Merrifields Garden Club marks 45 years

When the Merrifields Garden Club met for its annual Christmas gathering Dec. 12, they celebrated the club’s 45th anniversary. Sixteen of the 17 members were present – including charter members Shirley Frenia and Barbara Senecal. Nine in attendance had served as past presidents. The evening turned into a walk down memory lane. Casino night fundraisers were mentioned, as were the Easter egg hunts the club hosted for their children and grandchildren. Someone brought up their work with the children of Grove Church’s STOP program and the numerous clubs they’ve sponsored at Churchland schools. During the years, the club assisted the elderly at downtown’s Effingham Plaza, the old Drum Creek nursing home in Western Branch and now Province Place next to Kroger. They were the first club to have a male member – Dave Emmerick, who was the house husband of a local physician. While cleaning Cedar Lane one year as volunteers with the city’s Clean Community Commission, a member found a fake diamond ring and presented it to then president Betty Osborne. She still has it. To fund their activities, the members sold Stanley products, entertainment books, handmade items and plants, as well as hosting many flea markets and garage sales.

Temple Sinai invites the public to its 36th annual auction Feb. 4. This year’s theme is “Temple Sinai goes to Italy” – with Italian food and décor. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a silent auction. The main auction begins at 7:30 and more than 100 items are up for bids, including furniture, antiques, parties, trips and services. Gail Wolpin of The Phoebus Auction Gallery is returning as auctioneer. Tickets are $20 per person, the attire is casual and admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. Stop by the cocktail party preview from 4 to 7 p.m. the evening before for a sneak peak at the sale items and to preregister for the auction. This will be the Reform Jewish  temple’s final auction before the merger with Norfolk’s Ohef Sholom congregation in the spring. Temple Sinai is at 4401 Hatton Point Road. Contact them at 484-1730 or office@sinai.hrcoxmail.com for tickets.

The Churchland library is hosting two events that will appeal to history buffs. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum history curator Corey Thornton will present the history of that museum and explain its artifacts as part of the library’s monthly local history program series. The free program begins at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18. The Civil War 150 Legacy Project makes a return trip to the library Jan. 28. Teams of archivists are traveling the state identifying and scanning original Civil War-related artifacts for inclusion into the Library of Virginia as part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The group visited last summer, and the team leader told me about some of the material brought in on earlier stops, including diaries, letters, and firearms. Someone even brought in a lock of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s hair. If you own an original item you’d like considered, call 393-8591 for an appointment, or visit www.virginiacivilwar.org/legacy.

Thanks for sharing your Churchland news with our neighbors. Contact me at pamelawrites@hotmail.com or 717-0628.

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.