The Woman's Club of Radford

08/02/2026

Thanks to Donna Knarr for our August Newsletter.

AUGUST 2026 NEWSLETTER

The Woman’s Club will meet on August 11 at 10:30 a.m.
at the Radford Public Library.

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

In a few weeks schools will be open and soon it will be time for the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) fall book distribution. The books are ordered and our members are ready. We will schedule the distribution dates with the schools. We will be visiting McHarg, Riverlawn, Snowville, and Dublin Elementary Schools and Head Start.

YARD SALE

The Woman’s Club participated in the annual, community wide Heron’s Landing Yard Sale. Because of all those who donated items to sell, helped set up, worked and cleaned up, it was very successful. Some would view the amount earned as dollars, we look at it and see books for children. Thanks to everyone.

MELISSA BRANDON IS THE FEATURED MEMBER THIS MONTH

Melissa taught school for eighteen years. Her degree from East Tennessee State University is in Early Childhood Education. She has taught in state preschools, pre-Kindergarten classes and Head Start. “I’ve never taught any class above kindergarten,” she commented. “I love being with little kids and seeing them finally get it. I love that they have sweetness.” At one time she was licensed in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Melissa’s need to be licensed in multiple states was because she moved with her husband, Bobby, as he pursued a career in higher education. They came to Pulaski County from Abingdon for him to assume duties as President of New River Community College.

Melissa and Bobby are from Sugoinsville, Tennessee. They went to the same high school although they only began dating when he was in college and she was a junior in high school. Their children, Ryne and Emily, are fraternal twins. Ryne is interested in mining engineering and has been attending the University of Kentucky, but he will be a student at Virginia Tech this fall. Emily attends New River Community College. Although she has not made a final decision about her future career, she is leaning toward working in Early Childhood Education. “When I quit teaching, I really missed it,” said Melissa. “Helping with Reading is Fundamental is a way of being in the school system. I love giving books to kids. Some kids don’t have any books, but even a child who has a lot of books is excited to get a new one.”


Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]
page: www.facebook.com/WomansClubOfRadford
Web Site: (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2026-2028

President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors

Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

The Woman's Club of Radford, established in 1901, is a volunteer organization made up of women of all ages. Our mission is to encourage and support literacy in children.

06/02/2026

Woman's Club of Radford is participating in this yard sale on June 6th. Please come visit us on River Course dr.

05/05/2026

Thanks to Donna Knarr for the May Newsletter.



MAY 2026
The Woman’s Club will meet May 12 at 10:30 a.m.
at the Radford Public Library

ZOE ROWELL
It is with great sorrow that we share news of the passing of Zoe Rowell on March 22. Zoe was a valued member and a wonderful person. Sadly, Zoe’s husband, John (Jack), passed away on April 16. A memorial service for them will be at Mullins Funeral Home in Radford on May 30 at 2 p.m. We extend condolences to their family and friends.

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL
Our spring book distribution is underway with McHarg, Riverlawn, and Snowville Elementary schools completed in April. Dublin Elementary school is scheduled for May. Head Start Centers in Radford, Dublin and Pulaski will also be visited in May. As in the pre-kindergarten classes in the schools, the Head Start children will be read to and all will receive the same book.


BABIES INTO BOOKS
The Woman’s Club’s BIB (Babies Into Books) provides a board book for every baby born at the Carillion New River Valley Medical Center in Radford. We have a year’s supply of books on hand. The titles include “The Pudgy Book of Mother Goose,” “Are You My Mother?” and Richard Scarry’s “Best Little Board Book Ever.” Mothers receive a brochure from the Radford Public Library on the importance of reading to children.


MARY SHERLOCK IS THE FEATURED MEMBER FOR MAY

MARY SHERLOCK
Virginia Tech is well known for its many excellent programs, but a welcome result of a VT education is the number of graduates who fall in love with Southwest Virginia and decide to live here. Mary Sherlock and her husband, Ken, are in that category.
Mary was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the middle child of five girls. Her father was an engineer who worked for refineries in Illinois. When the refinery closed the family moved to Newport News, Virginia. Mary attended Virginia Tech and majored in Mechanical Engineering. “I was the one who followed my dad around and was interested in his work,” she said. At Tech Mary met Ken who also majored in Mechanical Engineering.
They both pursued their careers in engineering and added a daughter, Andi, an electrical engineer, and Kevin, an accountant, to their family. Andi’s two-year-old son, Griffin, is their first grandchild. During the COVID pandemic when Ken and Mary talked about taking early retirement, they were living in Maryland. “We came back to where we met,” Mary commented. “I love the area.” Since they became residents of Heron’s Landing golf has been one of their regular activities. “Ken is a golfer,” laughs Mary, “I have golf clubs.”
Mary is a new member of the Woman’s Club who attended her first RIF distribution at McHarg Elementary this year. Her second was at Snowville Elementary. “This age group is new to me because I taught at a community college but it all begins with literacy. I always had wanderlust, and books satisfied that for me.”


YARD SALE
On June 6 from 8a.m. to 12:00, the Woman’s Club will be participating in the annual Heron’s Landing Yard Sale. This event is a good fundraising opportunity as well as a means of increasing visibility of the club and its programs. We will be set up at 8224 River Course Drive at Vicki Tupman’s house. We will be selling baked goods along with yard sale items. Donations may be brought to Vicki’s on Friday, June 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. Any large items, such as furniture, that do not sell must be picked up on Saturday.

Woman’s Club of Radford Contact Information

Email address: [email protected]: www.facebook.com/WomansClubOfRadford
Web Site : (our web site is not currently active)
Mailing address: Woman’s Club of Radford – P.O. Box 1524 – Radford, VA 24143-1524

WCR Officers for 2026-2028

President Vicki Tupman [email protected]
Vice President Teresa Swarthout [email protected]
Treasurer Nancy Kolb [email protected]
Secretary Carole Ellison [email protected]

WCR Board of Directors
Maureen Thomas Betty Overdorf Ellaine Wilson

The Woman's Club of Radford, established in 1901, is a volunteer organization made up of women of all ages. Our mission is to encourage and support literacy in children.

04/16/2026

Some great pictures from RIF at McHarg and Riverlawn Elementary School.