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P.E.O. Chapters JU & LT merge

The P.E.O. Members of Chapter JU and LT have merged into Chapter JU-LT with 48 members on Monday, January 20, 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. Members attended from Marshalltown Chapters BB, MJ, and NU and State Center CF who are in the Marshalltown Reciprocity Group. P.E.O. members from out of town were Iowa P.E.O. State Officers who helped organize the merger since August 2024 also attended.

Rachel Buresh, Decorah, Chapter GO, Iowa P.E.O. State Organizer, presided during the meeting and explained the merger process. Ann Isgrig read the history of Chapter JU (1948) while Joann Neven read Chapter LT (1965) history. Georgia Porter, State Center, Chapter CF Iowa State Chapter Membership Chairperson, and Cathy Fouts, Newton, Chapter AO, past Iowa State President, were present having given guidance for this merger. The Chapter JU-LT members reaffirmed their vows followed by the election of the 2025-26 officers. Installing the following officers was Georgia Porter; President – Isgrig and Sharon Jensen; Vice President – Rhonda Miller; Recording Secretary – Ann Bressler; Corresponding Secretary – Debbie Morgan & Ellen Youds; Treasurer – Marlys Smith & Christin Hobson; Chaplain – Lisa Koester & Jenny VanGundy; Guard – Tracy Ostrem; Delegate to Convention – Koester & alternate Isgrig. The 2025-26 year books edited by Bressler were distributed.

The Founder’s Day program was presented by Mary Bloomquist which was the history of P.E.O. Sisterhood, Philanthropic Educational Organization, was organized coincidentally on Jan. 21, 1869, at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant. The seven organizing college women met to organize the Sisterhood in the interest of friendship and eventually providing educational opportunities for women after high school. The Sisterhood currently supports Cottey College, a four-year women’s college in Nevada, MO, along with International Projects of International Peace Scholarship, Educational Loan Fund, Program for Continuing Education, Scholar Awards, and STAR Scholarship and Iowa P.E.O. Project Fund, Inc. Each of the seven women were described with her personal background and her part of the organization of the sisterhood. The sisterhood is to motivate, educate and celebrate women in the world. Pictures of the seven founders, a white candle, and a gold star decorated the tables. At each person’s place was a Carmel attached to the 1869 and updated 2025 recipe of the founder Mary Allen’s Butterscotch (Carmels). Refreshments with fellowship time was provided by Bloomquist, Jebsen, Youds and Smith.

The next meeting of P.E.O. Chapter JU-LT will be at 1 p.m. on Feb. 3 at Trinity Lutheran Church with the program Caring for our Sweet Hearts.

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