Homemakers stay connected
Household Executives club involves many happy memories
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MARSHALL – The Household Executives club in Marshall has given its members more than a half century of enjoyment and fellowship.
The club was started in 1973, when a group of homemakers in the southwest corner of Marshall banded together. They met every third Monday of the month, a night when their husbands took charge of the children.
"We were all homemakers," said club member Helen Quist. "Almost all of our time was spent caring for our kids. We needed one night out of the week when we could interact as adults."
The club has roots in Marshall's Faculty Wives club of the 1950s and 1960s, which involved wives whose husbands taught at Marshall Public Schools. Members of the Household Executives decided to build on it by following a model put forth by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
Club member Shirley Anderson Porisch, a retired Extension home economics educator, worked with 39 different Extension clubs in the 1970s. They encompassed townships throughout Lyon County, along with neighborhoods in local communities.
Porisch prepared handouts that could serve as focus topics at the club meetings. She also attended many meetings as an invited guest.
"We always looked for ways to bring our Extension programs into the home," Anderson Porisch said. "It kept us connected to individual households, people who we aimed to serve. I still hear about several clubs that have continued to meet. They got their start through our program."
As part of every meeting club members recited the Homemaker's Creed, a national symbol of homemaker's clubs throughout the United States.
All of the clubs were encouraged to choose activities that led to enhanced fellowship. The Household Executives had a Secret Sisters program that involved cards and small gifts given throughout the year, with a special gift at the end for Christmas.
They also had a tradition of collecting glass blown angels made by Southwest Minnesota State University chemistry professor Ed Carberry. He and his wife, Linda, lived in the same neighborhood as the club members.
The club currently has seven members. Besides Quist and Anderson Porisch, they include Bonny Doyle, Nancy Ingebrigtson, Dianne Swart, Norma Sletten and Marquita Banks.
The membership peaked at 14 more than 30 years ago. The current members said they'd be open to welcoming younger homemakers into their club and expanding the scope of club activities.
They now meet during the day instead of evenings. They watch for community events that feature interesting speakers and go to the events rather than inviting speakers to their small group meetings.
Each year they put together a Christmas tree for the tree walk at the Lyon County Museum. It always has a theme that related in some way to homemaking.
"We've stayed active in the community," Sletten said. "We want to support the museum and other local groups. It makes us feel good when our efforts pay off."
As a retired Marshall High School home economics educator, Sletten has watched as young families adjust to changing times.
"I'm concerned about some of the trends," she said. "Money and budgets are issues. A hundred dollars doesn't last nearly as long as it did in the past."
Anderson Porisch said that both time and money affect the choices made by 21st century families, but that the basics of homemaking decisions are still the same.
"They still want to make good choices, healthy choices that fit within household budgets," she said. "It's different than it was 50 years ago. They have budget limitations and busy schedules. I admire how they work with that in a way that meets family needs."
Household Executive members enjoy looking back at their many years of activities and look forward to continuing the friendships that have enriched their lives.
"We've done lots of things," Ingebrigtson said. "The friendships are what's kept the club together. We've given each other lots of support and share many memories."