Fearless Females: Social Butterfly

Women's History Month fearless Females blog prompt: Social Butterfly? What social organizations or groups did your mother or grandmother belong to? Sewing circle, church group, fraternal benefit society or lodge? Describe her role in the group.

Phyllis Margaret Thomas
(Pinder/Branton)
1926-1999

I think that if I took a family vote the overwhelming response would be that my Aunt Phyllis (Margaret Thomas) would definitely be our family's social butterfly! Aunt Phyllis had friends everywhere she went. I can't say that she participated in any formal clubs or societies necessarily but she radiated on the dance floor and her enthusiasm was contagious. As teens, my brother and sister loved to hang out with her and our cousins and dance the night away! Me, nope, I might be named for her but I, unfortunately, did not inherit the fun side of her personality. I was probably at home reading yet another book!

As a young child we loved to go to her house. There were always people around and she was the mom of our really cool older cousins, Claudia and Tommy We were allowed to stay up as late as we wanted (we always fell asleep long before "late" came around!), we could drink Pepsi with our breakfast, and she often showed up with a whole box of chocolate covered donuts that we would devour. . Yep, she was the aunt, not the mom, so she could pretty much let us run amok, it was awesome!

I thought of her immediately when this blog prompt was proposed because even when she was much older and living at Epworth Village, a retirement and nursing community, she still loved to be around people and people loved to be around her. Proof of that? She was voted "Miss Susanna Wesley," to represent her section of the Village. But that's not all! Phyllis went on to win it all against the ladies from the other areas of the Village, or as we say in the family, Aunt Phyllis was "The Queen of the Nursing Home!"

More about Aunt Phyllis will come in later posts but for today, enjoy these photographs of a special lady being honored because she made people feel special!