52 Ancestors - Week 34- Member of the Club

52 Ancestors – WEEK 34 – Member of the Club

By Cynthia Keefer Patton

My father Clyde Andrew Keefer was a member of the Atlanta Optimist Club and the year I was born, 1958, was their President. He was given a nice gold watch to commemorate his tenure.

Anytime we talked about when I was born the story was told. Also, he used to say that I was optimistic in my outlook on life because of that. Maybe so.

I interviewed him once for a DAR Patriot of the Month project and he told me he held the office from 1957-1959.

I did find an article in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal about some of his time in the club.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-dad-in-the-opti/44407121/

I found another article in the Athens Banner-Herald, July 25, 1961, front page:

So, as is with most family lore stories, part of them are true, some hard to prove and almost always partially true. One thing is certain, he was a member of the club.