Service to the St. Matthews Community
We are proud of our accomplishments, and look forward to our future actions, where we strive to surpass our goals and objectives to make positive impacts for the benefit of others.
1938 - 1940 Mrs. E. V. Bazzell (Agnes)
1940 - 1942 Mrs. Robert Dickman (Mary)
1942 - 1944 Mrs. Herbert Hincks (Gyn)
Our spirits were lifted the first time we sang our beautiful club song Monday, written by our clubwoman, Mrs. John C. Carroll.
1944 - 1946 Mrs. Leland Wilson (Billie)
1946 - 1948 Mrs. John E. Carroll (Hazel)
1948 - 1950 Mrs. Arthur F. Wolpert (Nancy)
1950 - 1952 Mrs. E. H. Webb (Justine)
1952 - 1954 Mrs. E. Sherman Lodewick (Nancy)
The club joined with twenty-eight local organizations in making St. Matthews Charity Bazaar a success. Our booth served hot cakes, coffee and milk. Club members did volunteer work at the old folks home in Jeffersontown and two wards at Lakeland Hospital. Our club and the Buechel Woman's Club served a Sunday night buffet supper at the USO Club for 500 soldiers and their dates. Club members did volunteer work with the Red Cross.
We enjoyed the beautiful programs given by our club chorus. We were proud of the chorus as it performed at many state meetings of the Kentucky Federation of Woman's Clubs.
1954 - 1956 Mrs. W. C. Cruse, Jr. (Marge)
The Gold Leaf Shadow Box, a memorial to our club presidents, was placed in the foyer in January 1956. Miniature pictures of the club presidents are placed in the box.
We BURNED our MORTGAGE on the building in April 1956. The $28,700 loan was paid off in seven years. All our past club presidents were given honorary memberships.
1956 - 1958 Mrs. Paul A. Clark (Lucille)
The Junior Students Service Center was brought to the attention of all federated clubs throughout the United States in a bulletin sent out from the GFWC Headquarters in Washington.
1958 - 1960 Mrs. Robert C. Fritz (Leola)
1960 - 1962 Mrs. C. B. Stone (Clara)
A seat belt chairman was appointed with our club being the first in the district to promote this safety measure. The sub Junior Department grew to thirty-one members. Monthly parties for the patients of the Ft. Knox and Veteran's Hospitals continued with many club members providing food and entertainment. Weekly visits to two wards at Lakeland Hospital were continued.
1962 - 1964 Mrs. J. R. Rodahaffer (Lucille)
In April of 1963, the club celebrated it's 25th anniversary. The chorus gave a beautiful Spring Birthday Program. The interior of the club was a flower garden complete with fountain, a wishing well, evergreen trees and a gravel walk. A beautifully decorated cake with a silver number 25 rounded out the party atmosphere. This celebration completed the history of our club's first 25 years and all members looked ahead with confidence to the next 25 years.
1964 - 1966 Mrs. Richard H. Hall (Katherine)
The big social event was the Charity Ball held a the Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky on December 3, 1965. This was given by the Kentucky Federation of Woman's Clubs to raise funds to build a Rehabilitation Center for Girls, later to be known as Jewel Manor. Governor Ned Breathitt and our own State President, Mrs. Jewel Hamilton, presided as the club presidents from all over Kentucky marched down the marble staircase with their escorts. Bill Gladden, of television station WAVE, announced the names of the presidents and the clubs they represented. Dancing followed the march.
1966 - 1968 Mrs. Harold T. Hotopp (Betty)
In November of 1967. Marge Cruse, a member of our club, was elected State Representative from the 47th Legislative District of Jefferson County by the largest number of votes ever cast in the district. The club emerged from this administration as an Honor Club after winning many awards at the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs state convention.
1968 - 1970 Mrs. Julian Sapp (Hilda)
The club made contributions in the name of our Community Improvement Program to the Sidney Eline Library , Maria Product, Inc., and Jewel Manor. The club voted to adopt Marie Products, Inc. as a sustaining project. This worthy project helped retarded children find their places in society. Junque and Jewels was started during this administration.
1970 - 1972 Mrs. Charles Metzger (Jessie)
1972 - 1974 Mrs. Howard L. Blair (Nettie Lee)
1974 - 1976 Mrs. Alvin W. Graef (Erna)
The Education Committee sponsored a defensive driving course and an estate planning seminar. At the Matt Waltkins benefit, a check for $1,500 was presented to Matt Watkins to defray medical expenses of his critically ill daughter. A Bicentennial Dinner on April 13, 1976 featured The Story of the Stars and Stripes. Total money given to charity during this administration was $3,962. This included $1,000 given to Cedar Lake Lodge.
1976 - 1977 Mrs. Bradley O. Turner (Sophie)
Due to personal problems, the president served one year in this office, making this the shortest administration.
1977 - 1980 Mrs. Lucas Floyd (Mary Ann)
1980 - 1982 Mrs. Stuart Harlowe (Elizabeth)
The Community Improvement Department, in cooperation with the Jefferson County Board of Health, visited a number of local schools in the interest of a mosquito control program. The club received an award for this work. A scholarship in the amount of $500 was given to the winner of the Junior Miss Contest.
1982 - 1984 Mrs. Oliver Harriman (Minnie)
Volunteer work at Maryhurst School for delinquent girls began during this administration. At the April 1983 state convention of the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs, we were proud as the president of our club accepted ten awards. Included in these was the one-hundred dollar Johnson Award given to the cub doing outstanding work with juvenile delinquents. We also brought home the one-hundred dollar check given by the Federation for selling the most Kentucky Hospitality cookbooks.
1984 - 1986 Mrs. Katherine P. Goodman
There was a need to look into and change our purchasing methods used for many years in buying necessary items for operating the clubhouse. A lot of shopping had to be done to find better prices. A commercial sweeper and an extractor were purchased so that our custodian could keep the large floor areas in good condition.
1986 - 1988 Mrs. William B. Eubanks (Mary Allice)
Square dancers from many Kentucky towns joined local groups for an evening of dancing in our clubhouse as we participated in the 1986 St. Matthews Indian Summer Fall Festival. Again, in the fall of 1987, the Fine Arts Department of our club was involved in the festival.
A flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol Building was sent to us by Congressman Ron Mazzoli. On November 23, 1987, an impressive patriotic program was held in memory of veterans of the St. Matthews area. The flag was raised at this time on the new flag pole and dedicated to Petty Officer First Class Matt E. Watkins, United States Navy and veteran of World War ll.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the club women who worked many hours building and developing the Woman's Club of St. Matthews. The accomplishments and outstanding service to the community of the first fifty years are looked upon with pride.
1988 - 1990 Mrs. C. J. Williams (Pat)
1990 - 1992 Mrs. Harold Barner (Bea)
1992 - 1994 Mrs. David F. Pearson (Penny)
1994 - 1996 Mrs. William Eubanks (Mary Alice)
1996 - 1998 Jeanne Wagner
1998 - 2000 Alma Talbott
2000 - 2002 Alma Talbott
Empty pill bottles were collected for Haiti for their hospital to use to dispense pills. At the request of Kentucky Federation of Women's Club President, Donna Short, our club members along with other federated clubs, donated Easter candy to be used to fill Easter baskets for the boys at the Cardinal Treatment Center. At the club's 64th birthday party a $500 scholarship was present to a high school senior.
2002 - 2004 Mrs. Harry Embry (Sally)
2004 - 2007 Mrs. David Brooks (Jackie)
On May 8, 2006, the voted to sell our building and property as we no longer wished to maintain and operate such a large property. An auction of the furniture and equipment of the club was held at the clubhouse on July 20, 2006.
At the 112th Annual State Convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Kentucky, April 19, 2007, Past President Nettie Lee Blair and Virginia Guinn received their 50 year Gold Cards and certificates. On May 21, 2007, the club presented Ella Cline, Nettie Lee Blair, and Virginia Guinn with their 50 year pins.
On May 22, 2007, forty-seven pounds of items consisting of coloring books, activity books, boxes of crayons and colored pencils were mailed to Iraq to be distributed at a place were Iraqi adults can come to see a doctor and U.S. soldiers can volunteer to help entertain the children.
2007 - 2009 Pat Lynes Kiser
2009 - 2011 Fran Evola (Mrs. John McGinnis)
2011 - 2012 Mrs. Robert Potts (Beverly)
We took part in Shop and Share again, to benefit the local domestic abuse shelter. To support the Kentucky Federation of Women's Club Juniors Special Project, we planted a pinwheel garden on a highly visible area in St. Matthews, the lawn at Bethel-St. Paul Church. We placed 200 blue and white pinwheels with a banner on the lawn for the month of April 2011 to remind everyone to help prevent child abuse. Four $5,000 college scholarships were awarded in May 2012.
2012 - 2015 Fran Evola (Mrs. John McGinnis)
In the Spring of 2015, we gave out $10,000 in college scholarships to women in the St. Matthews area, to assist them in furthering their education. We also awarded $17,500 in collage scholarships to high school seniors, opening the scholarship program to all five schools in the area. Ballard, Sacred Heart, Trinity, Waggener and Walden. Scholarship information and applications were put on our website for easy access, as was our membership application.
2015 - 2017 Mrs. Robert Potts (Beverly)
To address conservation members toured the local Idlewild Butterfly Gardens. We held a Trivia night to raise money for our scholarship and members volunteered throughout the year at Supplies Over Seas, which collects medical supplies from hospitals that were going to be sent to landfills . Clubwomen made doggie chew toys out of used t-shirts and offered them at the annual St. Matthews Street Festival for a donation to the Woman's Club of St. Matthews Scholarship fund. In addition, clubwomen collected wish list items, toilet and paper towel cardboard rolls, pet food and additional handmade chew toys and donated all to the Kentucky Humane Society.
2017 - 2019 Mary Jo Nay (Mrs. Raymond F. Barrow)
Club Year 2017 Click Here
Club Year 2018 Click Here
Club Year 2019 Click Here
2020 Fran Evola
So many members have contributed this year. Back in February, we transferred our items in storage to a new unit in the same facility. Several of the members and their husbands made that happen.
Also in February, Carrie Shepherd led a workshop where we made mini-florals for Senior Care Experts to deliver with food trays to the shut-ins. That was before we all became shut-ins due to Covid-19.
In March, our own Teresa Schmidt, was to be installed as our GFWC KY State President at a grand event that had to be canceled. Regardless of Covid-19, she is our State President and has done a wonderful job! She has traveled all over the state and hasn’t let anything slow her down.
We donated funds for a VA Baby Shower and Renee Finnegan was able to purchase a playpen and stroller/car seat.
In July, a few of us attended the State Convention in Lexington. Our club won lots of awards and most of them should be attributed to our former club President, Mary Jo Nay, who worked tirelessly for the club and put together fabulous reports. Mary Jo was nominated for Clubwoman of the Year but that award was not presented this year. She is still our 2019 Clubwoman of the Year!
For the rest of Spring and most of the Summer, we couldn’t meet in person but we did have a few short Zoom meetings to just reconnect with each other, and Renee Finnegan led us in some much-needed chair yoga.
Renee used part of the budgeted amount to buy gift cards for the VA Volunteer Services for which we received a nice thank you.
It wasn’t until September that we ventured out to the Picnic Pavilion at the Community Center for a socially-distant but in-person meeting. The representatives from Stock Yards Bank were there and reassured us that our investments had made a recovery and though we didn’t award any scholarships this year, we are well-poised for next year.
At this same meeting, thank you notes were prepared to accompany the gift cards to be given to the St. Matthews police officers and staff members. This may have been the highlight of our year! It really seemed to have made a difference in a dark time for the officers. Thank you to Jean Duncan for the idea and to all the ladies that did the hand-written notes.
Joyce Hoffman has worked diligently all year to assist us in making a decision on the use of our surplus funds. Finally, at the October meeting we were able to conclude this dilemma and divided the $1400 into seven $200 donations to the VA, Feed Louisville, Waggener High School, St. Matthews Elementary, St. MAM Food Pantry, St. MAM Emergency Relief Fund and to GFWC-KY for the Run for the Roses fundraiser at the SER Convention.
Renee Finnegan, Judy Mayfield and Sandy Iacocca delivered our check to Feed Louisville, then stayed and volunteered to prepare food.
Renee also works with Kentucky Refugee Ministries and they are currently in need of fleece blankets for the children since it’s getting cold. I know lots of blankets have been delivered to Renee for this worthy cause. She will probably need a truck to deliver all of them on November 19th. Renee gets my vote as our 2020 Clubwoman of the Year.
All year, I have had great support from the Executive Board, a truly remarkable group of ladies, always there to guide the club even when we couldn’t meet.
Now, here we are at the Thanksgiving season and I am truly thankful to each of you for hanging there, doing what you could do, maintaining a positive attitude and making the Woman’s Club of St. Matthews an organization to be proud of.
2021 Donna Burke
Little business of significance was held in 2021 beyond regular donations to St. MAM and the award of scholarships to four high school seniors.
A highlight of Donna’s term was the February meeting was when she treated members by singing several love songs in recognition of Valentine’s Day.
- Past Club Presidents (L-R) Mary Jo Nay, Fran Evola, Pat Kiser, Penny Pearson, and Beverly Potts
- Past Club Presidents (L-R) Fran Evola, Mary Jo Nay, Sally Embry, Penny Pearson, Beverly Potts
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