Rev. Russ and Kathy Willis Last Saturday evening Rev. Russ and Kathy Willis, of the Raymondville First Baptist Church, entertained members, husbands and guests of the Lyford Women’s Club with a program of love songs at the annual Sweetheart Banquet. Special numbers included One More Song for You, On Top of Old Smokey, The Rose and others. Hostesses for the event were Maria Million, Sandra Ezell and Betty Oaks.

Lyford Women’s Club is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year. The club began as a music and drama group, first meeting on August 6, 1910, in the Lyford Hotel parlor. Later meetings were held in Pioneer Hall in Lyford until 1937, when the Club House was built, described in a local newspaper article as “the first Woman’s Club building in the Valley.” This building, no longer in good condition, was sold in 1975.

In 1980 the Sweetheart Banquet was held in the Nimrod Room of the White Wing Hotel, where E.H. and Evangeline Trolinger were named the club's “Sweethearts.” Through the years Lyford Women’s Club has made donations to a large number of organizations and projects and enjoyed a wide variety of program topics, including book reviews, Valley history, nature and health issues and many, many more.

In March the club members plan to tour the Quinta Mazatlan Birding Center in McAllen. For information about Lyford Women’s Club, please call 956- 743-5500.