Imagine Coplay in 1969. No iPhones, no Coplay Community Days, no garden club. That is until 1970 when Mae Kolb and her late husband, Kenneth, helped found the Coplay Garden Club.

Kolb currently lives at Phoebe Ministries in Allentown, but her previous residence was Coplay.

When she and her husband lived in Coplay, one of their hobbies was gardening. They had large plots in their backyard filled with flowers, fruits and vegetables.

"We used to have a lot of plants. We were great ones for growing plants at home," Kolb said. After thinking about how the surrounding towns had their own garden clubs, Kolb and her husband thought, "Why can't we start a club, too?"

Kolb then began to send letters to her friends and family whom she thought would be interested.

"It was pretty successful," she said.

Kolb can recall having around at least 35 members during her time with the Coplay Garden Club.

Some of the activities the members of the Coplay Garden Club did, Kolb said, were welcoming guest speakers and holding discussions on different flower arrangement ideas. They also had club competitions. Many times Kolb and her husband won awards for having the best flower arrangement.

In her spare time today, Kolb enjoys knitting and sewing.

"I knit Christmas stockings for the new babies born (in the family)," Kolb said.

Right now, she is knitting a sweater for her newest great-grandchild.

Kolb was also quite an avid pottery maker a few years ago.

"I like to do things that keep me busy," she said.

Kolb said her husband was the one who really wanted to start the club and he was the one who invested much time and energy. But one could tell when listening to her speak about her passion for flowers that she greatly enjoyed the Coplay Garden Club.

"It was nice. We had a good time," she said with a laugh.

The Coplay Garden Club continues to hold monthly meetings the last Thursday of the month at St. John's Lutheran Church, 18 S. Third St.