Evening Sun Report

PLYMOUTH – At Canasawacta Country Club’s season-ending banquet, two women were announced as inductees into the Greater Norwich Golf Hall of Fame. The late Vera Church, a longtime contributor to the course’s history, and Minnie Ellis, one of the prominent women’s golfers at C.C.C. for decades, were honored.
This is the first women’s-only GNHOF class, and the smallest induction class since the Hall’s inception several years ago. Below are profiles of each inductee:

VERA CHURCH
While she was employed with Norwich Pharmacal Co., Vera attended one of Ernie Taranto's clambakes which he was doing at Chenango Lake Legion Park in the late ‘40s. (Taranto was owner of the course for several decades.)  Vera became good friends with Ernie and the crew, and soon became part of the crew.  She took an immediate liking to the food and beverage business.  When Ernie and Casson Hazard bought Canasawacta in 1950, Vera left NPC and worked for the two owners in the capacity of waitress, banquet planner, employment director, and girl Friday.  As years passed and Casson left the club, it was just "Ernie and Vera,” and those two names were known throughout the city, county, and state. 
Vera was best known for her compassion to all the junior golfers of the community. She made sure that they had lemonade and something to eat all summer long after their mom or dad dropped them off on their way to work.  She also made it a point to hire local high school girls and boys for her wait staff during summer vacations, which extended through college.  By the way, they never went back to campus after a weekend of work without a cooler full of food from the C.C.C. kitchen.
For 35 years, 1950-1984, Vera was the "Lady of Canasawacta.” No one ever mentioned the name of Ernie without saying “Vera.”  Vera was Canasawacta and Canasawacta was Vera. After organizing thousands of banquets, handling the employment of hundreds of young ladies and men, and lending a huge hand in the total operation of C.C.C., Vera was best known and remembered for her love of the young employees of Canasawacta and how to treat them.  Business was business, but after hours one could see Vera putting on the 18th green with all her staff under the light for dollars, of course, and maybe a pitcher of "black Russians.”  Or taking wild rides on the golf course in carts...or going down the road to the haunted house. Vera simply loved Canasawacta and her people

MINNIE ELLIS
Minnie Ellis, now 93, has maintained a membership at C.C.C. for decades, and when she wasn’t playing matches with the ladies, was often spending her weekends on the course with her late husband.
Always a solid ball striker, she had surprising length off the tee despite her relatively small stature. Those who have played with Minnie over the years would describe her as “dedicated to the game,” an “avid player,” and “golf was her true athletics passion.”
One partner said tongue in check, “Minnie hit the ball a mile, and I hated her for it.”
Without question, though, Minnie lovesd the game of golf, and she proved many times that she was quite good at her passion. She won the ladies’ handicap club championship in 1974 and 1979. The path to a handicap championship back in the ‘70s was much more difficult than today’s current format. It was a match play format with the winner needing to win five consecutive matches. Proving she was a true competitor, Minnie was a perfect 10-0 in those two years, and many of those matches she was giving up strokes to her opponents.
Throughout her years at C.C.C. Minnie was active as an organizer of many leagues as well as the member-guest tournaments. In those days it was tough for the ladies to find available times to play due to day and time restrictions. Minnie’s dedication to the game of golf helped paved the way for future generations of ladies golfers at C.C.C.