Strohsahl nominated for award

Sparta — Marjorie Langlinais Strohsahl of Sparta was selected as the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC nominee for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs’ Mid-Atlantic Region “Jennie Award.” Her credentials will now be submitted to the region president for judging, along with women from New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The GFWC Jennie Award recognizes a lifetime of commitment to club, community and family, and is named for Jane “Jennie June” Cunningham Croly, who founded the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1890. Croly was a journalist who was denied entry to the New York City Press Club’s dinner honoring Charles Dickens in 1869. Through the years, she recognized that women needed a voice, and accomplished that in the formation of GFWC, said officials. Strohsahl joined the GFWC Junior Woman’s Club of Arlington in 1972. She was named “most outstanding new member,” chaired its Social Services Department, and was honored as a “Burns Pioneer” by the National Burn Victim Foundation. As club’s education, community improvement, and woman’s history chairman, Strohsahl was recognized by the state and general federations. She was elected first vice president, and served as 2003-2005 president, when she was distinguished by NJSFWC for her leadership, and placed on the state honor roll by her club. She authored two additional resolutions which gained federation approval, and were submitted to Congress: “Decency in Broadcasting” and “Scleroderma Awareness.” From 2005-2008,” she served as liaison to the Junior Woman’s Club of Sparta. At the state level, Strohsahl was the 2006-2008 NJSFWC communications chairman, and was concurrently appointed representative to the Highlands Coalition, where she served on its executive board. She authored the federation’s “Garden State Preservation” resolution. Currently, Strohsahl is the NJSFWC’s vice president of the Highlands District, comprised of 24 women’s clubs in four counties. Some of her community service activities include work as an emergency medical technician with the Ogdensburg First Aid Squad, the founding of its auxiliary, and coordinator of two cookbooks. She is a charter member, past president, and life member of the Ogdensburg Historical Society, and a founder, past vice president, trustee and life member of the Sparta Historical Society. There, she spearheaded the Veteran’s History Project (American Folk Life Center of the Library of Congress project), chaired the Senior Citizens’ Oral History Project, and coordinated a project to replicate the historic 1790 Van Kirk house, seeking volunteers from the historical society, woman’s club, high schools, veterans, scouts, Kiwanis, and local businesses. As a member of Blessed Kateri Roman Catholic Church, Strohsahl served as a religious educator, and founded “First Graders for Food,” which collected seven tons of food for emergency food pantries. She was with the welcome ministry and was a homeless host for the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Strohsahl is a prayer chain member and Blessed Sacrament adoration team member. Strohsahl is the Sussex County affiliate secretary of the National Alliance of Mental Illness-NJ, and a 26 year member of Xi Beta Rho, the Sparta chapter of Beta Sigma Phi International, and was twice selected “Woman of the Year.”