History

Jayne Ann Saeger, who has been a member of the Great Lakes Depression Glass Collectors Club since its inception, remembers how it all began.

Sometime around 1972, Jaynes dad, Brian Kumler, went to a flea market and brought a luncheon set of blue Moderntone for $3.00.  He had no idea what it was called or who made it or that it was collectible.  He just knew he liked the blue color.  After all, blue was his favorite color.  His grandchildren began to joke about Grandpa and his blue dishes!

Later in 1972 or early 1973, Jayne's mother, Clara Jane Kumler, met Jody Cox at the beauty parlor.  Clara descibed a recently acquired set of amber dishes to Jody and Jody tells her "That's called Depression Glass".  Jody went onto explain her friend, Hazel, wrote a book about it.  Her friend was Hazel Marie Weatherman, author of the Colorful Glassware of the Depression Era.  Through Jody's copy of the Weatherman book, they found the names of their glassware and searching for it became more interesting and fun.

Jayne's mom kept talking about Depression glass and Jayne remember a gift she received from a neighbor when she was 12 or 13. She got them out and found she had a dozen odd pink pieces. Jayne and her mom started going to flea markets together and a hobby began.  Jayne found a stack of green Dogwood plates for 25 cents each and the whole family got involved.

Around that time, MDGS started meetings in Livonia.  Jayne and her mom went, but her mom felt it was too long a drive.  So they decided to see if there was any local interest to start a club closer to home.

Clara, Jayne and Jody talked to people at flea markets.  They talked to other people interested in glass and announced they were going to have a meeting to see if there was enough interest to form a club.  At least 20 people showed up for the first meeting.  Two people who came to that meeting were author, Betty Newbound and her husband, Bill, who wrote a column called "Along the Flea Market Trail" for the newly published Depression Glass "Daze" Newspaper.

The first meeting was held at the First United Methodist Church of Troy.  Jayne did a tablesetting of green Dogwood.  They had an informal meeting and everyone present agreed a club should be formed in the area.  A committee was formed to create a set of By-Laws.  On April 23, 1973, they met again.  The Constitution and By-Laws were approved.  The club was named Great Lakes Depression Glass Club.  First Officers were President Clara Jane Kumler, Vice President Jesse Siebert, Secretary Lila Ashby, Treasurer Jayne Ann Saeger, and Trustees Judy Cox, Dottie Kelch and Jean Miller.

Sadly, Clara Kumler unexpectedly passed away on October 6, 1973.  Jayne stepped into the role of President for the remainer of that term and for the next 6 years.  She is still a member today.