Gastonia Debutante Club welcomes new members

Katie O'Donohue/Special to the Gazette
·2 min read
New members from left to right. Mrs. Jonathan Alan Planer (Rose), Mrs. William Davis Kieffer (Megan), Mrs. Brian Christopher Levy (Sarah), Mrs. James Houston Kelly (Alice Ann), Mrs. Eli Kiem (Christine), Mrs. Allan Clifford Mark (Susanne), Mrs. Michael Joseph Miller (Ginny), Mrs. Joseph Clark Stewart (Sarah), Mrs. Patrick Joseph Russo (Julie), Mrs. Christopher VanderMeer (Amy). Not Pictured: Mrs. Jonathan David Cherry (Megan), Mrs. John Marshall Robinson (Kyle), and Mrs. Theodore Lamar Robinson III (Sabrina).
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The Gastonia Debutante Club hosted its 67th annual Membership Luncheon in May at the Gaston Country Club in Gastonia, where 13 new members were introduced.

The luncheon was organized by Mrs. Franklin Luther Yarbrough (Barbara), past president. Mrs. Patrick Hoell Smith (Kristie), the club president, recognized the 2022 officers and the board of directors and introduced the 13 new members into the club.

The new members are:

  • Mrs. Jonathan David Cherry (Megan)

  • Mrs. James Houston Kelly (Alice Ann)

  • Mrs. William Davis Kieffer (Megan)

  • Mrs. Eli Kiem (Christine)

  • Mrs. Brian Christopher Levy (Sarah)

  • Mrs. Allan Clifford Mark (Susanne)

  • Mrs. Michael Joseph Miller (Ginny)

  • Mrs. Jonathan Alan Planer (Rose)

  • Mrs. John Marshall Robinson (Kyle)

  • Mrs. Theodore Lamar Robinson III (Sabrina)

  • Mrs. Patrick Joseph Russo (Julie)

  • Mrs. Joseph Clark Stewart (Sarah)

  • Mrs. Christopher VanderMeer (Amy)

The officers for 2022, in addition to Mrs. Smith, are Mrs. Zachary Scott Stroupe (Penelope), vice president; Mrs. Charles Andy Greene (Becky), recording secretary; Mrs. William Sumter Henry (Frances), corresponding secretary; Mrs. James Thomas Comer III (Anne), treasurer; and Mrs. Franklin Luther Yarbrough (Barbara), past president.

2022 board members are:

  • Mrs. Michael Lindsey Gibson (Lou Ann)

  • Mrs. Davis McAllister Ferguson (Baity)

  • Mrs. Gregory Vincent Cherry Jr. (Tammy)

  • Mrs. Jeffrey Ryan Eisenhuth (Amy)

  • Mrs. Richard Rankin Jarman Jr. (Amanda)

  • Mrs. John William Thrower (Marcia)

  • Mrs. Jeffrey Kent Howe Jr. (Yvette)

  • Mrs. Paul Timothy O’Donohue (Katie)

  • Mrs. Douglas Alan Nigbor (Heather)

  • Mrs. Eric Barry Smith (Stephanie)

  • Mrs. Bryan Keith Farris (Jami)

The 2022 Gastonia Debutante Ball will take place on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at the Gaston Country Club where the young ladies from the community will be introduced.

The Gastonia Debutante Club’s first Debutante Ball was Friday, June 14, 1957.

More than a year’s planning and work by a group of women in the community was two-fold: to present to society a select number of young ladies, 18 years of age or older, and to contribute to charitable organizations from any surplus funds.

Since that time, over 1,150 outstanding young women have been presented at 65 balls. More than $170,000 has been contributed over the years to the former Mary Ellen Nelson Center, now the Webb Street School, Gaston Comprehensive Day Center, and Gaston Skills. Additional donations have been given to the Schiele Museum of Natural History, Hospice of Gastonia, the Community Foundation of Gaston Country, Gaston Literacy Council, the House of Mercy, the West Gastonia Boys and Girls Club, Holy Angeles, Heart Society of Gaston County, Backpack Weekend Food Program and Gaston County Virus Relief Fund, and Least of These Carolinas.

2022 board members from left to right. Mrs. Zachary Scott Stroupe (Penelope), Mrs. Gregory Vincent Cherry Jr. (Tammy), Mrs. Eric Barry Smith (Stephanie), Mrs. Paul Timothy O’Donohue (Katie), Mrs. Jeffrey Ryan Eisenhuth (Amy), Mrs. Michael Lindsey Gibson (Lou Ann), Mrs. Franklin Luther Yarbrough (Barbara), Mrs. Patrick Hoell Smith (Kristie), Mrs. Richard Rankin Jarman Jr. (Amanda), Mrs. Davis McAllister Ferguson (Baity), Mrs. Charles Andy Greene (Becky), Mrs. Bryan Keith Farris (Jami), Mrs. John William Thrower (Marcia), Mrs. James Thomas Comer III (Anne), Mrs. William Sumter Henry (Frances), and Mrs. Jeffrey Kent Howe Jr. (Yvette). Not pictured: Mrs. Douglas Alan Nigbor (Heather).

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia Debutante Club welcomes new members