New officers were elected at the recent meeting of the Mathontes Club held at the Pine Bluff Country Club.
They are: DiAnn Jones, president; Ginny Clement, vice president; Eva Marie Pearson, recording secretary; LaNelle Roberts, corresponding secretary; and Catherine Anne Atkinson, treasurer.
During the business session, Atkinson distributed the list of program themes, presenters and hostesses for the coming club year.
At the conclusion of the business session, Kitty Rubenstein and Clement presented the program, “Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930s.”
Mental pictures of lovely, tranquil forest and prairie lands traversed and nurtured by the Native American took the group back in time. Sadly, a mass of new settlers encouraged by the government began living and farming the area. In the process, the balance of nature was changed with disastrous consequences. Years of forest and prairie clearing led to sever drought and eventually brought about the destruction of buffalo herds, followed by the death of most of the settlers’ livestock. Animals that escaped death by dust and drought were slaughtered for food, but were filled with dust and were inedible.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Soon the overwhelming and all pervading dust resulted in the infamous Dust Bowl that began in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression and extended into five states. The priorities of the settlers were breathing, eating and staying alive, resulting in a mass exodus toward the West.
The most memorable history of the era was written by John Steinbeck in the familiar novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Hostesses were Jody Henslee, Rebecca Phillips and Sue Smith. Guests were seated at tables covered with cloths printed with pastel bouquets of spring flowers, centered with matching arrangements.
The club’s next meeting will be the annual luncheon at the Pine Bluff Country Club.