EDWARDSBURG — Monday evening, a group of women milled about in the basement of the Presbyterian Church in Edwardsburg, chatting and filling their plates with a potluck dinner. It was something the group had done many times before, but Monday night was different as they were celebrating 125 years of friendship and community service.

This year, Edwardsburg’s Monday Evening Club will be celebrating its 125th anniversary. Monday evening, the group hosted its first meeting of the season, where members hosted a potluck and commemorated the club’s achievement.

“This is monumental,” said vice president Debra Cripe. “This is just a very big accomplishment.”

“This group celebrates women and the power women have to get things done,” added president Judy Singley. “We appreciate the amount of time that has been spent on the club. We want to keep it going for future generations.”

The club was initially organized to improve literacy and engage in charitable and civic affairs. The Monday Evening Club’s first meeting was hosted Nov. 19, 1894, inside of Mary Latson’s millinery store. The eight founders of the club include P.D. May, Frances Sweetland, Mary Schock, Mary Carlisle, Mary Latson, Kitty Reed, and Belle and Lydia Blaire.

At the first meeting, the women decided the club would be limited to 20 members, would meet at 7 p.m. every Monday evening and have a program aligned with the motto, “We seek the light of wisdom.”

Over the years, the club has worked on a number of projects. In 1910, the club appointed a committee to establish the steps to be taken toward Edwardsburg becoming a village, and after working for 17 months, the village was formally incorporated on March 18, 1912. In 1914, the club collected money and planted 28 maple trees in the village park. In 1923, the club placed a boulder opposite the school to mark the “Old Chicago Trail.” In the 1930s, the club secured books from the state for a “traveling library” for community use. During the 1940 war years, the club supported troops by sending cards, letters and packages to servicemen and women, helped with salvage collections, victory gardens and collecting money for the Red Cross and the Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Today, the club looks a little different. For example, it no longer meets every Monday, but instead meets the second Monday of September, October, November, December, February, March, April, May and June. Despite some changes, members said the goal of the group remains the same: to serve the community and seek the light of wisdom. The group is also still active in the community, donating to the schools, food banks, the Edwardsburg Sports Complex and collecting toys for children during the holidays.

State Rep. Brad Paquette attended Monday night’s meeting, where he presented the club with written recognition of their 125th anniversary.

“This milestone is a reflection of unselfishness and commitment to the common good that is most commendable,” Paquette said. “The extent of this group’s service is an integral part of the history of Edwardsburg.”

As the group celebrates its 125th year, Singley said the group is planning a project that will have visibility in the community. The group will finalize plans for their 125th-anniversary project in the coming months. Until then, both Singley and Cripe said they plan to continue work to preserve the club and its mission so that it can last for another 125 years and beyond.

“My hope is that [the Monday Evening Club] stays viable and continues,” Cripe said.