“We started doing the (Community) Ladies Luncheon around 2012. It was a fun get together for the ladies to do in the winter, when cabin fever was setting in,” smiled Susan Charles who has been involved in most, if not all, community events in the west end of Mineral County.

“The lunch is a potluck salad buffet. Also one or two different soups, and a bread to go with all the wonderful salads,” she explained after the exceptional afternoon for this year’s event which took place Saturday at the Old De Borgia School House.

Most of the ladies were from the DeBorgia, Haugan, Henderson and Cabin City area, but several came from St. Regis and Superior. The ladies in the DeBorgia Historic Schoolhouse Foundation are the ones who organized the event with Sharon Kortuem and Naomi Stevens as the chairpersons. This year Kortuem wasn't able to help chair, so Dana Sampson and Valerie Inouye helped Stevens with everything from organization to decorations, set up, beverages hotplates and utensils. Stevens always provides delicious desserts with this year’s main feature being "better than sex" cake, and then everyone helps with the cleanup.

No speaker, agenda or community announcements are part of the afternoon.

“Just time to eat awesome food, visit with wonderful ladies and have fun,” said Charles.

Flyers on bulletin boards and on Facebook announced the theme as "Bring on the Vintage. Dress is something vintage or something funny and fun. (Hats, gloves, shoes, clothes, jewelry ... Anything like 50 years or older). Prize for the best costume! Bring a salad and a wrapped white elephant gift to join the fun."

Naomi Mesenbrink won first place for the most head-to-toe outfit, even wearing a hat that once belonged to Ada Mesenbrink who was one of the founding ladies of the Happy Homemakers. That name and organization is now the DeBorgia Historic Schoolhouse Foundation, but the Happy Homemakers name still sticks.

“Our last get together was in 2019, due to the onset of Covid-19,” Charles shared. “It was good to be able to have our special luncheon again. We've missed having a fun time with the ladies.”

BYOB of wine was advertised if desired and the dress-up and white elephant gift exchange were optional. RSVP deadline was Feb. 8 so they knew how many places to set which was on average with 22 attending this year.