Adams County women’s book club celebrates 125-year anniversary
By Karen Hendricks | Photography by Amanda Rosenberry
Carol Heiser’s longest relationship is her 61-year marriage. Her second-longest relationship? The 52 years she’s been a member of Over the Teacups, a women’s book club and discussion group Heiser was invited to join in 1972.
But the origin of the group goes back decades before Heiser’s invitation—all the way to 1899.
Gettysburg-area women founded the group when William McKinley was our nation’s 25th president.
That means Over the Teacups is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Generations of Adams County’s women have interwoven their lives into its membership through the years.
To put this milestone in perspective, this book club was formed a full 20 years before women were given the right to vote and hold office, 33 years before Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic, and 73 years before Title IX gave women equal educational opportunities including access to sports teams.
It may not sound all that radical, initially, but today’s members say their founders recognized the importance of books, knowledge and current events within women’s lives. Member Temma Berg, who has done extensive research on women’s book clubs in America, believes Gettysburg’s Over the Teacups is one of the oldest in the country.
“It’s fitting and proper that this club has been inextricably linked to a community where history is so revered—such important history,” Heiser reflects.
Early Chapters
Prior to 1899, several Gettysburg-area women informally shared and swapped magazines of the era. One of the women’s husbands, a Gettysburg College dean, recorded the magazines’ travels between the women.
By 1899, seven of the women decided to create an actual club, with regular meetings and discussions.
Over the Teacups was born as “a literary club,” according to a booklet created to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary in 1999. The founding members were spouses of Gettysburg College professors.
The women were inspired by the writings of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes for the club’s name. In a series of papers, Holmes described meeting with friends “over the teacups” to discuss current events.
Those seven women laid the foundation and bylaws for the group’s purpose and structure, historic rituals which continue to this day. Within that framework, the group’s books and discussions are timely and ever evolving.
“Tradition has held this group together,” says Kathleen Heidecker, who joined in 2017.
The twice-a-month meetings start at 7 p.m., with each of today’s 18 members hosting once a year, taking summers off. Over tea, coffee and sweets, women share quotes that recently inspired them. That paves the way for the evening’s main event—a book presentation by the evening’s host.
“I’m in another book club where we all read the same book, but Teacups has
a different setup,” Heidecker explains. “It has the element of surprise, because you don’t know ahead of time what the book will be. We’ve had an eclectic variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction.
But a lot of time, members have a personal connection to a book.”
Then, members share news items with the group, wrapping up each meeting by 9 p.m.
While the structure of the group’s meetings has remained constant, some details have evolved with the times. Teacups minutes offer their own history lesson, providing glimpses of the role of women in society.
Originally, husbands arrived partway through the evening, for two reasons. The men—not the women—initially provided news items. They also drove their wives back home, since women did not commonly drive until the 1940s. And many meetings stretched late into the evening, even—scandalously— until 11 p.m.
“We still always stay longer than planned at the end of our meetings,” Nancy Chambers says with a laugh. “But I think the group has succeeded for so long because we are such a diverse group who respects each other—and we don’t ever get into politics.”
Books that Bond
Book presentations are the heart of Over the Teacups’ gatherings.
This year, Chambers chose a book she found “fascinating,” The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary by Sarah Ogilvie.
“Last year, I did The Worth of Water, the story of the organization behind water.org,” says Chambers, a 20-year Teacups member. “I also did one on Marjory Stoneman Douglas—I was inspired after learning about her during a boat tour in the Everglades, and one about photographer Dorothea Lange.”
Although members are free to choose any book they’d like, you may notice a theme with Chambers’ selections.
“My rule of thumb—I try to pick a book either by a woman or about a woman,” Chambers says.
Other books over the years have included Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, Paris Hilton’s recent memoir, a biography of Beatrix Potter and lots of historical topics.
“I remember one woman presented a book about cystic fibrosis,” Heidecker recalls. “It was a very poetic book about breath and breathing, combining the science of dealing with the disease. The host’s brother had cystic fibrosis, and once we learned about the connection, we realized how weighty it was.”
Heidecker, whose day job is department chair for Harrisburg Area Community College’s library, describes books this way: “Books are like windows and mirrors. They can open a window and show you something new or reflect the world we live in—that’s a well-known quote. Everybody in the group is a reader, and most of us have already read best sellers, so we usually go a bit deeper to find an unusual story to share.”
The takeaways from those book presentations lead to larger group conversations—many of which linger still.
“The total compilation of all the things I’ve learned and thought about has made me a different person—a more educated person,” Heiser reflects. “Teacups expands what we know and experience in our own little worlds and connects us to other people, thoughts and ideas.”
And that’s a community concept Gettysburg Mayor Rita Frealing recently imparted upon the group as their guest of honor during a special gathering in June.
Cheers to Teacups
As the club gathered for its 125th anniversary celebration at the Adams County Historical Society’s Battlefield Overlook Event Center, several distinguished guests were invited into the fold—including Celebrate Gettysburg magazine—offering a window into the group’s longevity and love of books.
The celebration followed many of the rituals established by Teacups over the years: Members greeted one another warmly, chatting and enjoying hors d’oeuvres. Wine was poured in lieu of traditional tea, then members sat in a large circle, able to see each attendee.
From the podium, Frealing issued a proclamation, naming Monday, June 3, 2024, as Over the Teacups Day in Gettysburg “to honor the contributions of this organization and its members for over 125 years.”
The importance of community literacy is something Frealing thinks about often as she enters the door of Gettysburg Borough Hall. The building once served as the community’s library—the very place where her own mother took her, to obtain her first library card.
“I think it’s a great thing that this tradition continues—it says a lot about the women of Gettysburg,” Frealing says. “Books can expand your mind. It’s very important that people not only engage in reading but discuss what they read with other people.”
The women who upheld and preserved much of Gettysburg’s literary access were in the spotlight. Karen Drickamer, retired director of Gettysburg College’s special collections and archives at Musselman Library, was the evening’s featured speaker. While many of her remarks focused on her predecessor at Musselman Library, Anna Jane Moyer, her remarks also spoke to the importance of archives in preserving history, especially women’s history.
Next, the evening’s mistress of ceremonies, Janet Morgan Riggs, encouraged her fellow members to share their reflections on what Teacups has meant to them.
“The thing that most attracted me is the longevity—I was astonished that it began in 1899,” says Berg.
“These were women who were thoughtful and intellectual,” says Lois Starkey, a Teacups member from 1999 until 2007. “Sharing this with contemporary-day women is really special.”
Around the circle, many nodded their heads in agreement.
“When I talk about Teacups,” says Shannon Harvey, “I say the most amazing thing is the diversity of women around this circle. We all come together twice a month to talk about a book and support each other. It’s a combination of both personal and professional relationships, diversity of thought and diversity of people.”
Teacups’ membership spans several decades—something that member Judy Egloff noted.
“We have all these young women opening all of our older minds,” Egloff says with a smile. “Being in this group has opened my mind.”
Anne Gallon nodded, adding: “We can’t possibly read all the books presented. I’ve been enriched by the many topics, the diversity in subjects.”
“The wonderful women of Teacups,” says Heiser, the longest-serving member, “have been an important part of the quality of my life.”
And that tradition, like the turning of a page, is sure to continue.
“It’s rewarding to be part of this lineage of a book club that’s 125 years old,” Heidecker says. “Imagine the women who were members before 1919 who couldn’t even vote. You can see how the club has adapted, evolved and grown through two World Wars, through the 1960s as more women began working, even women being able to drive—this is something to celebrate. Women’s lives and spirits have changed, and this little book club is still going strong.”
Teacups Timeline
Milestones in the book club’s history, as gleaned from minutes in the club archives
1899 – Over the Teacups is founded. The first seven members are:
Mrs. Emma Wolf Bikle, Mrs. Minnie Lee Cox, Miss Evelyn Danner, Mrs. Anna B. Duncan, Mrs. Florence C. Klinger, Miss Olivia McClean, Miss Virginia McCurdy and Miss Annie O’Neal
1914 – The group establishes its first bylaws.
1918 – “Usual program is to be omitted and that money is to be used to purchase material for Red Cross work which is to be done each Monday evening as long as it is needed.”
1932 – The group donated $5 to the newly reorganized hospital auxiliary and planted a larch tree on the campus of Gettysburg College in honor of the college’s 100th year.
1942 – The first members phone chain is established.
1951 – Instead of quotations, the group listened to a radio broadcast from Murray Frazee’s submarine in the Pacific. Frazee’s sister-in-law, Mary Swope, was a member. “It was most interesting,” the minutes state.
1961 – When Gettysburg’s John Rice served as ambassador to the Netherlands, he sent 150 tulip bulbs to each Teacups member.
1966 – The minutes state, “Greater effort should be made to begin meeting promptly at 8 pm.”
1993 – For the first time, members were referred to by their first names in the minutes. For the past 94 years, notes recorded them as “Mrs.” followed by their last names.
1998 – Dessert to be served first as a two-month trial. Previously, dessert was served at the end of each meeting, with husbands joining their wives—and especially in the early years—then driving their wives home. Today, dessert continues to be served with tea and coffee to begin each gathering.
2001 – In addition to phone numbers, members’ email addresses are listed, as the group moves toward more electronic communications.
2024 – Over the Teacups celebrates its 125th anniversary.
