By Brianna Kudisch | Echo
It is not a coffee club or a baking league.
There are no agendas, no set rules and no requirements. The Morning Glories simply meet once a week to talk and laugh.
Every Monday morning at 9, they gather in the Student Union to discuss topics ranging from successes to recipes to amusing grandchildren stories.
"We try to keep things on a high level; we don't gossip . . . " one member said.
" . . . but we share useful information," another joked.
"(We share) human interest stories!" quipped a third.
When they're not sharing useful information, they enjoy talking about current events.
This week, someone brought up the recent death of Nancy Reagan, commenting on the grace and class of the former first lady.
One member added that when President Reagan was shot, she and her fellow classmates sent get-well cards to him and even received a letter back.
The group originated in 2001, when three women started meeting at a local gas station for coffee. Friends soon heard about it and wanted to join.
Eventually, the women moved their meeting place to the Union on Taylor's campus, because the gas station wasn't large enough.
Lou Roth is the last of the original three women who still meet with the group, as the other founding ladies moved away.
Morning Glories is a social club and welcoming committe wrapped into one. When someone new comes into town, the Morning Glory ladies invite her to the group.
"It's a good way of getting acquainted . . . it's a very delightful group," member Bebe Tiffany said.
Although the Morning Glories don't have a specific purpose in mind other than to socialize, their actions illustrate the collective generosity of their hearts.
One member, Liz Williamson, mentioned how the Morning Glory ladies helped her family through a difficult time.
When Williamson's grandson was born, he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Some of the ladies made it a priority to come over to her daughter's house and help with laundry, cooking and whatever else needed to be done.
In addition to the weekly meetings, the group has planned activities outside of the usual meetings including day trips to places like Indianapolis and meeting at the house of a member.
The Morning Glories have roots embedded deep into Taylor's community. Many of the women are married to professors or even former presidents. Member Janie Kesler was a first lady of Taylor when her husband, Jay Kesler, was president for fifteen years.
Marian Heacock's son, Scott Steckenrider, works at Taylor as a physics professor.
Esther Yordy, a member since 2011, has two grandsons at Taylor, senior Garrett Shanks and sophomore Wyatt Shanks.
Garrett Shanks asked the Morning Glory ladies to take part in his elaborate plan to get into chapel for the Third West Wengatz famed Melon and Gourd competition. Several women did and enjoyed participating in the Taylor tradition.
"We really milked it," said member Ruth King.
"Grandma Yordy" had an additional part in the festivities - going as far as keeping the thoroughly battered, duck-taped melon and gourd in her deep freeze.
When touring the new student union the other day, the members joked to their tour guide about where the Morning Glories would go.
"They said, 'Oh we'll have a place for them,'" Yordy said, chuckling.
