The St. Paul Hiking Club
Since 1921
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The St. Paul Hiking ClubSince 1921
Home |
Club History |
Hikes
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Grace Cummings was born on April 2, 1898 in Stillwater, Minnesota and later moved to St. Paul with her family.
Grace worked as a secretary for the Superintendent of Public Recreation. He asked Grace to determine if there was an interest in a hiking club in St. Paul. Grace found that there indeed was an interest and the first group of hikers gathered on January 15, 1921. They formed the St. Paul Municipal Hiking Club with the 22 year old Grace Cummings as its first president.
Grace met Gerald Villars, a fellow hiker, who also worked for the Recreation Department. They were married in April 20, 1924. They managed to continue their hiking with the club despite raising their seven children. The entire Villars family formed a musical group, the Junior Pennsylvanians, who performed for various civic and professional audiences through 1941. At last count, Grace had 25 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.
Grace was honored and treated to a surprise 92nd birthday celebration on April 7, 1990 at the St. Paul Hiking Club's annual awards banquet which was held at the Governors Restaurant.
Many thanks to you, Grace! Your life is an inspiration to all hikers who seek a long life and good health.
| Grace Cummings (Villars) | January 15, 1921 - October 31, 1923 | |
| Reba Barnes | November 1, 1923 - October 31, 1924 | |
| Richard E. Schoff | November 1, 1924 - Octover 31, 1925 | |
| Alice Clark | November 1, 1925 - October 31, 1927 | (2 terms) |
| Lillian Nordsieck and Eddie Stevens | November 1, 1927 - June 30, 1928 | |
| Eddie Stevens | July 1, 1928 - June 30, 1929 | |
| Rose Mollner | July 1, 1929 - June 30, 1930 | |
| Fred Boxmeyer | July 1, 1930 - June 30, 1931 | |
| Charles Signs | July 1, 1931 - June 30, 1932 | (2 terms) |
| Florence Peterson (McDonald) | July 1, 1932 - June 30, 1934 | (2 terms) |
| William Eckley | July 1, 1934 - June 30, 1935 | |
| Fred Boxmeyer | July 1, 1935 - June 30, 1936 | |
| Dr. Charles Tomasek | July 1, 1936 - June 30, 1937 | |
| Joseph McDonald | July 1, 1937 - June 30, 1939 | (2 terms) |
| Francis Pierson | July 1, 1939 - June 30, 1941 | (2 terms) |
| Art Mattson | July 1, 1941 - June 30, 1942 | |
| Art Mattson & Cy Martinson | July 1, 1942 - June 30, 1943 | |
| Floyd Fredine | July 1, 1943 - June 30, 1944 | |
| Virginia Sorenson | July 1, 1944 - June 30, 1946 | (2 terms) |
| Richard Crawford | July 1, 1946 - June 30, 1947 | |
| Arnold Elvum | July 1, 1947 - June 30, 1949 | (2 terms) |
| Irving Kendall | July 1, 1949 - June 30, 1951 | (2 terms) |
| Jane Coburn | July 1, 1951 - March 31, 1953 | (2 terms) |
| Marguerite Kendall | April 1, 1953 - March 31, 1954 | |
| Colette French | April 1, 1954 - March 31, 1956 | (2 terms) |
| Donald Frenning | April 1, 1956 - March 31, 1957 | |
| Florence Keeney | April 1, 1957 - March 31, 1959 | (2 terms) |
| Walter B. Jones | April 1, 1959 - March 31, 1960 | |
| Robert King | April 1, 1960 - March 31, 1961 | |
| Herman Schmaltz | April 1, 1961 - March 31, 1963 | (2 terms) |
| Walter Jones | April 1, 1963 - March 31, 1964 | |
| Cliffor Dahl | April 1, 1964 - March 31, 1965 | |
| Ed Melquist | April 1, 1965 - March 31, 1966 | |
| Sig Johnson | April 1, 1966 - March 31, 1968 | (2 terms) |
| Stanley A. Palm | April 1, 1968 - March 31, 1969 | |
| Walter Jones | April 1, 1969 - March 31, 1970 | |
| Barbara Greaves | April 1, 1970 - March 31, 1971 | |
| Tom Vondrak | April 1, 1971 - March 31, 1973 | (2 terms) |
| Barbara Greaves | April 1, 1973 - March 31, 1974 | |
| Harold Angel | April 1, 1974 - March 31, 1975 | |
| Daniel Leonard | April 1, 1975 - March 31, 1977 | (2 terms) |
| George Knutson | April 1, 1977 - March 31, 1978 | (2 terms) |
| Virgil Johnson | April 1, 1978 - March 31, 1979 | |
| Florence Keeney | April 1, 1979 - March 31, 1982 | (3 terms) |
| Florence Knutson | April 1, 1982 - March 31, 1985 | (3 terms) |
| Marshall Prescott | April 1, 1985 - March 31, 1986 | |
| Joni O'Connell | April 1, 1986 - March 31, 1988 | (2 terms) |
| Jackie Lallier | April 1, 1988 - March 31, 1989 | |
| Chuck Ramsey | April 1, 1989 - March 31, 1993 | (4 terms) |
| Marge Oehlke | April 1, 1993 - March 31, 1994 | |
| Chuck Ramsey | April 1, 1994 - March 31, 1998 | (4 terms) |
| Rachel Westermeyer | April 1, 1998 - March 31, 2003 | (5 terms) |
| Chuck Ramsey | April 1, 2003 - present | (5 terms and still loves the job!) |