CELEBRATING: Sampler Antique Club has been around for 40 years

Published 10:54 am Friday, March 29, 2019

Appreciating history and treasuring the past is the backbone of the Sampler Antique Club. 

It is uncertain when the club first began, but certainly for more than 40 years local women have been gathering together in homes learning about days gone by and the objects those who lived before them used and admired.

“From the constitution and bylaws of the club, the object of the Sampler Antique Club is to promote knowledge, interest, and appreciation of antiques and related subjects,” Sampler Antique Club Secretary Veronica Coffing said.

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The membership, which is comprised of active and associate members, meets on the second Friday of the month September through May, Coffing said.

“Active members serve as a hostess for at least one meeting per year,” club president Sally Green said. Hosting entails making and serving appetizers that attendees of the meeting enjoy prior to and during the programs. 

“The members usually arrive between 10 and 10:30 a.m., fix a plate of yummy food and mingle and visit with each other until around 10:30 at which time the meeting is called to order,” Green said.

In addition to Green and Coffing, members serving as officers are Nancy Ballard and Kathryn Loyacono, who co-serve in the position of 1st vice president; Betzebe Clark and Josephine Peterson who co-serve in the position of 2nd vice president; and Denise Mounger who serves as the club treasurer.

Green said Sampler Antique Club officers meet several times during the summer to decide on programs, some of which are suggested by the members.

And then the 1st vice president is charged with lining them up and setting the schedule.

These programs vary from month to month, Coffing said. While most are held in the homes of members, the club has also enjoyed outings together.

“In 2008-09, we took a field trip to Stanton Hall in Natchez, in 2014-15 we visited the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood, in 2016-17 we toured the Mississippi Museum of Art and last November we visited the Southern Heritage Air Museum in Tallulah,” Coffing said.

Other programs have included beeswax candle making, the history of jewelry and antique jewelry, seasonal napkin folding techniques and tours of local antebellum homes.

“Our programs range from actually talking about antiques — their restoration, care and value — to riding horses at Rainbow Farms,” Green said.

Clinton artist Ron Linsey served as the guest speaker at this past January’s meeting Coffing said, and story teller Terrance Roberts entertained the membership in February at the home of Shirley Gussio.

When held in a home, Coffing said, meetings begin with the president greeting the membership followed by an introduction of any guests who might be visiting the club.

Hostesses assigned to the meeting are also acknowledged, Green said, and any business that needs to be addressed is discussed.

After all business has been finalized, the president or the vice president introduces the guest speaker for the program.

Historically, for the December gathering, Green said a Christmas luncheon is held. Last year it was at the Duff Green Mansion, home of member Harley Caldwell.

“I love meeting at historic homes and places, learning their history and getting to peek ‘behind the scenes,’ Green said. “I enjoy the programs, the ladies and getting to see interesting places in and around Vicksburg.”

“Being a member of the Sampler Antique Club has been very educational,” Coffing added. “It has given me the opportunity to explore places in my hometown that I have never seen before, and I enjoy the fellowship with other members, also.”

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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