dressed in costume and handed out candy in the park.

The Easter Egg hunt started sometime in the 1950s with AWC taking it over in 1980. In the early years it was at Eberhardt Park and was later moved to the old football field at the high school (or inside if the weather was bad). This past spring was the last year for that event and hopefully some other organization will take over the running of the hunt.

Arthur Woman’s Club often teamed up with other community organizations such as the Arthur Association of Commerce for events like Breakfast with Santa at Yoder’s Kitchen. In the past few years Master Brand has been the co-sponsor with AAOC.

AWC also sponsored a Christmas house decorating contest in the last few years with prizes given for best decorations.

In 2013 and 2014 the club held a Daddy-Daughter dance which was well attended and much fun for not only club members’ husbands and their kids but people from all over the community and elsewhere.

SUPPORTING THE

COMMUNITY

A project started by and supported by the AWC was a nursery school which started in 1970 and was held at the Methodist Church. It eventually moved to the school and then, after some renovations, to the Legion Hall. Current member Beth (Daily) Wiley recalled her mother Sharon and Bernadine Yoder spending many, many hours on the phone talking about the nursery school. The school eventually closed in May of 1993.

Going back a little further in the club’s history, an early project in 1955 was getting the hitch rack moved from the north side of the grade school to Progress Street for the health and safety of our youth. Over the years Arthur Woman’s Club helped buy playground equipment for the grade school and Eberhardt Park, a reading table, benches and books were purchased for the Arthur Library, money was given toward new street lights, winter coat and glove drives were held for many years, donations were given to the Arthur Fire department and EMTs, flowering crabs were planted along Vine Street and bought supplies for the schools. Current club member Lynn Marner remembered when she was secretary at the grade school how the Woman’s Club often donated money for assemblies. She stated, “We never could have afforded the assemblies had it not been for the generosity of the Woman’s Club.”

Womans’ club has given money to students for band and music camps and provided scholarships to graduating seniors. Many thousands of dollars and dozens of students (possibly hundreds) were recipients of those scholarships.

Another tradition that lasted for many years was the club’s providing cakes and cookies on a monthly basis to celebrate birthdays at what is now Eberhardt Village. The late Marilyn Kitchen was the coordinator for this effort which was much appreciated by the residents. Flower shop owner and club member Anita Krutsinger supplied flowers and decorations to go along with the cakes and cookies.

END OF AN ERA

While it is sad to see the club end after 90-plus years members hope that others may take up some of the duties that they have been happy to be a part of for all those years. Many, many hours of willing dedication to make our community a better place. Kent wrote this back in 2015 and it’s still true today, “So many years of festivals, food, fundraisers and fun by so many Arthur women who were members for a few years or most of their lives. All to make our community a better place to live for everyone while having a good time while doing so. As Arlene Aschermann stated back in 2015, “I have been so proud of all the club has accomplished over the years for our community.”

Arthur Woman’s Club plans to have a display of memorabilia and pictures showing the club’s history at the Arthur Public Library soon. Stop in and check it out.

Posted in News - TCC