Women's Club ends season; Baughman named Woman of the Year
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Chester Women's Club held it's final meeting of the club year on Friday, May 13 at the First United Methodist Church fellowship hall. President Louise Liefer welcomed members and their guests to the annual May Luncheon. The table grace was given by Gwendy Garner and the luncheon was catered and served by Anne Ebers and Barb Fricke & Company.
Scholarship Chairman Mary Ann Stumpe reported that she had presented two $1,000 Chester Women's Club Scholarships to Chester High School Seniors Laura Liefer and Rachel Sheely at the CHS Honors Night event.
Mrs. Stumpe also reported that she and club member Joan Montroy are busy making plans for the Chester Public Library's summer story hours, which are sponsored by the Club. Members were asked to make monetary donations to assist in the summer program.
Historian Caroline Wylie presented a rousing history for the 2010-2011 club year, based on the well-known poem, "When I Am An Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple".
The highlight of the annual May Luncheon is the announcement and presentation of the Woman of the Year Award. Former Woman of the Year Cynthia Lawder presented the 2011 award to Norma Baughman.
Baughman was raised in Chester, where she married a local man, Charles (Ron) Baughman, and the couple raised three children, Jeanette Decker, Karen Hecht and Brian Baughman.
Baughman earned her Associate's Degree in 1973 from SWIC. While completing her Bachelor's Degree at SIU-C, she worked as a teacher's aide at Prairie du Rocher and then at the Chester Grade School, from 1971 to 1974, where she was later hired to teach, after her graduation. While at CGS, Baughman taught at various grade levels, finally settling at first grade, where she taught until retirement. She completed her Master's Degree at SIU-C in 1983.
Professionally Baughman was active in the Chester Education Association and the IEA, serving as Regional Council member for the CEA and as delegate to the National IEA convention for many years. She served on the Board of the Southern Illinois Reading Council for three years and is a 31-year member and past President of Beta Delta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international society for outstanding women educators.
Baughman was a Girl Scout leader and committee mother/advisor for 15 years. She served as President of St. John Lutheran School's PTS, is a member of St. John Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Women's Mission League. She is a member of Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, works in the hospital gift shop and assists on the local and county tourism committees.
Within the Chester Women's Club, Baughman has served as program chairman and is on the Maundy Thursday Prayer Breakfast committee.
She enjoys a variety of crafts, flower arranging, sewing and baking. Baughman's family was present at the meeting to surprise her when she received her award.
Prior to the closing of the meeting, club member Joan Montroy installed the following officers for the 2011-2012 club year: President, Louise Liefer; First Vice President, Carolyn Schwent (standing in for Sharon McMath); 2nd Vice President, Wilma Whittenberg; Recording Secretary, Barb Welge; Treasurer, Tammy Grah; and Corresponding Secretary, Cathy Sauer.
The Chester Women's Club will begin it's 75th season with the club's annual Officers' Tea in September.