The theme of the meeting was Thanksgiving and the decorations included vases of lovely flowers in fall colors. Some members, as an arts and crafts project, decorated pumpkins in October and these accented the decorations. A contest was held for the most beautiful and the winner was Barbara Johnsen. The door prizes were colorful candles and aprons. Such an impressive job from our hostesses, Barbara Johnsen, Kim Lawson and Cindy Troup!

Our guest speaker is a member of FLEAS, Kay Foley Owens. She gave us a picture of Eufaula in the beginning days through the eyes of her grandfather, C.E. Foley, the first mayor. In 1886, Eufaula was originally settled in North Fork, which was northwest of here and now under water. When resettled, the town was mainly east of the railroad tracks, all constructed from wood. The MKT (Missouri, Kansas, Texas) railroad built a depot here and the town began to blossom. In 1898 a fire burned Eufaula, thought to be started by a grass fire from sparks caused by a train. It was rebuilt mostly west of the tracks with brick and sandstone buildings.

During this time a young man arrived in town with a 6th grade education, little money, huge ambition, an impressive amount of energy and a limitless imagination, C.E. Foley. His original investments were in the mercantile industry, where he amassed his fortune. During his three terms as mayor, he built the Foley bank, built an opera house and the 1st school. C.E. moved an oil mill to Eufaula to extract oil from cotton, a big business here and created hundreds of jobs. Eufaula got sewer, water works, and the telephone. He was honored by the town for his open generosity and hard work. He was also asked by the Indian tribes to represent them in Washington. There was so much more! A fascinating glimpse into the past!

There will be no December meeting, so we all wish you a Merry Christmas!