Maple Grove Friendship Club Celebrates 50 Years of Mother-Daughter Dinners – Photos Through the Years

Shortly after I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015, I had the fun opportunity to sit in with the Maple Grove Friendship Club at Wendy Warren’s house. At that time, the club was celebrating its 66th year. If my math is correct, I believe the club is now in its 77th year.

Wendy invited me to attend their annual Mother-Daughter Dinner last week at Old Mission Peninsula United Methodist Church. This is their 50th anniversary of doing the dinners, and this one featured a lovely Valentine’s theme with a beautiful cake, pineapple upside down cake, and a variety of desserts, fruits, veggies, salads, home-made mac-and-cheese, and Laurie Holman’s Pierogi Casserole.

After dinner, they went around the table and everyone talked about what they’d done over the past year. Lots of mentions of grandkids, pets, travels and other adventures.

This group is actually an offshoot of the original Maple Grove Friendship Club. At the time it was formed — consisting of daughters and daughters-in-law of the original club — it became known as the Junior Friendship Club, with the original becoming the Senior Friendship Club. Now there is just one club, and it’s called the Maple Grove Friendship Club.

The club members live mainly within the former Maple Grove School District (Peninsula Cellars is located in the former Maple Grove School building). The group meets once a month from September to May. In addition to being a social club, the group raises money and contributes to various causes in the region.

Through the years, donations have been made to the Father Fred Foundation, Goodwill Inn, Women’s Resource Center, Community Meals, Area Agency on Aging of NW Michigan, Salvation Army, American Legion, Arthritis Foundation, and TC High School among others. Donations have also been made to local food pantries.

Below is a photo of three of the original members of the club, taken at the annual mother-daughter dinner held at the home of Mary Lyon in February 2012. Pictured left to right are Louise Kelly, Joyce McManus, and Jean Warren. Wendy Warren is in the background on the right.

Here’s a photo of the group at the 2015 gathering I attended.

Laurie Holman sent me a variety of club photos through the years. Take a look and see if you or your kin are in here! A big thank-you to Wendy and the club for giving me the opportunity to write about them through the years.