Eggs-citing Waldorf meal

When a hungry person plans on going to a church social, their eyes are primed on the prized 'food of the day'. Thus, attending an ice cream social in the tiny town of Waldorf, one would suspect the cold delight would top off the tastebuds.

First Lutheran Church in Waldorf held it's annual community event June 30, but for me it wasn't the ice cream and ginormous selection of homemade pies that made me salivate, but the egg salad sandwich. So far, in all the church socials my mouth has experienced, no one has served such a sandwich.
On such a beautiful day, which we thankfully accept with open arms after the dreadful spring, church volunteers conjured up 12 different pies, potato salad, chips, coffee/juice, sloppy joes, fruit, baked beans, angel food cake and of course, ice cream.

Although the barbeque sloppy joes were good - I snagged a bite of my husband's - eating the egg salad sandwich brought back a lot of childhood memories of making them with my mom and making them for our 4-H ice cream socials. You just don't see egg salad sandwiches on menus anywhere anymore. There's not much to making them, but it must be the thoughts of yesteryear that made me grab one, that, and the fact that going against the norm is not alien in my life! 

Pastor Michael Mathews greets visitors

Two other things were special on the day: Pastor Michael Mathews meeting and greeting the guests as well as handing them a beautifully flowered tray and a smile to boot, somethings he's done for several years; and just the freshness of summer fruit in pies. The raspberry pie was superb and was too hard to pass up. It was hard to pass up the strawberries, but I had plenty of them waiting for me at home from my garden - the raspberries are a few weeks away!



So I didn't pass up the raspberry pie. Mmmm!

The social used to be held in the church basement but the lack of air conditioning and handicapped accessibility prompted a move to the community center on main street. The air conditioning was a nice rush to the open doors to the front of the building and the back of the building shared many proud community moments captured through school photos, local veteran awards and antiques collected and displayed with the the local ties in three huge display cases. Crocks, calendars, bank books, thermometers, and much more proudly showed the heritage of the town's businesses since the town was founded in 1908.

The Plum Valley Creamery opened first in 1898 near Waldorf, but it wasn't until businesses like Waldorf Hardware, Geo. Habeck Electric, The Corner Cafe, Waldorf Produce, Waldorf Gamble Store, Mark's Standard, that made the town open up for settlers. It still has a few businesses, but with Mankato  and Albert Lea nearby, it continues to be difficult to keep local businesses open.


It didn't take long to feed 100 people and when I left, it looked like they were going to break the 170 number or so they expected. In fact, later I found out 250 people lined up to eat, easily breaking previous high numbers!

Stan and Margie Sternyske of Good Thunder have made the trip to the ice cream social for many years and try out new desserts every year. That's a good idea - if you can remember the year before! Stan lamented about the little towns as well and as a construction business owner, he knows it's tough to keep the doors open. He and Margie make several area socials and enjoy each of them with their unique foods and community pride.

Thelma Schweer served drinks to thirsty patrons

Patty Flemming saved the day and researched the ice cream social, which began back in the 1940s. Delores Rosenau, Marilyn Gerdts, Margaret Ewert, Marie Tesch, Darlene Tesch, Thelma Schweer, Jeanette Bluhm and Grace Miller have bragging rights on working the most socials. Three ladies co-chaired the event this year and that changes each year. Volunteers sign up for the pies and cake and for eggs and potatoes for the potato salad and egg salad. Work groups are established to make the salads on Saturday morning at the church. Sunday morning they meet at the community center to make the sloppy joes and cut up the fruit. Food line and dishwashers have two splits each - it works flawlessly!


First Lutheran has just 207 members but about 50-75 volunteers generally do preparations for the social - which is great participation from a congregation. Proceeds earned go towards church improvement projects or a charity picked ahead of time.

In the past, it's rare, but pie has run out, "but no one goes away hungry," added Patty. "Leftovers are sold at the end of the evening. The menu hasn't changed much over the years except that fruit was added in recent years." 

Delores Rosenau is the oldest member and still is involved. Darlene Tesch shared a memory of a past ice cream social when it was held on the west side of the church. The dinner included use of the church glass plates and in a regular assembly line fashion, dirty dishes went through the window to be washed and brought back outside. The dish towels were hung on the clothesline to dry and reused when they were dry.

Lisa Traynor, Diane Bluhm, Jan Bluhm, Brenda Gerdts had the early
kitchen shift at the ice cream social.

The community center and it's huge area has allowed for more people to hang around and visit - which is what church socials are for. No need to hurry this day, as there was plenty of food, conversation, friends and full tummies that satisfied all that came.

Small town America does not disappoint if you give it a chance. Thanks for Waldorf's First Lutheran for a grand meal and experience!

Bonnie Truebenbach's Scrumptious Raspberry Pie

3/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP corn starch
3/4 cup water

Cook to thick and add a package of raspberry Jello. Stir and then add raspberries. Pour into a precooked pie shell and refrigerate until it is set.

More Summer Eat Events!

Thursday, July 11 - Rapidan Calvary Lutheran Church ice cream social, 6-8

Sunday, July 14 - Dale Lutheran Church, rural Kenyon, ice cream social, 5-7
     -St. John's UCC ice cream social, rural Faribault, 4-7

Wednesday, July 17 - Truman St. Paul's Lutheran Church Salad Luncheon, 11-1

Thursday, July 18 - St. Charles St. Matthew's Lutheran Church ice cream social, 5-8
     -St. Augustine's Church, Austin, Salad Luncheon, 11:30-1

Sunday, July 21 - St. Paul's Lutheran Church salad luncheon, Green Isle, 10:30-1

Sunday, July 28 - Wabasha United Church of Christ Summer Sensation Salad Luncheon, 11-1

The Importance of Youth

It's not often nowadays that the caretakers of church social events have youthful faces full of energetic charm, but that was the case in a visit to Meriden's St. Paul Lutheran Church and their annual ice cream social.

This lovely church hides between corn fields in Steele County for now, but in the near future Hwy.14's four-lane highway will drive close by, giving up its privacy and peaceful existence. On Sunday, August 5, over 350 hungry travelers filled the parking lot to eat not only ice cream, but pork burgers, BBQs, potato salad, fruit cups and most ginormous selection of pies to pick from in any church kitchen.

Kent Wilker mans the BBQ grill to a new
record sale of pork patties.

Kristen and Kent Wilker were the first ones on hand for the day, finalizing touches to the menu, tables, decorations, food. In fact, the most ideal summer day in over a month added to the quiet country setting and Kent was busy preparing the huge grill for pork patties from Steve's Meat Market in Ellendale. Little did he know that before the day was out, a quick trip to neighbors to borrow about 100 more patties for the throngs of visitors hoping to satisfy their hunger. It probably had something to do with his secret barbeque recipe utilized from the grill!

"We couldn't believe that we ran out," explained Kristen. "We ran out of everything - but pies, and that was because we had extras come in that morning. We felt so bad when the last of the people showed up hoping for a burger and we couldn't give them one. They were all so understanding and asked, "what do you have" and we said, "pie" and they said, "we'll have that then."

Several years ago the ice cream social brought in about 400 but in subsequent years the numbers dropped to about 250, which is what Kristen and Diane Kath, co-chair's of the event, decided on. "It was bad news, good news, when that happened. Glad we had such a great crowd, but feeling bad we couldn't provide more." The ice cream social has been held for decades.

Macy Meixner was busy making more
fruit cups for the large crowd Sunday.

Kristen credits some 'free' advertising to more numbers. The conventional paid advertising was performed, but she added a flyer to the Owatonna Today Show on the radio, Todd Hale and his Fair Talk column in the Owatonna newspaper and mentions on other radio programs. "I made the ad a little bigger in the (Owatonna) newspaper but I think the other forms were the ticket."

That was one of the jobs Kristen had to perform before she and her husband led the church Luther League youth group to Louisiana for its annual convention. The Meriden group doesn't make that commitment very often, so not only was time involved but finding the money for the trip, which in the end cost about $19,000. The ice cream social proceeds help out the youth group, as do other fundraisers at the church. It was a big undertaking, but the group proudly showed slides from the trip at the social during the meal. "It was so much fun, but it was also very educational," said Kristen. "We decided we couldn't do it every year, so hopefully we can go again in three years. But it takes a lot to pull it off."

Fifteen youth from that group helped at the dinner and along with eight adults, kept the event flowing. At the door, guests are asked to fill out order forms, but the 200 provided ran out an hour into the meal. It was the first time this author has seen order forms, but it's been a staple for St. Paul's ice cream social for many years.

The solitude of the farm

fields was enhanced bythe beauty of the cemeteryacross the road fromthe church.

The church has a to-die for parish education committee that jumps to help out. "It absolutely is amazing how the congregation comes through whenever we ask for help," Kristen glowed. She was worried when she saw only a few pies on Saturday, but by Sunday 38 delicious desserts showed up: blueberry, cherry, apple, french silk, pumpkin, lemon meringue, cheesecake, cherry cheesecake, rhubarb and the one people drive miles to get to - sour cream raisin. "That went quick," laughed Kristen.

Pastor Gary Ruskinko has served the 430 strong congregation since 1995 and proudly rolls up his sleeves to help out, kitchen, grilling - wherever he is needed. "These people also put on a Sweetheart Supper, Soup days during Lent and a Pancake Breakfast, besides what needs that come up," he said. "They aren't afraid to help out." Kristen agreed, "I have one parishioner that comes through often and doesn't want anything in return - I've even tried to return her generosity. You can't believe how invaluable people like that are."


Besides food, there is a raffle for an older quilt, new quilt, baskets full of goodies for people willing to buy a ticket at the door. $240 was raised from generous visitors from that event.

As most church socials go, changes have to be made due to time constraints on volunteers. The potato salad is purchased now, but may be brought back as homemade donations in the future. Kristen and Diane donate the buns and baked beans. The fruit is also donated: this year they made 52 fruit cups and ended up hurriedly had to make up 20 more when food sold quickly.

"One reason I do this is because society has forgotten about so many traditions that are going away," said Kristen. "It doesn't really take that much time to do these things if you get enough people wanting to do it. This little country church chooses to do it."

The hard work of adult parishioners has not gone unnoticed by the younger set. The youth want to get involved with transitions meals in Owatonna as well as serving meals in the Minneapolis area for future service projects.  It's a testament to the energy provided by the Wilkers and the many other volunteers at the church. "Next year we might add a corn feed to this event, we've talked about that."

And Kristen would be the one to make that happen!