Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

In 1912. the Rebekah Circle was organized as an
aftemoon tea and met on the second Friday of each
month. “work to be done for hostess. if she had it to do.
if not each bring their own work." The proceeds of
these 10 cent aftemoon teas were to increase the social
fund. That was the beginning of the Past Noble Grand’s
Circle which now meets each third Thursday in
members‘ homes.
Those who have filled the chair of the Noble Grand
over the years. beginning in 1890. for six-month terms
were: Margaret Sigworth. Lucy C. Harvey. Luvia A.
Mclneen. Henrietta Symons. Rebecca Port. Eliza
Scroggs. Angeline Port. Sarah Johnson. Margaret
Boyer. Mary Ringer. Marnie Joslin. Nellie Plumer. Mina
Jackells. Nellie Dunning.- Elizabeth Soper. Jennie
Powers. Etta Carpenter. Leona Harrison, Emma
Lawson. Angie Sherman. Ledgie Waggoner, Deliah
Johnson, Bertha Johnson. Jennie Oeffinger, Emma
Metcalf. Ida Wilkinson, Ella Hines, Mary E. Smith.
Cassie Miller. Sarah Beam. Nina Scroggs. Jane Atwood.
Victoria Wilkinson. Ida Van Kirk. Millie Maul. Stella
Joslin. Julia Johnson. Sarah Wightman. Maud Hakes.
Carrie Groat. Libbie Frisbie. Eva Templin. Ava Howe.
Clara Chadwick. Margaret Hunnicutt. Lomeda Bunce.
Minnie Schuchman. Mary Strickel. Mattie Ha.rvey.
Pauline Lang. Frances Strickel. Efile Beardsley. Edna
Patterson. Margaret Eastwood. Nettie Patterson. Bertha
Webster. Bessie Patterson. Chloe Baumel. Mattie
Loder. Blanche Ellison. Myrtle Merrill. Ruth Richards.
Frances Wastfall. Iva Vernon. Anna Holub. Beatrice
Waumachka. Lillian Beardsley. Anna Henricksen. Caro
Frazer. Alice Carey. Mary Dircks, Marion Bowles. Nina
Byerly. Pearl Neal. Clementine Ricketts. Lucile Barker.
Gladys Ireland. Ida Darrow. Minnie Covington. Anna
Holub. Faye Smykil. Mertie Crow. Lillian Beardsley.
Nina Byerly, Bessie Carlson. Marguerite Morning. Pearl
Dawes, Anna Ryan. Jennie Plond. Emma Soper. Elsie
Johannsen. Kizzie Grassfield. Bertha Stimpson. Bonnie
Meade. Leona Uhr. Dora Bradley. Hazel Hartman, Ethel
4
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Front row: Gladys Baker. Eleanor Smith. Berniece
First, Ruth Heasty. Bertha Stimpson.
Standing. back row. Valeta Bray, Ethel Barker.
Laura Taylor, Jo Russell, Isabelle Rogers. Kathy
Barnes. Beryl May, Wilma Walton, Ethel Palmer.
Evelyn Stimpson.
Barker. Ruth Taylor. Sadie Snyder. Idel Russell. Lois
Pulver. Eleanor Smith. Viola Humpal. Marjorie Thuma.
Isabelle Rogers. Theresa Payne and Florence Newhard.
In 1953. one year terms were begun for the Noble
Grands. who were: Berniece First. Wilma Walton.
Martha Bray. Velma Boots. Florence Gustafson. Mamie
Roeberg. Wilma Hurt. Edna Seeiey, Beryl May, Valera
Bray. Kathryn Barnes. Nancy Newhard. Vera Sickels.
Rosemary Folken. Jean Klple. Judy Beckett. Ardys
Dooley. Kathryn Ackerman. Marjorie Holmes and
Katherine Seeley.
The present officers are: Ethel Barker. Noble Grand;
Beryl May. Vice Grand: Evelyn Stimpson. Secretary
and Wilma Walton. Treasurer.
Fortnightly Club
compiled by Veryle Purcell
The Fortnightly Club is the oldest club in Jones
County and the first to federate. Through the efforts of
Miss Jessie Smith in 1882. a group of 12 daring women
formed a Chautauqua Circle. Charter members were:
Mrs. M. Aispaugh. Mrs. L.J. Adair. Mrs. R.M. Bush. Mrs.
G.G. Noyes. Mrs. D.M. McCarn. Mrs. A.C. Manwell. Mrs.
J.E.M. Niles. Mrs. J.D. Cudworth. Mrs. S. Needham.
Mrs. George Noble and Mrs. C.L. Niles. There were no
officers and leaders were appointed at each meeting.
When the programs were first started. they were
equivalent to a four-year college education. Included
were such subjects as Growth of the French Nation and
The Law of Psychic Phenomenon. After four years of
study. the class graduated with much pomp and
ceremony. The graduation exercises included a French
essay. a class history. and a class prophecy. Every great
man in history was quoted in the essay. including
Julius Caesar. Socrates. Martin Luther, and many
others in the same category.
A second class graduated in I887. This was called the
"Pansey Class” because of Mrs. Alden. the author of
the Pansey Books. Four members of this class
journeyed by train to New York. where. with other
members of Chautauqua Circles. they received their
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diplomas. This group included Mrs. Margaret
Aispaugh. Mrs. Noble. Mrs. Genora Noyes. and Mrs.
Jennie Sigworth.
The members of the club voted to federate in 1896.
and adopted the name of "Fortnightly Club". From this
time on. printed programs were used. A typical
program for one meeting was: vocal solos. plus an essay
on musical instruments. and papers on Beethoven and
Mozart, plus piano selections from both of these
masters: a talk on Paderewski: a piano duet: then the
usual half-hour of Drummond and his Natural Law in
the Spiritual World. All of this in one day's program! As
the minutes aptly described. "The lessons were quite
long. but interesting."
In 1897. the club began the University Extension
course on Growth of the American Nation. and war
topics. Visits with the Friday Club of Monticello were
exchanged. Ladies who had teams offered them for use
on guest days. as mud made it difficult where there
were no boardwalks, and skirts were long and trailing.
Club members began a novel; each to write a chapter
and read it during the meeting. They named it the
Unnamed Romance. Two club papers were sent each
year to the State Federation Reciprocity Bureau.