DOWAGIAC — On Thursday, the Dowagiac Rotary Club used a review of the club’s records from an earlier decade as they continued to celebrate 100 years.

Rotarian Barbara Groner presented to the Rotary Club a program speaker script written by past Rotarian D. Bruce Laing for the club’s 63rd birthday on Jan. 12, 1983. In the speech, Laing discussed the club’s involvement from 1940 to 1950 after he reviewed yellowed clippings and records from the time period. During the decade, the club celebrated its 25th Silver Anniversary.

In his program script, Laing mentioned how the then club elected a member of the Dowagiac Rotary Club to the post of district governor. He also said the club lost its meeting place and all of the secretary’s records in a “disastrous” fire at an old frame church at the corner of Center and Courtland streets in 1947. During the decade, the club added four new Rotarians and mentioned everyone’s survival of World War II.

“Times were different, but we were an active, viable force in the community,” Laing wrote in the script.

During the decade, the club had 11 presidents, including Graham Woodhouse, whose son Don Woodhouse was in the audience on Thursday.

Club meetings were hosted in the Federated Church, and meals were provided by four church circles.

In 1946, Rotarian Art Frazee was elected the position of district governor. Frazee was elected district governor on April 30, 1946, but died five months later. Frazee made his mark on the club as a charter member, innovator of the Rotary Student Loan Fund and the creator of the Red Rose Citation. He served as a superintendent for four years and as an executive of Rudy Furnace Co., Chrysler Airtemps Co. and Dowagiac Steel Furnace Co.

Lastly, Groner shared two letters, one written from charter member Reverend Joseph Fox to Judge Carl Mosier. A second letter was written by charter member Jim Pemberton who also wrote to Mosier. Both letters detailed the impact Rotary had on the charter members.

Also, on Thursday, Rotarian Kellee Miller, the marketing and communications liaison at The Timbers of Cass County, 55432 Colby St., was officially inducted into the Dowagiac Rotary Club. This month, Miller celebrates two years at the nursing and rehabilitation home.  Miller has a corporate membership through the Dowagiac Rotary Club.

In 2009, Groner said Fred Mathews worked to attract interest for a nursing home in town after the Dowagiac Nursing home was shut down by the state. Groner said the parent company of the Timbers worked to include Cass County in the name to approach a larger area.

In the past few weeks, Miller has helped the Dowagiac Rotary Club analyze its weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats with a SWOT analysis.

“We thank you for your leadership and service in this community and specifically to Rotarians,” said President Melody Wallace.

Miller initially got involved in healthcare because of her father going through the disease process of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“Just seeing the roadblocks that my family had encountered during that journey, I wanted to do my part to help families experiencing that get answers,” Miller said. “I’ve been truly blessed to follow my passion for helping seniors find resources and things to help support their goals. I am just really blessed to be able to do what I do every day.”