Members of the Mackey Merry Makers Club, Mary Workman, right, Wilma Reetz and Cathy Wagner laugh while flipping through photo albums and other bits of memorabilia during the group's monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, at the home of Wagner, northeast of Lawrence. The group, which was open to members of the Mackey School District, have been meeting regularly since 1941 to socialize, quilt and to promote

Despite gasoline rationing when WWII began, the building — and rebuilding — of Kansas Highway 32, and hay wagon rides through muddy roads, the Mackey Merry Makers have always had a great time.

The group started in the winter of 1940 as a sewing club for women of the Mackey School District. Mackey School was located in Leavenworth County, northeast of Lawrence, until it was consolidated in the mid-1960s. The members would exchange feed sacks to sew new clothing for their families.

When World War II broke out, transportation became a concern because of gasoline rationing and tire shortages, but the Merry Makers voted unanimously to keep the club together.

Mackey Merry Makers Club member Bev Barnhart cuts a 75th anniversary cake to be distributed to the other members.

In 1952, the usual host of the monthly meetings lived near where Kansas Highway 32 was under construction; the road was torn up and too muddy to drive. Nevertheless, the host’s husband took the tractor and hay wagon to bring the members to the house for the meeting.

Members of the club never paid dues in the beginning, but then voted in 1944 to collect 25 cents per year from each member. Dues did not quite keep up with inflation as now, members pay $2 per year.

The club still lives by these words from founder Anna Gardner: “The main idea of our club was and is a friendly get-together, to get better acquainted with our neighbors, to help them in times of sickness and to promote a feeling of friendliness and good will at all times.”

Now celebrating their 75th anniversary, the Mackey Merry Makers — 14 of them total, half of whom are in their 80s — continue to donate to local charities, including the Salvation Army, Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Just Food and more. Through those 75 years, the club has had more than 100 members.