Women’s club founded by like-minded ladies

The Clovis Woman’s Club was created in 1909, two years after Clovis was founded. Mrs. W. D. McBee was the first president. The purpose of this organization was to “promote higher education, social, moral, and civic conditions,” said Mrs. Olive Frear, a past president.

She wrote most of what follows around 1978 for the Curry County history book.

“The pioneer organizers of this organization were the cream-of-the-crop of Clovis women, including Mrs. Albert Vohs, Mrs. Fred Dennis, Mrs. Frank Burns, Mrs. Clyn Smith, Mrs. W. H. Patton, Mrs. A. W. Hockenhull (her husband was governor of New Mexico in the early 1930s), Mrs. C. N. Wilson and Mrs. Harry Bliss. (A private kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bliss was the leader of this group of women and founded Clovis’ first public library that grew into the present Clovis-Carver Public Library.)

“Other city projects the women took on were the planting of trees, bushes, flowers and caring for them at the Sunken Garden in the City Park, donations of trees, swings in the park and other parks, and schools. The women supported the High School Music Department, and bought recorders, record players, to G. Cleft chorus members, and monetary awards to seniors having highest grade average for four years in high school and supported Meals on Wheels, Bruce’s House, and the Girls Club.

“Christmas packages were delivered to patients at Fort Stanton Hospital and the State Hospital at Las Vegas. They furnished rooms at New Mexico Boys Ranch. They also contributed each year to the High Plains Vocational School for books for students unable to buy their own.

“The women raised money by their cake walks, hamburger sales during County Fair, selling chances on a car, ‘A Brick for the Library,’ book drives, and put on the ‘Gay Ninety Easter Parade’ by the Drama Department of the Clovis Woman’s Club. There were, besides the Drama Department, the Literature Department, the Garden Department, Music Department, Civic Department, Study Department and the Antique Department. Each Department had a Chairman.”

One of the active members was Mrs. Charles A. Scheurich, a soft-spoken woman and wife of the founder of Curry County in 1909. She participated in the activities of the Civic Club, organized in 1921. It was consolidated with the Clovis Woman’s Club in 1931. She held life membership, as many others did.

In 1950, the women rebuilt the club house as it had partially burned down.

My wife’s two grandmothers in Clovis — Mrs. Fred McCarty and Mrs. Levi J. Whiteman— were active members of the Clovis Woman’s Club. A good friend in Clovis is Charlotte Camerer, whose mother, Mrs. C. D. (Mabel) Kelley, said, “she served as president of the club in 1946.”

I did some research in the Clovis City Directories (not the phone book), and it appears that Fay McQuire was the last president and that the Woman’s Club expired in 1989. Hopefully, someone will correct me.

I had a call from CMS Superintendent Rhonda Seidenwurm more than a month ago, and she, Tim Lyman at the courthouse and Claire Burroughes at city hall told me they had found the warranty deed of the Woman’s Club “Club House” at city hall. It was dated April 22, 1941, the year the Club House was built at 201 E. 21st.

Basically the deed declared that the club can use a piece of school property at a cost of $1, but can’t sell it or convey it, but to have and hold, the said premises, its successors and assigns forever. But if the Woman’s Club gives it up or is disbanded, it reverts back to the Clovis Schools. It was signed by the president of the Clovis Municipal School District No. 1, W. S. Carmack, and witnessed by lawyers Otto Smith and Fred C. Tharp.

Next step is to create some kind of monument or memorial to the Clovis Woman’s Club.

Don McAlavy is Curry County’s historian. He can be contacted at:

[email protected]