After the Lake Ronkonkoma Equal Rights Suffrage Club was victorious with the 19th Amendment, the continuity of the women in Lake Ronkonkoma followed in 1941 with the formation of the Lake Ronkonkoma Home Bureau Unit Organization.
“Mrs. Vera Brush of the County Home Bureau will conduct a meeting next Monday at the local Legion post rooms, preparatory to forming a Lake Ronkonkoma Unit of the Home Bureau. A minimum of 20 members is necessary, and those desiring to join are asked to get in touch with Mrs. George Pearsall of Church Street.” – The Mid-Island Mail February 12, 1941.
The newly formed group made the twenty-member quota with twenty-nine original members. Mrs. George Pearsall was chairman; Mrs. Frank Dehe, vice chairman; Mrs. Ivar (Elsie) Okvist, secretary and treasurer; and Mrs. Eric (Billie) Okvist corresponding secretary. Members all signed in using their husband’s first names. Their meetings were held at Burke’s Bus Terminal on Union Avenue but were gradually disbanded and reorganized in 1947 with a new increased membership.
1952 showed fifty-six members, and 1953 was sixty-six members. Their meetings were held at St. Mary’s Parish Hall on Pond Road, and the classes were welcome and much needed by the women. Included were fur coat remodeling, cotton dresses, glove making, lamp wiring, caning, hat remodeling, remodeling upholstered furniture, slipcovers, and card making. The Silver Tea each year had a display of such articles. Sandwiches and cookies were served, and an auction was held of handmade articles which became the highlight of the afternoon.
Mrs. Ivar (Elsie) Okvist, who at the time was chairman, began a cancer drive in the area. Mrs. Nellie Olsen volunteered her services to drive a patient to Bay Shore for treatment. A cake sale was held in Conklin’s Pharmacy for the Palsy Project. Card Parties and Chinese Raffles were held using Stanley Brush gifts that were won from their parties. Day Trips to New York City were common, to see the Arthur Godfrey Show, Kate Smith, International Flower Show, The Robe, etc., and sometimes just to shop! Get-togethers were held at Duffield’s Beach on the Lake. Dues were $2.10. The first Christmas Party was held at Club 38 on Pond Road with Nellie Olsen playing Santa, which she continued to do for many years.
The Seventh Anniversary of the Club was held in 1954 at a wonderful party, and at the same time, the Home Bureau was officially changed to Extension Service Unit. From 1954-1955 there were eighty members. They were now teaching basketry, simple carpentry, refinishing wooden salad bowls, gardening, winter corsages, and hooked rugs. Card and games parties seemed to be successful fundraisers. They continued their bus trips to the city, silver teas, and covered dish luncheons. Mrs. Fred Meagher was in her second term in office.
In 1960, Yarlow’s Variety Store offered a 10% discount to all Unit members. However, there was a lull in raising money. The Unit held a trip to the Blue Point Laundry, where 50 cents was paid per member to the unit of eighty-nine members. In 1961, the legality of card parties was discouraged, as the Department of Agriculture frowned upon it. Covered luncheon dinners, Dark Horse, and social card parties were deemed acceptable.
The Unit once again changed its name to Nesconset-Lake Ronkonkoma in 1962, and they were now meeting at the Nesconset Armory. Fund raisers included Tupperware sales, Chinese Auctions, and in 1964, a trip to the World’s Fair. In 1967, dues were increased to $2.50, and classes were added such as lawn culture, rose culture, bread making, meat classes, pattern alterations, and weight control. There was also more freedom for courses to be taught, and crafts had become more acceptable.
(Pictured above) School supplies to donate.
Unfortunately, records from 1968 through the late 1980s are missing. The Holy Cross Lutheran Church became the meeting site in 1988, and prices were changed. The grab bag was raised to $2.00 per gift; in 1990 it was raised to $3.00 to prevent members from receiving “junk”, finally reaching $5.00. In 1989, the Unit moved into the Islip Senior Citizen Center and was renamed Lake Ronkonkoma Homemakers.
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Unit was held in 1991 at the Christmas Dinner. Three of the “Original Members” attended- Nellie Olsen, Elsie Okvist, and Sunny Birch.
(Pictured above) Christmas toy donation.
The Unit remained at the Islip center until 2008 when they moved to the Lake Ronkonkoma Fire House Building on Hawkins Avenue. Popular crafts are card making, anything that can be sewn, crocheted, painted, or glued. The Unit gives to the Rodden Home residents, soup kitchens, food pantries, and outreach to local churches and miscellaneous charities, and holds various social functions during the year. New people are always eager to pitch in and help or to teach crafts.
Today, the membership is seventy-five, and the dues are $26.00. The monthly food collection is given to local church pantries. School supplies are collected in September and given to local schools that are in need. Toys are collected in December for the Lighthouse Mission, and many community service projects that the members fully participate in are recognized.
Eighty-four years strong this year, and they still have their Chinese auction every year, which is their main fund raiser. This Friday, April 25, 2025, at 10:00a.m. is the Annual Spring Auction, held at the Lake Ronkonkoma Firehouse. Join them for a lot of fun and adventure to see what they are all about!
(Pictured above) School supplies to donate.
