Marianne Paton The ladies of the St. James Hobby Club stayed busy all summer creating items to be donated to area nursing homes and hospitals.

While many island clubs suspend activities during the summer months, the St. James City Hobby Club remains very active throughout the year. Even though its numbers dwindle to less than half of those who attend in the winter months, those who do attend keep themselves quite busy. According to this year’s president, Sandy Tejera, the members have produced several quilts and other items that will be donated to a local nursing home later this month.

“We have had a very busy summer and have produced a lot of items that will be distributed to local nursing homes and hospitals,” said Tejera. “We have made several lap robes and quilts as well as pillows, bibs and other items that are needed by those recovering from sickness or injury or who are permanent residents of local nursing homes. We all love what we do and it gives us a special feeling to do this for people in need.”

During the summer months between 17 and 20 members of the Hobby Club get together to share ideas and socialize while working on a variety of projects. Among the members is Judy Kimble who has been coming to Hobby for the last five years.

“We have been working on three-dimensional greeting cards that we will give as gifts to friends and family and some of them will be bundled together with ribbon and sold at our craft sale this winter. Usually someone will get an idea for a card and when they come to the meeting will share it with the rest of the group,” said Kimble. “I am also a member of the Cape Coral Hobby Club and many of us go to meetings both in the Cape and here on the island.”

Betty Errandi first learned about the Hobby Club through the Pine Island Eagle and joined a year ago.

Marianne Paton Member Kathy Smith, spent two months this summer taking art classes at the Pine Island Art Association. The result was this mixed medium painting depicting what she calls a loose interpretation of members of the Hobby Club during a craft fair held at the St. James City Civic Center.

“These are some of the friendliest ladies I have ever and I have made a lot of new friends since I began coming to Hobby,” Errandi said. “These ladies are true artists and they can do anything and everything and are so willing to teach you how to do them as well.”

Hobby Club member June Altmeyer, a 16-year member, is known to other members of the group as the doll lady.

“I make dolls from scratch or redo used dolls. When they are done I deliver them to the Cape Coral Hospital to be given to little girls who are in distress,” Altmeyer said. “As for the boys I find teddy bears and other stuffed animals to dress up to be given to them at the hospital as well.”

Needle crafts and conversation are the specialties of Hobby member Shirley Palmer.

“I have been coming to Hobby since 1995 and the best part is the socializing and story telling. We all have such a great time,” said Palmer.

Palmer likes to work with plastic canvas as well as needle point and other needle work projects.

The Hobby Club began with just a few women in the 1950s who would gather in the home of one of the members in Matlacha. In 1961 the small group decided they needed a building of their own and set the wheels in motion to see it come to pass. The owner of a trailer park, Ed Hughes, offered the growing group the use of his clubhouse each Wednesday free of charge which the members gratefully accepted. Then in early 1963 a meeting was held to form a community organization. By-laws were written and the organization was established under the name St. James City Civic Association. In 10 months time, the ladies of the Hobby Club raised $3,000 by holding various events and this was turned over to the association for the purchase of land. Eight lots were purchased for $4,000 from James Kelly of Fort Myers. In 1964 a contractor was hired to construct the St. James City Civic Center and would cost the group $9,738. The first chicken dinner was served in the new Civic Center on June 14, 1964.

All are welcome to join the St. James City Hobby Club. Meetings are held every Wednesday year-round from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Members can join for $10 a year and weekly dues of $.50 each. For more information about joining Hobby Club, attend any of the meetings or call, Josie Ferguson at 283-4198.