Birch Grove Willing Workers celebrate centennial

For 100 years the women of the Birch Grove Community northeast of Kalispell have been the caretakers of their corner of the world.

They’ve held bazaars, rummage sales and other fundraisers to bring in enough money to make improvements through the years to the Birch Grove Community Center. The women’s group — known since it began in 1919 as the Birch Grove Willing Workers — has thrown bridal and baby showers for their neighbors since Day One. They’ve helped their neighbors in myriad ways. Those willing hands went to work whenever a need arose.

Way back in the day the ladies carded wool, shelled beans and made pajamas and bloomers. They darned socks, made dish towels and pieced together “crazy” quilts. They tended to “shut-ins” and the needy at Christmas and sent care packages to their “service boys” in the military.

The women’s goodwill extended beyond Birch Grove, too. Members supported fund drives for a number of nonprofit organizations, ranging from the American Red Cross to the Yellowstone Boys Ranch.

On Saturday, the Birch Grove Community Center Fall Festival will be an official nod to the Willing Workers’ 100th anniversary.

These days, the Willing Workers are a small, but mighty group of just five women. Most of the members have passed away through the years, and recruiting new members is difficult in this day and age.

But the group continues to have an important mission: keeping the Birch Grove Community Center up and running.

“Mostly all we do is caretake the community center and rent it out,” Willing Workers treasurer JoEllen Williams said. “We keep the insurance paid and the lights and heat on. It’s very important for this community to have a place to utilize” for community functions.

“It’s very important for this community to have a place to utilize,” Williams added.

Kayleen Bristow is the current club president, and Dorothy Leishman serves as secretary.

The community center is well-used for 4-H activities, birthday parties, wedding receptions and assorted meetings. The building is the former Birch Grove School, and the Willing Workers organization leases the center from the school district.

It was Cora Craney who sparked the idea of a women’s group for the Birch Grove community in March of 1919. She invited eight other women to her home and the idea of a community club quickly caught on.

“The club was organized to help others, and also to socialize,” the Willing Workers’ club archives note. After 100 years, Birch Grove residents would no doubt readily agree the women have accomplished their mission, many times over.

News Editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.