Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-24
THROUGH WENTY- FIVE YEARS
Anniversary of 0maha's Oldest Social Club
to Be Observed Next Fall
LONG CAREER OF "KAFFEE KRANZCHEN'
Social Organization I'm Which Charit-
able Work Received Much At
tention-No Deaths Among
Its Membership.
LONG CAREER OF "KAFFEE KRANzCHEN

In these fir de steele days when the ele-
| ment of newness appears to be an essential
| to the success of any social organization,
! and when there is a perennial growth of so
ciety clubs that live scarcely through the
season in which they are created it is in
teresting to note the existence of social
and charitable organization of Omaha women
that will soon celebrate the twenty-ffth an
niyersary of its birth. In September of this
year the German Women's Coffee Party,
'Kaffee Kranzchen," will be twenty-five
years old, having been founded here in 1872.
1t is Omaha's oldest social club.
The Coffee Party was started by Mrs.
Eleanor Koenig. and the charter members
were: Mrs. Aaron Calm, Mrs Pundt, Mrs.
Maria Hellman, Mrs. Edward Rosewater,
Mrs. Krutlie, Mrs. william Sexauer, now
living in New Orleans; Mrs. Bat eTton, Mrs.
Roeder Mrs. A. S. Brown, Mrs Kolls, now
resident of Grand Island; Mrs. Fanny Gold
smith and Mrs. Koenig. A few other mem
bers ha 5e been taken in from time to time
during the quarter of a century the club has
been in existence, but the membership roll
has never contained more than fourteen
names. The average membership has been
between twelve and fourteen.
The remarkable fact about the organiza-
tion, next to the fact that it Is the oldest
social club in Omaha, is that there has not
been a single death among the founders, or
among any OF lne active MeInDeTSs several
of the members have removed from Omaha
TO other cities, but none have died. All the
members are married women or widows, sew
eral OF them having lost their husbands dur
ing the past twenty-five years Ii is pro-
posed to perpetuate the club by the election
of the daughters of the members thus hand
ing down the venerable Coffee Farty to the
succeeding generation.
CONTINUED ITS ORGANIZATION.
During the twenty years OF it's career
the club has met at the residences of its
members in regular turn once during every
fortnight, except in the summer months.
Thursday afternoon of every second week
has been, and still is the appointed time
for the members to gather. AS indicated by
the title, coffee is slipped, and over the cof-
fee cups are discussed pertinent subjects of
Omaha society AS Omaha has grown from
a crude western village to a metropolitan
city, the program of topics for discussion
has increased accordingly. At present the
chief subject OF interest among the members
is the appropriate celebration of the twenty
fifth anniversary OF the clubs birthday.
While no plans have yet been formulated
for this occasion, 1t may be predicted that
the AFFAIR will be OF an elaborate character,
suitable for a celebration OF such a note
worthy event.
The mere slipping OF coffee and the dispo-
sitlon OF other good things to eat and drink,
and social intercourse, lave not been the
only incidents in the life of the German
Womens "Kaffee Kranzt hen" There has
been considerable charitable work quietly
performed by the members among deserving
people in distressed circumstances Numer-
Gus Instances where Omaha fam lilies have
been helped over rough places In lifes high
way might be cited Physicians bills have
been paid and funeral expenses met Even