The Rose Creek Literary Club is no more.

It disbanded, not for want of good books, issues and other topics to discuss.

Instead, it was a combination of

busy lives and the aging of its members.

Eight decades had passed before the June 6 80th anniversary luncheon.

The celebration was also the club's last meeting.

Isabelle Halvorson remembers how excited she was the day she learned she had been accepted by the club's members. "Gerald Meaney used to call it the 'Silk Stocking Club' and all it would take is one 'No' vote to be rejected,"

Halvorson recalled. "I remember very well when Myrtle Carlson walked into our store and announced 'We just voted you into the Literary Club.' I was so happy."

Mrs. Halvorson and her husband, Maurice, operated a popular grocery store in Rose Creek over a half century ago. If the grocery store wasn't the hub of conversation among local residents, the elevator and coffee shop were.

But all of them paled in comparison to the Rose Creek Literary Club's meetings, where a group of prairie women would not allow their lives to become dull.

The first meeting was held April 27, 1922, according to a history of the Rose Creek Literary Club compiled by Arleen Schnorenberg, a member since 1950. A constitution and bylaws were approved and dues set. Women came to a member's home from farms and homes in the community for the meetings.

But, this was no ordinary "gab fest."

They read papers on great American presidents, poets and authors. They discussed poetry, plays and books.

They discussed cartoons, famous women, labor issues, national parks, foreign countries. Even politics was a frequent topic.

Programs were held with special guests, but mostly they devised their own topics of conversation.

Days before hosting a meeting were spent cleaning the house, polishing silverware and setting out the best china and glassware as well as dusting everything twice.

They didn't stop with any lightweight subjects.

Prohibition, horticulture, Medieval art, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and more modern global conflicts.

They talked about the weather . Not just what was happening outside their doors and windows, but what made weather happen and how the weather was changing.

They also talked about farming. Just think of the changes in agriculture they examined in the eight decades of the club's existence.

They held fund-raisers for a favorite charity: the Rose Creek Library.

They took field trips, welcomed foreign exchange students and finally the members noticed something: there were fewer of them and they were growing older.

Lives and lifestyles had changed. Women were working at second jobs. Seniors traveled and spent more and more time away from Rose Creek.

The decision was made to disband. Nell Madura, a former teacher and a talented classical musician, gave the last program and plans were made for the combination 80th anniversary and last meeting.

Madura was a special guest at the last meeting. She played the violin. Other musical entertainment came from Brian Klouse, a Lyle High School graduate this spring, who plays the accordion.

Recalling her years as a teacher in Rose Creek, Madura said, "I couldn't declare Rose Creek as my home because I was only there for a few years, but a lot of my love for the town came from those years as a teacher.

"What you've done here for so many years is a good thing and you can be proud."

Halvorson summed up the bitter-sweet feelings of many club members. "We had a lot of good times and I'm sure we'll all have a lot of good memories about the Rose Creek Literary Club," she said.

The morning after the emotional meeting,

Schnorenberg was still beside herself with strong feelings.

"I've got everything from the club all laid out on my living room floor. The history and everything. I still can't touch it today (Friday). It's too emotional to let go of something like this so easily," she said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com