Chester Women's Club opens its 81st season

President Chris Bowles opened the first meeting of the Chester Women's Club's 2018-2019 season on Sept. 28 at the fellowship hall of the First United Methodist Church.

As is the annual custom, the first meeting of the season is the Officers Tea, and officers and appointed chairwomen served a sweet and savory hors d'oeuvre buffet. Joan Montroy offered a table grace.

Pastor Harold Weber was the guest speaker, giving a presentation on "Railroads and Their Continued Influence on the Life & Economy in Randolph County." Weber displayed a small collector's train car that is a replica of a 1949 Illinois Central full dining car named the Shadrach Bond, in honor of Illinois' first governor. The dining car was able to accommodate 48 diners at one time. The train traveled in those days from Chicago to St. Louis. The dining car, Shadrach Bond, is currently at the Monticello, Illinois train museum where it is undergoing restoration to its original condition.

After the presentation, Bowles conducted a business meeting. Sandra Starr encouraged members to vote in the upcoming general election, either on Election Day or by early voting, voting by mail or absentee voting.

The next meeting of the Chester Women's Club will be Oct. 26, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Methodist Church. Hostesses will be Marsha Link and Jeanne Kleinschmidt, co-chairwomen; Nancy Warhausen, Ruth Rowley, Norma Baughman, Jan McCluskey and Louise Liefer. The program will be presented by Chester resident Ricky Casten on his personal experiences from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.<object id="Extra Pictures" type="x-im/image" uuid="6EFFB280-FD1F-4A8C-8C53-10129DD96CAB"><links><link rel="self" type="x-im/image" uri="im://image/6EFFB280-FD1F-4A8C-8C53-10129DD96CAB.jpg" uuid="6EFFB280-FD1F-4A8C-8C53-10129DD96CAB"><data><title><![CDATA[