The History of TML Men's and Women's Coffee

Late in the 1970’s several men on the north shore decided it would be fun to get together on a regular basis to meet for coffee and solve all the world’s problems. According to Al Hoover and Jack Adams, the early movers and shakers included Ross Melgaard, Claude Miller, Don Hall, Ed Ytzen and Ted Rasmussen. The informal gatherings continue to this day. Early coffees included homemade yeast rolls made by Inez Ytzen but in later years donuts from Hackensack Bakery became the official treat. One of the most infamous happenings at a Men’s Coffee was the time that Ruth Hirschfield, wanting to know just went on at these meetings, dressed up as a man complete with mustache and crashed the party. One thing she may have learned is that fish stories about how many and how big were a popular discussion. These days topics include politics, fish stories (still), lake safety, water clarity, milfoil and how to prevent it from invading Ten Mile, and the annual Ice Out Pool. Summer is fast approaching and Men’s Coffees will begin in May. All lake residents and friends are invited to attend each Tuesday at 10 AM. The calendar for sign-ups is on the Ten Mile Lake web site at www.tenmilelake.org. You may volunteer to host a coffee at your cabin by emailing Geoff Cox at geoff@geoff-cox.com. Or you may call Tom Cox at (218) 507-0394.

In 1995, Dorothy Mills, Elinor Chase, Gail Becher, and Joan Urbanski were having a cup of coffee together and they decided it was time that the women of Ten Mile Lake stood up for women’s rights everywhere! It was time for us to have our own get-togethers, and so, the TML Women’s Coffee was born. Early on, they met on Tuesdays, too. The first hostess was Joan Urbanski and about 20-25 women attended and had a lovely time. For many years, Marianna Goodwin was the organizer and kept the calendar of sign-ups. When she retired to Arizona, she asked Judy Brown and Cathy Iversen to take over. It’s really an easy job since many women graciously open their homes each week to anywhere from 15 to 30 neighbors. We meet on Wednesdays at 10 AM now and that seems to work out well. Of course, women being a bit more adept at entertaining, we now often have homemade goodies to serve. And in recent years, we have also added a Wine and Cheese Party on one Wednesday evening. Around mid-summer we have an annual Luncheon which often brings ~50 ladies. Our topics of discussion vary from the men’s, but we try to solve all the world’s problems, too. Not so many fish stories, though. Please check the calendar on the Ten Mile Lake web site at www.tenmilelake.org and attend a Women’s Coffee this summer. You may sign up to host a coffee with Cathy at cathy@iversenconsulting.net. Or call her at (303) 570-8755.

Men’s Coffee July 26, 2011, Don Willis’ Front Lawn. L to R: Ray Raetz, Mark Putney, Ken Lowery, Don Lundberg, Don Brown, Don Willis, Geoff Cox, Randy Vosbeck, Don Sarles, Richard Zejdlik, Tom Cox, ? , Bill Brandt, Dave Krueger, Jeff Wilke, Bob Iversen, Homer Olsen, ?, Ahmet Arsan, Dave Batman, Paul Edelbrock, Dick Staunton (with apologies to two whose names escape me – TBC). Photo courtesy of Earl Crabb.