‘The Back to School Lunch Bunch’

The moms talked about their children’s first-day jitters, the teachers at the school and dreams for their futures.

“It was our celebration of no more kids at home,” said Ginny Lassen Smith, 68, of Tumwater.

And so was born “The Back to School Lunch Bunch,” a group of about a dozen women who have gotten together on the first day of school for more than 30 years.

Nine of the women made it to their annual get-together Wednesday in a private room at Anthony’s HomePort in Olympia. Over the course of about four hours, they ate dinner while swapping photos and stories of their children, grandchildren and life after retirement.

The evening was filled with giggles and hugs, sighs and tears. Every year, it’s like going to a family reunion, said Lois Wusterbarth, 66, of Lacey.

“I love to catch up with them,” she said.

The Back to School Lunch Bunch is primarily made up of women who lived in the Brentwood neighborhood, between Ruddell Road Southeast and College Street Southeast in Lacey, during the late 1970s. They were all stay-at-home moms with young children.

“We lived in a magical time when we could be with them and raise them before we went to work,” Smith said. “That was a blessing to all of us.”

The women were part of a baby-sitting co-op where moms earned points watching other people’s children. And when they wanted a night out with their husband, or simply a kid-free trip to the grocery store, they could cash those credits in by having another member watch their children.

“You could feel comfortable leaving your child because it was somebody your friends trusted,” said Sharon Heath, 65, of Lacey.

Besides giving parents a much-needed break, the baby-sitting co-op made it easier for the women to get to know other moms in the area, and form a support network.

“If one of our kids had the croup or measles, we’d call each other and get help,” said Gayle Lindeblom, 67, of Lacey.

Sometimes, the women got together to exercise. Sometimes, the friends would call each other to talk about soap operas.

When their children were young their families often got together for Halloween, or during the Christmas holidays.

“One year we went Christmas caroling,” said Sharon Heath, 65, of Lacey. “That was hysterical.”

But as the children grew older, many of the women entered the work force and their families moved away from the neighborhood. The group’s lunch was eventually moved to the dinner hour to accommodate work and travel schedules, and give them more time to visit.

The women have gone through a lifetime of changes. They’ve celebrated graduations and weddings. They’ve also consoled each other through divorces and health scares.

“This past year is the first year we’ve lost somebody,” Heath said. Roberta Solomon had attended every year; several of the women attended her memorial service in June.

In fact, their annual get-together is one of the only things that’s stayed constant in their lives, said Susan Krauss Dickson, 62, of Gig Harbor.

The women discussed the idea of inviting children and grandchildren next September.

After some debate, they decided the Back to School Lunch Bunch just wouldn’t be the same if the kids joined them.

“It’s just like you’ve stepped back into the same time period when we’re back together,” said Jan Spaid, 65, of Lacey.

Lisa Pemberton: 360-754-5433
lpemberton@theolympian.com