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GREENSBORO - For 69 years, Wednesdays were bridge club days at the YWCA.

No doctors appointments. No husbands. No exceptions.

The Y Matrons Bridge Club started with 79 charter members in 1940. Over the years, those numbers dwindled because of death, illness and retirement homes. Filling enough seats to play their beloved card game became increasingly difficult.

On Wednesday, six showed up for what members decided a few weeks ago would be the last game day. You need four at a table to play bridge.

“There are just not enough here to have a good time anymore,” said Samie Henegar, 90, a past president of the club and member since 1964.

“It’s a real sad time for us,” Henegar said. “We were really close. We felt like family.”

They’ve shared the births of children and grandchildren. They’ve supported each other through illnesses and the loss of husbands.

First dubbed the “Young Matrons,” the club provided Greensboro’s women a chance to get together and give back to the community during a time of war, Henegar said. Later, as members aged, the club became the “Y Matrons.”

Once upon a time, the group held bridge benefits and gave the money to charity or for projects at the YWCA.

They still donated what they could in recent years — mostly money leftover each week from the $1 buy-in.

But this was no Vegas card game. High score netted $2. Second-highest won $1.

It was never about the money or winning.

“I’ll miss coming, seeing the people,” said Betty

Cannon, 82, who joined the

club in 1984. “I don’t know

what I’ll do. I’ll think of something. I’m not staying at home.”

Edna Hicks, 79, joined the group in 1982.

“I just never dreamed that it would fold,” she said.

The women say bridge, which is played with partners, is more challenging than other card games.

Whist? Child’s play, said Hazel Branch, 75, a member for more than a decade.

“Bridge is the most fascinating game,” Henegar said. “Each hand that we play is a challenge.”

Most players today are older.

“The young people today are not interested,” Hicks said. “They have all these video games and computers. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

The women plan to continue playing at other clubs. Branch wants the group to go to a new club at the Leonard Center.

“We’ll still see each other,” she said. “We won’t maintain the closeness. But we’ll still see each other.”

So on Wednesday, the longtime bridge buddies played one last round together. They teased each other about husbands, reminisced about former players long gone and shared a farewell toast with coffee, tea and, for Edna, whatever secret elixir she always brings in her water bottle.

“I’ll never tell,” she said.

“Here’s to the end of the Y Matrons,” Henegar said. “So long and goodbye. A sad time.”

They divvied up the remaining decks of cards and the special score sheets

that Branch had made with

Y Matrons typed across the top.

“Thanks, Samie,” Hicks said, hugging Henegar. “It’s been great.”

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com