HISTORY UNFOLDS OVER LUNCH.Byline: BETTIE RENCORET Senior Columnist Lasting friendship is what it's all about when ``The Lunch Bunch'' meets every Monday at noon. Six women, all either born in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley or residents since early childhood, currently make up the membership roster. Elizabeth Morton, Dorothy Oakes, Trudy Brosseau, Lydia Stamey, Irene Swenson and Mickey Primmer all grew up during the 1920s and '30s era, most attended the same schools and knew the same people. Although they may vary a year or two in age, they have made a point of staying in close contact. ``Our numbers fluctuate,'' said Swenson. ``Fern Masters and Della Dux n. 1. (Mus.) The scholastic name for the theme or subject of a fugue, the answer being called the comes, or companion. were with us before they died and every once in awhile someone else joins us, but we six have stayed pretty constant.'' They've been meeting weekly for lunch for 14 years, ever since Oakes got the group together to work needlepoint needlepoint: see lace. needlepoint Type of embroidery in which the stitches are counted and worked with a needle over the threads, or mesh, of a canvas foundation. It was known as canvas work until the early 19th century. . ``At first we called ourselves The Needlepoint Group but that didn't satisfy everybody,'' said Oakes. ``After a lot of arguing about it back and forth over the years, we finally settled on The Lunch Bunch so that's what we are now.'' They all recall with ease when Lancaster's main drag was only two or three blocks long, the Cedar Avenue School was the only one in town and the movie house was owned by the Gumm family. ``Baby Frances'' Gumm - later Judy Garland - was a schoolmate of some of The Lunch Bunch. ``She was the same age as one of my brothers and the boys always played games at night in the street,'' said Morton. ``If she was a good kid the boys let her play with them but if she was snotty they didn't, so she was a nice little girl when she came to play ball with them.'' Morton and Swenson were born six days apart: Morton on Aug. 3, 1919, and Swenson on Aug. 9 that year. Oakes is six months younger. ``Lydia and Trudy are already there and when Mickey catches up with us next July, we'll be the 80 and up club,'' laughed Swenson. Morton's children hosted about 140 people at a birthday party for her in the Lancaster Elks Club a week early. On her actual birth date, Swenson had a party for her in her home. Oakes held a party in her home for Swenson right after the group had lunch last Monday in the Desert Inn. She also was set to host the coffee hour at St. Paul's
in Lancaster in Swenson's honor today. ``We're big on birthdays,'' said Swenson. ``We celebrate everybody's.'' Needlepoint now is secondary in their alliance. They still like to do some of that but primarily they just want to visit and stay close. Collectively they know a lot of people and what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. around town is still of great interest to them. Swenson, Morton and Oakes are all graduates of Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. where Swenson worked for 13 years in the library. Swenson and Morton studied chemistry under the tutelage TUTELAGE. State of guardianship; the condition of one who is subject to the control of a guardian. of Frederick T. Anderson, who taught at both Antelope Valley Joint Union High School and Antelope Valley Junior College. One day he mysteriously disappeared. ``He lived near the high school,'' recounted Swenson. ``It was during Christmas vacation and his lunch was left uneaten on the table. Everything was like he'd just walked out. And they never ever found him.'' ``There were all kinds of rumors,'' added Morton. The case has never been solved. ``He liked girls so he was never very hard on any of us about doing the work,'' said Morton. ``I was never good at any of it, especially the lab work, but all you had to do was look puzzled and he'd come over to help. He'd wind up doing it for you. He always did it right, of course. That's how I always got an A in lab.'' Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for the suggested donation of $2. Monday: Polish sausage, parslied potatoes, cooked cabbage, garden salad A garden salad is a salad consisting of lettuce and simple vegetables found in a small vegetable garden such as tomatoes, carrots, onions, and dressing. , oatmeal cookies. Tuesday: Crispy chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, carrot/raisin salad, banana. Wednesday: Beef tips, parslied noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. , broccoli, lettuce and tomato salad, ice cream. Thursday: Turkey w/bread dressing, butternut butternut: see walnut. butternut Deciduous nut-producing tree (Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family, native to eastern North America. A mature tree has gray, deeply furrowed bark. squash, tossed salad, fruit, apple juice. Friday: Spanish rice casserole, refried beans, mixed vegetables, fiesta coleslaw cole·slaw also cole slaw n. A salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise or a vinaigrette. , orange jello. |
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