At their recent quarterly meeting members of the Lehigh-Northampton Pomona Grange No. 68 presented the “Public Service Award” to New Tripoli resident Beverly Gruber.

Serving as longtime chairman and chief executive officer of the Lehigh Coounty Agricultural Society, Bev is involved in numerous other organizations and volunteers countless hours of her time.

The award was presented by Pomona Grange President Leonard Heim.

Bev presented a program on Aprons to the group.

She has collected between 80-100 aprons, many belonging to her mother. Aprons have been around for centuries and have a storied history.

Butchers wear them to protect their clothing.

Farmers wore them to collect eggs.

Mothers wore them for many purposes, including wiping tears from little faces.

In addition to protecting clothing, aprons were used to gather tomatoes, apples, shelled corn and wood.

In the summertime you also used it to wipe perspiration from your brow.

Gardners, spinners and weavers wore blue aprons, butlers wore green, cobblers wore black and masons wore white.

Aprons became fancier until World War II when they were made from feed sacks.

Women in the 1940s and 1950s wore aprons as they did their chores.

By the 1980s more men wore aprons than women as they worked the outdoor grill.

Last year the Pa State Grange sponsored a “250 Apron Contest” for fairs.

Out of 107 State Fairs, 87 answered the call and held the contest during their fair.

First place winners were then eligible to enter their apron in the Pa Farm Show in 2026.

Bev volunteered to cochair this contest.

Lehigh-Northampton Pomona Grange is comprised of all the Granges in the counties; namely, Central (Germansville), Harmony (Northampton), Seipstown (Fogelsville), Schnecksville and Trexlertown.

We congratulate Bev on this well-deserved award. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Contributed article