Moses Lake Women's Division turns 50

Members share thoughts of the past over a cup of tea

MOSES LAKE — Women from all over the area gathered at the Moses Lake Golf and Country Club to celebrate 50 years of the women's division at the club.

Quite a few charter members remember the first year of the division, when the Moses Lake course was not playable and they had to help make it so by picking weeds out of the greens.

"My husband and I drove our cattle on these grounds," Golden Hansen said. "Russ and I donated this ground. We weren't using it anymore."

Before the land donation and course construction the men's club was resigned to playing in Ritzville.

The women's division played at the Lakeview golf course.

"There was about 15 of us back then," Mary Ellen Riees said. She was also a charter member.

A common observation made by members at the party is that in each of the newspaper articles written about the women's division, until the 1970s, the women were referenced by their husbands name.

Of course all that changed in the 1970s.

More than one charter member made references to the differences between the women's division fifty years ago and now.

Perhaps none put it better than Evie Swanson Vrieling. "We had the best times together back then," Vrieling said "I am sure the women now think they are having the best times ,but I think we had better."

When the women's division began, the population of Moses Lake was just 800 people. To join the club cost a person $175 to $200, plus yearly dues of $75. A non-member could play the course for $1 on the weekdays and $1.50 on the weekends.

The first president of the club was the late Irene Graves.

More than one charter member could not help but recall the eruption of Mount St. Helens and just the shear volume of ash that fell all over the landscape, golf course and all.

"It looked like we were on Mars," Trob Menti said.

The course was scheduled to host a tournament within the week and club members took turns heading out to the course to push all the ash into the rough, build irrigation and then wash it away.

For the first twenty minutes of the tea party all the ladies sipped champagne, as they socialized and looked at all the old photographs, newspaper articles and trophies from the women's division past.

Debbie Thaemert was the one who organized the all the items.

"I got it from asking women that were members," Thaemert said. "Mary Ellen was a great resource."

The camaraderie of the women's division showed itself in all the little things they did to put on the party. For example, numerous members brought their tea sets from home for everyone to enjoy and help make the party happen.

In addition, Each place setting had a small vase with flowers in it that the women were encouraged to take home with them.

The menu included any kind of bite size morsel a person could imagine. From Scones with lemon curd or orange marmalade to shrimp cucumber tea sandwiches and everything in between.

The entire event proved to be a snap shot of all the fun and possibilities the women's division has to offer.

One member, Marty Utsunomiya typified that with her reasons for joining.

"I met some nice ladies and decided why not," Utsunomiya said.

"My husband golfed and I did not want to become a golf widow," she said laughing.

It was obvious each member had a slightly different reason for joining the women's division at the Moses Lake Golf and Country Club yet at the end of the day it really came down to enjoying each others company.