Club members awarded pins for 50 years of service

Photo

Gold pins, signifying 50 years of service to the Youngstown Area Federation of Women’s Club, were awarded at a recent meeting of the club to, from left, Lucile Bartelmay and Barbara Higgins.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

During a recent meeting of Youngstown Area Federation of Women’s Clubs, Barbara Higgins and Lucile Bartelmay were honored for their 50 years of service to the club. In recognition of their achievements, each received a gold pin provided by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

Higgins began her community service by volunteering at schools attended by her four daughters. She became a Girl Scout leader and a librarian and served as co-woman of fundraising activities for St. Christine and Cardinal Home and School Associations, and served as a member of the auction committees for Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline high schools.

She attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and Youngstown State University, and in 1983 became a licensed funeral director, leading the way for women in the funeral profession. She was president of the Youngstown club from 1986 to1988, was president of the NED from 1990 to 1992 and served on nearly every committee. For 25 years she donated her time and efforts to raising funds for scholarships to assist local students in their pursuit of a college degree. She has promoted the literary council and support dogs for the handicapped and served on the board of the Eastern Regional Kidney Foundation.

Bartelmay served 12 years as the first woman member of the Canfield Board of Education and was one of the first women chemists in the area, working for Youngstown Sheet and Tube. For 27 years she coordinated Canfield community blood drives and was honored in 1994 as the Volunteer of the Year by Northern Ohio Blood Services of the Red Cross.

She was honored in 1995 by Mahoning Valley Association of Churches for her eight years of community service.

She joined the Youngstown club in 1950, was elected treasurer in 1956, and president from 1960 to 1962 and from 2004 to 2006. She is filling the office of third vice president. She is a charter member of the Past Officers Club and has served as its second president. She also has served on several committees with OFWC and has devoted much time to public issues with the GFWC/OFWC. She has served as the volunteer treasurer with the Youngstown Chapter of the United Nations Association for 10 years and as chairwoman of the UNICEF Committee for seven years.

Rusti Puromaki, first vice president of YAFWC, coordinated the recognition program with the GFWC.