Club News

Martha Washington Questers 1032 met on Aug. 28, at the home of Linda Newlon, with nine members attending.

President Virginia Reighard called the meeting to order and thanked Linda for hosting the meeting and providing the program on Pyrex dishes. The meeting was opened with the Questers Invocation. Minutes were read and approved, as was the treasurer?s report. Members shared pictures of the group?s trip to Centerville and then updated the pages in the yearbooks. Virginia reminded everyone of the Fall Fling on Oct. 17 in Story City. There will also be a spring meeting in Oskaloosa on April 9, 2016. A reminder was given that Questers International Convention will be May 19-23 in Des Moines, and that Martha Washington Questers 1032 will be helping in some way. Virginia reported that the state president is adopting a project to convert ?The Music Man? tapes to digital, and she needs clubs? support for her project. Virginia ended the meeting with a reminder that the next two meetings had been switched. On Sept. 25 they will meet at the home of Janet Peterson, Virginia Reighard will be co-hostess, and Sharon Hough will do the program on the Bronte sisters.

Linda Newlon provided a very interesting program on Pyrex dishes, since this is the 100th anniversary of Pyrex. These dishes had an interesting beginning. The Corning glass company had invented a glass globe in 1913 that was remarkable in that it could withstand hot and cold temperatures without breaking. A woman named Mrs. Little, whose husband worked for Corning, asked if those globes could be used for bakeware in the oven, and by 1915 Pyrex bakeware appeared and was a big hit. It didn?t chip or break at high temperatures. It was durable and baked a higher cake that didn?t stick to the pan. By 1919, 4 ½ million pieces of ovenware had been made and sold. By 1927, 30 million pieces were sold. Seventy-five percent of the households of the time had Pyrex bakeware in their kitchens.

There are over 350 patterns of Pyrex bakeware, but in 1986 Corning stopped making patterns on its bakeware and used only clear glass. The company also developed Corel dinnerware and Corning bakeware at that time.

Many of the members had brought pieces of Pyrex to share, that they had continued to use in their kitchens for many years. They now know the history of this common kitchen bakeware.