Artesia Historical Society’s Monthly Exhibit Featured Nostalgic Look At ‘Fashionable Woman’s Accessories From the Past’

By Brian Hews

On Saturday May 11, the Artesia Historical Society held its monthly exhibit in honor of Mother’s Day. Entitled “Fashionable Women’s Accessories of the Past,” the exhibit included lady’s hats, gloves, shoes, costume jewelry and many other things.
The core items, the lady’s hats, were collected and donated by the late Maude West.  Maude was a resident of Artesia from the early 1950s until her death in 1997.  She was born in Alberta, Canada and immigrated to Los Angeles in 1929.  She married a Long Beach oilman, Donald Anthony West in 1931.  During their marriage they lived in Long Beach, Bellflower (area later incorporated into today’s Lakewood) and Artesia.  They adopted three children.
Maude was an avid volunteer and was active in many organizations.  See was a member of the North Long Beach Women’s Club for several years before transferring her membership to the Woman’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos in 1959.
She served as the club president from 1979-1981 and 1983-1986.  She was chairman of the garden section of the woman’s club and a longtime conservationist.
She actively supported reforestation in California and was co-leader in the development of the Memorial Rose Garden in the Artesia Park.  As a result of her love of gardens she actively supported for many years the Chrysanthemum and Art Festival in Artesia.
As a member of the Woman’s Club and her other civic involvement she supported the Special Olympics, the Artesia Library, an Artesia Prayer Breakfast, the Pioneer Days Parade and Community BBQ, sponsored the Artesia Halloween Festival, helped prepare Christmas stockings for the community, and supported Artesia Recreation activities.  Her lifetime dream was to have a museum in Artesia. “The Club was very happy to honor Maude as a part of this exhibit,” said Barbara Applebury, VP of the AHS, “she did a lot of work for the city of Artesia.”
On Saturday May 11, the Artesia Historical Society held its monthly exhibit in honor of Mother’s Day. Entitled “Fashionable Women’s Accessories of the Past.”The core items, the lady’s hats, were collected and donated by the late Maude West.  Maude was a resident of Artesia from the early 1950s until her death in 1997.