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Centennial History Book
Necessary and needed were the ORGANIZATIONS of Farnam
COMMUNITY WORKER’S EXTENSION CLUB
The Community Worker’s Club was organized in the fall of 1927 at the home of Mrs. Claude Clement. There were twenty-four ladies who signed their names as members. They were as follows: Mrs. Claude Clement, Mrs. Albert Covey, Mrs. I. R. Edson, Mrs. John Roberts, Mrs. Frank Owens, Mrs. Jesse Griffis, Mrs. Dan McNickle, Mrs. Albert Smallfoot, Mrs. David Banks, Mrs. Clyde Peterson, Mrs. Oliver Clement, Mrs. Ray Harper, Mrs. Gus Gaudreault, Mrs. Arthur Clouatre, Mrs. Mart Enevoldson, Mrs. Harve McNickle, Mrs. Will Wrin, Mrs. John Murphy, Mrs. Alfred Johnson, Mrs. Howard Allen, Mrs. Harrison McKnight, Mrs. Edgar Gewecke, Mrs. E. P. Stewart, Mrs. Lynn Crossgrove, Mrs. Harlan Davis and Mrs. Tom Crampton.
Mrs. Claude Clement was elected President and Mrs. Hulda Enevoldsen was leader of the lessons which were sent from the Lincoln County Extension Bureau.
Along with the Extension lessons, the ladies accomplished many other things, such as dress making, quilting and embroidery work for the hostess at each meeting.
In the fall of 1928, the club decided to take the Dawson County Extension work under Miss Muriel Smith of Lincoln. The members were divided into two clubs, under one president, Mrs. Ray Harper. In 1929-1932 new members joining the club were Mrs. Morris Wyckoff, Mrs. Floyd Gardner, Mrs. Frank Waits, Mrs. Vest Hazen, Mrs. Sarah Clement, Mrs. Grover Widick, Mrs. Ira Stapp, Mrs. George Edson, Mrs. Arsene Clouatre, Mrs. Schuyler Wilcox, Mrs. Will Peterson, Mrs. Olive Starling, Mrs. Velma Tunis, Mrs. Ed Thompson, Mrs. Alvin McLaughlin, Nina Hughes, Trena Edson and Mrs. John Babcock.
In 1938 a Kazoo Band was formed, called the Extension Club Kitchen Band, with 16 members. Mrs. Claude Clement was the organizer. Instruments were made of articles used in the home such as a funnel, washboard, garden hose, hot water bottle and various other things using kazoos as the music makers.
Mrs. Dan McNickle was our leader with an appropriate outfit which she made and a rolling pin as her baton. The band performed at different functions. This was a hilarious bunch of band members, and our leader, Grace, was super with her directing and antics.
From the time the Farnam Polio Benfit Carnival was first held, the club helped each year until the fall of 1968. Some of the other things we did and assisted with were: various plays, mock weddings for members, sent jellies, jams, quilts and money to the Holdrege Children’s Home, yearly picnics for members and families and Christmas parties. Beginning with 1957 the club began celebrating each member’s fifth, tenth, etc. wedding anniversaries with a carry in dinner, decorated wedding cake, and a gift. We collected butternut coffee strips for the Nebraska Children’s Home in Omaha, donated to UNICEF, took cookies, fruit, etc. to the Slack Rest Home and later to the Cozad School for Trainable Children, a grab bag booth at the 75th anniversary of Farnam in 1961, took ice cream and a birthday cake to the rest homes for the birthdays of the Farnam residents living there, made articles for the Bazaar of the Nebraska Children’s Home in Omaha, sent Easter and Christmas money gifts to the Home, gave gifts to sick members and member’s children, held baby showers for members and also had cheer sister names in the club.
The 25th anniversary of the Community Worker’s Club was celebrated on October 23, 1952 at a tea for present and past members.
After the club had been active for ten years, there were 20 members. Some of the original members had moved away and new ones had joined. Members at this time were Mrs. Albert Albers, Mrs. John Babcock, Mrs. Arthur Bick, Mrs. Claude Clement, Mrs. I. R. Edson, Mrs. George Edson, Mrs. Gus Gaudreault, Mrs. Henry Gewecke, Mrs. Ray Haper, Mrs. Dan McNickle, Mrs. Alvin McLaughlin, Mrs. Lynn Messersmith, Mrs. Marion Metcalf, Mrs. Clyde Peterson, Mrs. John Roberts, Mrs. Carrol Teel, Mrs. Elgie Thompson, Mrs. Morris Wyckoff, Mrs. Will Wrin and Miss Dorothy Crisman.
In 1938 the club had an interesting program at the Farnam High School. The program consisted of three one-act plays, songs by members’ daughters, and a solo by Dan McNickle. Our Kitchen Kazoo Band played several selections, and there were several piano solos. An admission of five and ten cents was charged and the total proceeds were $10.00.
By 1957 our membership had diminished to 11. We carried on with Extension meetings and various clubs and outside interests, with many good meetings and social gatherings.
In 1968 we had only seven members. They were Mrs. Arthur Bick, Mrs. Jake Ernst, Mrs. Henry Gewecke, Mrs. Katie Hess, Mrs. Lynn Messersmith, Mrs. Walter Smallfoot and Mrs. Raymond Smith. Due to the small number of members and other reasons, we voted to disband. We gave the money in our treasury to the Nebraska Childrens Home in Omaha.
At the time this article is written (1980) there are five charter members living. They are Mrs. Ferne Clement, Farnam. Nebraska; Mrs. David Banks of Iowa; Mrs. Hulda Enevoldsen, Cozad, Nebraska; Mrs. Harlan Davis, Caldwell, Idaho; and Mrs. Albert Smallfoot, Gothenburg, Nebraska.
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