Hospital Auxiliary cookbooks for sale

ODESSA – Beginning with mimeographed pages that were hand-stapled, the Odessa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary published their first cookbook called “Over the Party Line.” Through the years, the Auxiliary continued to put together a total of nine different cookbooks containing recipes contributed by citizens of Odessa. The most coveted (and out-of-print) one was the “green one.” The last cookbooks published by the Odessa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary are still available. The Staff of Life IV, the eighth cookbook, is a collection of new recipes and a few old favorites, complied by the cookbook committee of Freda Braun, Laura Estes and Sandi Smith. The ninth cookbook, Unser Tagelich Brot, (Our Daily Bread) The Staff of Life V, is a compilation of all the German recipes that appeared in previous cookbooks, including food served at Deutschesfest, plus a number of newly contributed German recipes and other family favorites. The cookbook committee for this cookbook comprised Laura Estes, Carey Mae Jasman, Nettie Miller and Deborah Walter.

The auxiliary disbanded in 2014. Though many changes have taken place at the hospital since the disbanding of the Auxiliary, you don’t have to look far to see the proceeds of auxiliary fund-raising. These included the lift-accessible soaking tub, the wheelchair-accessible scale and several physical therapy equipment pieces, just to name a few.

When the Auxiliary disbanded, the Odessa Healthcare Foundation assumed the responsibility of selling the remaining cookbooks, maintaining the gift cases and presenting a scholarship to one or more Odessa High School graduating seniors interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Money raised through the sale of the cookbooks and items in the gift cases provides money for these scholarships.

Scholarship winners in 2019 were Kassidy Crossley and Tori Weishaar. The 2020 winners were Eric Johnston, Maddy Wagner, and Josie Westmoreland. The 2021 winners were Alyssa Iverson and Maddie Scrupps.

Cookbooks are available in the gift cases in the Odessa Memorial Hospital lobby and at Quail Court, as well as at Odessa Drug. In addition, they may be purchased at Christmas Fest on December 1, 2021.

During the month of December, they will be available at a special holiday price. See the ad elsewhere in The Odessa Record.