Mother was a Member of the Pittsburg Junior Woman’s Club

Even though my mother, Lela "Lea" Nell (Johnston) Hork had four children under 6 years old, she was active with the Junior Woman’s Club in Pittsburg, California.

In 1960, she was installed as secretary. Mrs. Bess Gibson was president, succeeding Mrs. Edward Marchoke, Mrs. Frank Pietruszkiewicz was vice president, Mrs. William Hork was secretary, Mrs. Cyril Bruno was treasurer, Mrs. Ally Petrial was parliamentarian, Mrs. Marchoke was auditor, and Mrs. James Hanges was club coordinator.[1]

In September, Louis Armstrong performed for a hospital benefit at the Pittsburg High School creative arts building. The sponsored show's proceeds were to purchase a circoelectric universal hospital bed for the Pittsburg Community Hospital. The following women were involved with the program: Mrs. Bess Gibson, Mrs. Ally Petrini, Mrs. Cyril Bruno, Mrs. Bernard Krieg, Mrs. Edward Marchoke, Mrs. Donald Meyer, and Mrs. William Hork.[2]

A photo of Louis Armstrong appeared in the newspaper with four Junior Woman’s Club members, Mrs. Bess Gibson, Mrs. Joseph McKee, Mrs. William Hork, and Mrs. Cyril Bruno.[3]

There was another photo of my mother and my younger sister. This time, the article described the benefit sale the women’s club was holding.[4]

I am not sure how she did it. My mother didn’t drive and we didn’t have a second car. Perhaps another woman came and picked her up. I do remember her being friends with Mrs. McKee. My father could have taken her if the events were in the evening. After we moved to Walnut Creek in 1963, she was driving. She was active in our first few years with our new school’s PTA and she always helped with our classroom parties, in particular, she would make decorated boxes for our Valentine’s Day parties. I wished we had a photo of one of those boxes.

After having two more children in 1965 and 1966, she pulled back on her club participation and volunteered where she could, doing things from home. When we joined Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, she helped by doing what she could from her home, from baking for bake sales to doing sewing projects.

#52Ancestors-Week 34: Member of the Club

This is my seventh year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow at Generations Cafe. I write on my blogs: Mam-ma’s Southern Family and My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.

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[1] “Junior Club Officers Inducted,” Oakland Tribune, 23 June 1960, p. C7, col. 7.

[2] “Satchmo to Appear at Pittsburg Benefit,” Oakland Tribune, 22 Sep 1960, p. 4c, col. 1..

[3] “Varied Activities of Benefit to Many,” Post Dispatch (Pittsburg, Cal.), 8 Oct 1964, p. unk., clipping from Pittsburg Historical Society.

[4] Post-Dispatch (Pittsburg, Cal.), 12 May 1961, p. unk., clipping from Pittsburg Historical Society.

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