North Kleskun Ladies Club. — 1948-1999. — 34.5 cm of textual records. — 58 photographs.

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Agency History

The ladies living in the North Kleskun area came together during WWII to make care packages for the men involved in the war. These gatherings led to the formation of the North Kleskun Ladies Club. The meetings took place in members’ homes or the old Kleskun School house. Although an official start date is unknown, it is thought that the club began in the year 1940. The meetings were social events, but the focus was raising money for charities and hosting local events in the community such as card games, suppers, dances, picnics, bazaars, wedding or baby showers, as well as quilt raffles and Halloween and Christmas parties. The ladies took care of members in the community, ensuring that someone sick received a card or a gift to help cheer them up. If there was a fire they would do all they could to help the family, for example in 1955 they crafted a quilt for a family who had lost their home to a fire. The ladies helped make uniforms for the local athletic clubs, supported a community snow plow organization, helped pay off the North Kleskun Hall debt, supported the telephone line installation in their area, created a stork fund for Johanna’s Maternity Home in Sexsmith, and as early as 1938 a quilt was raffled with the proceeds donated to the Monkman Pass Highway.

The ladies were involved with the North Kleskun School Reunion that was held in 1987 and in 1990 they hosted their own reunion celebrating the 50th anniversary of their club. A booklet was created for this event which mentions their activities, some photos and names of members: Nellie Adair, Tillie Arac, Judy Barnfield, Donna Bastien, Vivian Breen, Stella Brown, Bertha Dedio, Stella Dedio, Anne Gould, Annette Huber, Bernice Huber, Donna Huber, Hazel Huber, Ella Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Marianne Kilpatrick, Brenda Kirstien, Mary LeGeyt, Jean Love, Effie Luddington, Christina May, Kay McNally, Linda MacNeil, Hazil Morgan, Julia, Ostazewski, Cathy Phillips, Jennie Pickering, Pat Pickering, Helena Pronovast, Justine Pronovast, Debra Regan, Sarah Reynolds, Alice Rode, Evelyn Steinke, Marlene Steinke, Martha Steinke, Pearl Steinke, Sandra Steinke, Shirley Steinke, Geraldine Swiscoski, Carol Rode, Evelyn Rode, Mary Rode, Marilyn Rycroft, Lou Semack, Claire Sodergren, Katie Sommerfeld, Betty Sorken, Elva Sorken, Karen Sorken, Anne Steeves, Christine Steeves, Belle Tant, Hazel Wilson, Margaret Wood and Mabel Vickerson. The 50th Anniversary celebration tea was held at the North Kleskun Community Hall and brought together former and current members. The ladies also created two cook books over the years. The first cook book was so popular that a second one was organized in 1992.

Custodial History

The records were deposited in South Peace Regional Archives by Gail Steinke, a member of the North Kleskun Ladies Club, on July 8, 2010. The records had been kept in member’s homes as well at the North Kleskun Hall.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of minute books 1948-1999, financial records 1949-1997, correspondence 1949-1998, cook books (1982 and 1992), records relating to the Kleskun School Reunion 1987, and the Ladies Club Reunion 1990. There are also 58 photographs taken of club members, various events, and quilts made by the club.
There was no discernable original order in the records when they arrived. Order was imposed on them by the archivist based on the content of the records.

Notes

Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Information for the Administrative History was taken from the minute books.
Accession No.: 2010.35 & 2010.25
Accruals: No further accruals are expected.
Related records: North Kleskun Community Club.