sa国际传媒官网网页入口

There was a time when members of Las Amapolas, an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 women鈥檚 club, toured gardens and took on landscaping projects at hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

They had bridge and pool parties, supported charitable causes, staged fund-raising fashion shows and listened to guest speakers tell them how to plant shade trees or fashion table arrangements for the holidays.

That goes back to when the members were in their 20s and 30s, young wives and mothers eager to take on vital roles in their community and enjoy each other鈥檚 company.

Now, they are in their 80s and 90s, senior citizens thankful they can still get together. All these years later, they meet on the first Thursday in February, April, June, August, October and December.

鈥淲e have several members who have caregivers who bring them to meetings,鈥� said Ginger Grossetete, 87. 鈥淲e have a treasurer鈥檚 report, read the minutes and then we visit, go around the table and ask everybody how they are doing and ask about their families.鈥�

But Thursday鈥檚 luncheon meeting at Savoy Bar & Grille on Montgomery was special. Las Amapolas celebrated its 65th anniversary.

鈥淭his was a nice group of women when we were in our 20s, and they are now a nice group of women now,鈥� Pat Boyle, who is in her late 80s, said. 鈥淲e genuinely care about each other.鈥�

The poppies

The idea for the club took seed in the spring of 1958 when Grossetete, Boyle and Katie Eckert, now deceased, met at Fox Park on Alvarado and Marquette NE. The women had taken their toddler children to the park so the kids could play and they could get in some tennis.

The women鈥檚 talk turned to a common need they had for trees, shrubs and flowers at their homes. They decided to start a garden club and invited Janie Mossman, JoAnn Fidel, Dee Maloof and Donna Esquibel to join them as founding members. Other early members included Julie Kavet and Liz Wertheim.

Inspired by a song popular at the time, the members named the club Las Amapolas, which means the poppies. Early on, Las Amapolas joined the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Council of Garden Clubs.

鈥淚n the summer, we worked on projects to raise money (for the Council of Garden Clubs),鈥� Kavet, 94, said. 鈥淲e made Christmas things to sell. We would get together at someone鈥檚 house for weeks and make Christmas decorations 鈥� angels, ceramic bells, decorations made out of pasta. I always enjoyed that. I liked to create. And we got to know each other better.鈥�

Las Amapolas members worked at and entered flower shows at the State Fair, among other places.

鈥淲henever we had a project, a flower show or whatever it might be, these gals always worked hard,鈥� Boyle said. 鈥淣o one tried to get out of it. Everyone was willing to help.鈥�

As the members got older and their children grew up and moved out on their own, interests in gardening waned. For more than 40 years now, Las Amapolas has been a social club rather than a garden club.

Grossetete still grows stuff at her Four Hills home, however.

鈥淚 have rabbits, so I can鈥檛 plant in my garden,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 grow things in pots in my enclosed courtyard. When we have meetings, I talk about my tomatoes and eggplants.鈥�

Sisterly support

Many members, of course, have been lost over the years.

The most tragic blow suffered by Las Amapolas happened in February 1985 when sa国际传媒官网网页入口 businessman and celebrated balloonist Ben Abruzzo and five others were killed when a private plane piloted by Abruzzo crashed. The five passengers who perished 鈥� Abruzzo鈥檚 wife, Pat, and her friends Marcia Martin, Cynthia Miller, Barbara Quant and Bev Mullin 鈥� were all Las Amapolas members.

Club members found what solace they could in the support they offered survivors and each other. That鈥檚 one thing about the club that has not changed.

鈥淭hrough every crisis, we have stayed together,鈥� Kavet said.

鈥淲hen someone dies in our club, we ask the family if they want us to do a (memorial) plaque at the zoo or send a donation to a charity,鈥� Grossetete said. 鈥淛ust recently, we sent a donation to All Faiths Receiving Home.鈥�

Boyle said Las Amapolas members genuinely care about each other.

鈥淚 could call any one of these women if I needed help,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e care about each other in a sisterly way.鈥�

鈥楲ots of fun鈥�

Grossetete said Las Amapolas has 24 members today.

鈥淲e used to have 50 and there was a waiting list,鈥� she said. 鈥淎fter the pandemic, some members went by the wayside. A lot of them got too old. A lot of them stop driving.鈥�

But on Thursday, 65 years after the club was founded, 21 members gathered to partake of vegetarian pasta, garlic-saut茅ed shrimp, beef tenderloin tips and lemon tarts. The table centerpieces featured poppies, and the members gathered at the grill鈥檚 bar for a group photograph.

Together. Just like old times. Just like always.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been lots and lots and lots of fun,鈥� Kavet said. 鈥淚 am very grateful for the opportunity to have belonged to this group.鈥�