MASSENA - Seventy years ago on June 4, a group of 20 women, all grandmothers, met at the home of Ruth Hutton for lunch and the Grandmother’s Club was born.

Club President Diane E. Meyer said the club former in 1942 now has 36 members, 14 of whom attended the group’s 70th anniversary celebration held Thursday at Dar’s Place.

“It was originally just a social group of grandmothers getting together, but over the years it has evolved into more than that and we’ve given to a bunch of charities,” she said.

According to Town Historian Mary Ellen Casselman, the meetings continued being held on the first Thursday of each month, usually at a member’s home, until 1953 when the Massena Masons invited the ladies, who were all members of the Mason’s sister club, Order of the Eastern Star, to meet at the Masonic Hall, where they continued meeting until the 1980s when they began meeting for lunch at the Village Inn.

While Ms. Casselman, who gave a presentation on the history of the club, wasn’t sure when the group’s membership hit its high mark, her report indicated that at one point the club included 90 grandmothers.

Ms. Casselman said in 2001 by-laws were changed opening up membership to allow women who weren’t members of the Order of the Eastern Star and not necessarily grandmothers into the group, something that Ms. Meyer said has provided a boost to their numbership.

“We do have some younger members now,” Ms. Meyer said. “It’s a fun bunch of gals who get together to gab.”

The group meets eight times each year, taking off the months of August, December, January and February.

“It’s basically an excuse to go out to lunch,” Ms. Meyer said with a laugh.

Anyone interested in more information on the club or how they can become a member is invited to contact Ms. Meyer at 769-0502.

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