A Fountain Built with Love: The Lady Lions of Granger Park

A Labor of Love: The Lady Lions’ Fountain at Granger Park (July 1958)

Long before Granger Park became just a memory, it was the heart of a proud, tight-knit community — a place where neighbors came together, children played, and local service clubs worked tirelessly to make it something special for everyone.

One of the best examples of that dedication came in July 1958, when the Granger Lady Lions proudly unveiled their long-planned fountain in the community park. It was more than just bricks and water — it was a symbol of years of quiet, determined effort by women who believed their growing community deserved a gathering place with simple comforts and beauty.

For years, the Lady Lions raised money bit by bit — selling quilt raffle tickets at fall bazaars, crafting and buying quilts themselves, and always saving every dollar with the dream of a drinking fountain for the children and families who gathered at the park.

When the time came to build it, they made sure it matched the brick fireplace that the Granger Lions Club had already installed at the park’s pavilion. Both projects brought neighbors together for summer cookouts, celebrations, and everyday memories.

A plaque bearing the Lady Lions’ name, arranged by John Wells of the Granger Branch of Valley State Bank, was proudly placed on the fountain — a lasting marker of the women who made it happen. The club’s past presidents, including Mrs. Helen Breeze, Mrs. Verl Taft, Mrs. Coronet (Violet) Rich, Mrs. Robert (Verl) Taft, Mrs. Thayne (Lorraine) Accord, Mrs. Roy (Helen) Breeze, Mrs. Udell (Thelma) Rannion, and Mrs. Joseph (Norma) Shafer, each carried the vision forward year after year until it became real.

Special thanks were also given to local builder Ted Eskeson, who pitched in to help complete both the fireplace and the fountain — yet another mark of his caring craftsmanship in Granger.

When the water first flowed that summer day in 1958, it was so much more than just a drink on a hot afternoon — it was proof of what happens when neighbors care enough to give their time, talents, and love to their community.

Though Granger Park is gone, the memory of that fountain, the people who built it, and the spirit behind it still flow through everyone who remembers how hard their neighbors worked to make Granger a place worth calling home