I am Donna Washington, and I have been a resident of Russellville since 2006. Originally from Elkton, I enjoy life immensely. The most important thing to me is serving the Lord and cherishing my family. My husband, Phillip Washington, and I have three sons and four grandchildren.

One of the activities I enjoy is being a part of Logan County Homemakers, in which I have been involved for 12 years.  Additionally, I have served as the president of the O & H African American Homemakers Club for five years. We currently have 13 members in our club, and we meet every third Monday of each month at Bread of Life Ministries, 1713 Pine Drive, Russellville, KY  42276.  Please feel free to join us. 

We are a part of the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), which is a volunteer organization in Kentucky that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, education and volunteer services.

Locally we are affiliated with the Logan County Extension Homemakers Association, which was first introduced in Logan County in the year when Sarah Brown became the first Home Demonstration Agent in the county. The first Annual Meeting of the Logan County Homemakers was held in October 1936 and was attended by 125 Homemakers representing eight clubs. In 1943, Logan Homemakers received a new advisor when Margaret Sullivan came to Logan County as the Home Demonstration Agent. When she began as an agent there were 14 Homemakers clubs and 200 active members.

Also, in 1943, Black women in Logan County began forming their own Homemaker clubs in the Schochoh and Townsend communities. In 1960 the black and white Homemaker clubs began uniting with the onset of integration.  Many Black women in Logan County wanted to continue with their own clubs. Margaret Sulivan Berg retired as Home Demonstration Agent in 1973 after serving for 30 years.

Rachel Hance became the Homemakers County Advisor in 2005 when she became the County Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences. At that time there were eleven Homemaker clubs. In 2006, two of the eleven clubs consolidated, making ten clubs’ total. Currently there are six Logan County Homemakers Clubs and 60 members. The names of the current clubs are Corinth Club, Neighbors Club, Sew Fun Club, O & H Club, Getaway Girls Club, and South Union Club.

In the most recent years, there were two Black Homemaker Clubs in the Logan County area.  The Happy 25 Club was under the leadership of Mrs. Essie McKinney, while Mrs. Dorthy Forte served as president of the Oakville Club.  Both have held the position of president for many years.  In 2021, the clubs joined together and became the O & H Club.

We have 14 active members, and we are here to serve the community. “Walk by Faith,” as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:7, reminds us, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” Our club embraces and embodies this verse because it emphasizes the importance of conducting our lives based on spiritual truth, eternal hope, and God’s guidance, even when the path may not be clear or feels uncertain.  We do this for the community and the next generation. The members of the O & H African American Homemakers Club are Helen Flowers, Lillian Herndon, Alice Beard, Edith Washington, Jearlene Smith, Mary Yarbrough, Jana Hite, Dot Sydnor, Barbara Cross, Zula Bailey, Martha Spencer, Annie Ruth Bigbee, Lillian Wynn, and Donna Washington, President.

Miss Margaret Munday reminiscing:

Auburn Logan African American Homemakers Club

From 1959 and Forward

Agents:   Mrs. Margaret Berg (WHITE) and Miss. Shella Proctor (BLACK)

As I think back on the Homemakers Club as I remember it from when I was a little girl, I recall Mrs. Berg and Miss Proctor.  These ladies knew how important it was to conserve and prepare for the future and shape tomorrow’s leaders.

Lessons were given on various topics like home economics, planning nutritional meals and saving income. Cooking, sewing lessons, canning, gardening and various other lessons helped to improve their self-confidence, and the physical and mental health of the student. Some of those younger adults with families benefited from those classes. They became good cooks and learned how to design and make clothes for their children. More gardens were planted and the produce from them was preserved.

Proud? You can’t realize how proud these people were of their accomplishments at that time.  Many of them were celebrated for their efforts by winning Blue Ribbons for their goods at the Logan County Fair.  Also, many of them liked to share their recipes.

At the end of each year’s meeting sessions, in the summer, a trip was planned. Buses were charted to different historic places in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Trips were taken to Kentucky Dam, Kentucky Lake (Ken-Lake), Kentucky State, Cumberland Gap, Mammoth Cave Park, Lincoln’s Birthplace in Hodgenville, My Old Kentucky Home, the old and new State Capitol in Frankfort, Boone Tavern, Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Santa Claus, Ind., just to name a few.

This organization kept the next generation in view and passed what they learned to them. All clubs and organizations should still practice that goal to continue to press forward.

I enjoyed every trip. I was not a member but my mother, Agnus Munday, was the secretary. I was too young to be a member and in later years I attended summer school at Western Kentucky University.

Some members of the Auburn Logan African American Homemakers Club were Maude Proctor, Gussie Roberts, Flora Bell Malone, Katie Mae Allison, Willie Mae Torrence, Sue Belle Blakey and Eva Mae Roberts.

Many thanks are due to Mrs. Margaret Berg and Miss Shella Proctor for their service and leadership as Logan County Home Demonstration Agents for Auburn and other Homemakers’ clubs in Logan County.

(End of Miss Munday’s Reminiscing)

As Miss Munday’s recollections of the Homemakers Club in earlier years reflect, the organization has been enriching lives for a long time. “This has been one of the highlights for me in living here in Logan County,” stated President Donna Washington. 

You are invited to see this part of Black History in Logan County at the Logan County Public Library this month. Come see this display of beautiful crafts and homemade treasures the ladies of the O & H African American Homemakers Club produced.

This article was written by Donna Washington and Katherine Hart with history provided by Rachel Hance, the Logan County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.