A good idea worth sharing

When you are going to steal an idea, steal a good one.

Diane Braun serves up more hot spuds.

When Wayne and Diane Braun attended an Elysian church fundraiser years ago, they discussed the novel idea of a baked potato dinner. Not many of them around, and a somewhat easy undertaking. That was seven years ago, and today, the LeCenter United Methodist Church is serving up spuds with all the fixings in their sixth year, raising money for their church and community and doing the Lord’s work all at the same time.

There are many stalwart volunteers at their church, but its Diane and LeAnn Jones who head of the fund-raising committee, something the previous pastor assigned to them. Noticing their dedication and determination, he knew how important to have strong leaders.

“We have a great team of people at this church,” said Diane. “We all enjoy doing it and seeing the results of our work.” Their results are no secret, as many people in LeCenter have benefitted from their generosity. Maybe a person coming to town doesn’t have much food, not enough money for gas or just down on their luck temporarily. Time in and time out it’s the local United Methodist church passing along a grocery or gas card. “It’s our belief to help out others,” added LeAnn, who recalled helping a family with children get beds and other needs.

And it all begins with a hot potato.

Whether it’s chili or turkey and gravy to start out the piling on procedure, a person can add broccoli, ham, green or black olives, mushrooms, cheese or sour cream - all of them. Scooping for a side dish is encouraged, but when you mash it all up, it warms the tummy something yummy!

Add coleslaw and an assortment of bars or cookies (including gluten-free) and no one goes away dissatisfied. And before or after the meal, three tables of silent auction items await for anyone looking for a good deal and another way to help the community with their donation. Don Hoffman mans the tables and is the answer man there, while Mary Frank minded the till at the front door. So many more volunteers filled take-out orders at a separate station upstairs and jumped into their battle station when it looked like another order needed filling.

Volunteers:, back row: Jenn Jones, LeAnn Jones,
Lynnette Hoffman;front: Sandy Parks, Diane Braun,
Gerry Zimmerman

Meanwhile, Wayne is scooping up the potato and slicing it up for hungry goers, while kitchen helpers attend to food-related duties. In all, the energetic bunch served up 20 takeouts and over 80 taters downstairs - a good turnout indeed, in fact, more than the last two years!

All food is donated and signup sheets passed around weeks before the event. This year the calls to businesses for silent auction items came later than usual but the merchants from LeCenter, St. Peter, New Prague, LeSueur and Montgomery generously came through. It’s the likes of businesses like Evie’s Soups and More and Walt’s Hook, Line and Sinker or the donation of bags of yellow cherry tomatoes that keep the fund-raiser going.

Wayne Braun prepares
potatoes for eating

None of the food goes to waste. The first Monday of each month there is a community dinner at the church, so the women will cut up and fry up the potatoes and put out the fixin’s. Sunday services have coffee and treats so the sweets have a place to go.

The church service averages 30 parishioners each Sunday, but their generous ways touch the community. They are proudly known for their charity, “I think the impact of people in need in the community has been substantial and we try to help all we can,” added LeAnn. Pastor Amy Jo Bur, new in the last year, is proud of the impact her lambs have. “It’s amazing how they serve the church and town.”

Amy Jo hails from Michigan and moved from Georgia last year with her husband. Her diverse background and intellect, including a study under Desmond Tutu (South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop), helps lead the church for the future. No one outhustles the UM women’s group in town!  Oh, there is a garage sale in the spring and the men’s chicken and biscuit dinner early in the year as well, pretty much manned by the same volunteers. But it’s not often a church group has 94 year olds wanting to return to help. “Ruth Frederickson didn’t want to retire at 88 but we kind of told her she’s put in her time, it’s OK to just come and enjoy,” said Diane. “Another lady was 94 last year and we told her she didn’t have to work. But that’s our mission, to serve and that’s what they want to do.”

This year’s money is earmarked for local help, but it may be time to divert funds to an air conditioner in the office and narthex, along with roof help in the future. Whatever it might be, this congregation is ready for the challenge.

“I’m so thankful for my workers,” said LeAnn. “Everyone has a talent and wants to do what they can to help. We are all good friends and we do the fund-raisers together. I’m 75 years old now, and not moving as fast as I used to, but Diane and I were nominated to lead, so that’s what we try to do.”

No Diane, many people try, you and LeAnn succeed!

Yummy Calendar:

Saturday, Oct. 12 - Pine River First Lutheran Church Lutefisk Dinner, 3:30-7:30

Tuesday, Oct. 15 - Blooming Prairie First Lutheran Church Lutefisk Dinner, 4:30-7:30

Friday, Oct. 25, Buffalo's Zion Lutheran Church, Lutefisk Dinner, 4:30-7

Sunday, Oct. 27 - Chili Luncheon at Grace Lutheran Church, Mankato, 10:30-12:30

Where the buffalo roam . . .

Attending a buffalo roast brought back memories of singing the song, "Home on the Range" as a child, you know, where the buffalo roam and the good 'ol days?


There was only thoughts of lip-smacking buffalo and ham, along with other great fixin's at Medo Lutheran Church, a respite in the countryside south of Pemberton this past Sunday. Close to 200 people have attending this event in each of its 24 years, traveling through the flat, fertile lands of southwestern Minnesota to this tiny oasis. On this September 15th, my husband and I weren't the only ones standing in line awaiting the gates to open to taste a delicacy not often had for meals anymore.

"We were sitting have one of picnics in the park way back, and wondered what could we do different," said Ruby Isebrand, co-chair since the event started - except for the couple years when two other church women thought it good to rotate leaders (that lasted only a couple years). "John Weir and Rev. Gregg Welander said, how about a buffalo roast? Someone had mentioned they heard of it and we thought, no one else does it. So we looked into and here we are."

It's the first and only such dinner this writer has heard of in Minnesota, much less a small church group. Their first buffalo meat was bought from a Pierre, South Dakota business, in the same area as "Dances With Wolves" was filmed in 1990. Today, they secure their meat from Big Woods Bison in Nerstrand, and have it processed through Nerstrand Meats - which is one of the best places in Minnesota to buy all sorts of meat and treats.

While the buffalo comes from the northeast, the ham comes from a grocer to the northwest in Mankato. So a Medo meal visitor gets the choice of buffalo or ham, or in my case, I took both. Along with coleslaw, baked beans, fresh bread or buns for a sandwich (and condiments, but none are needed as it melted in your mouth), mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh tomatoes, huge sliced pickles and a selection of desserts that never ended, seconds were allowed but how you'd be hungry after that plateful is hard to figure out! Add coffee, lemonade filled by two cute munchkins and where could you feel more spoiled at a meal?

Ten-year-old Kiera Knutson and nine-year-old Electra
Knutson worked with a smile during the dinner.

"Melva Schull chaired the first event and we got about 275 people then, but get over 200 now," added Ruby, who glistened about the forehead as she bounded from the kitchen to the hall, making sure the volunteers were doing their jobs plus the hungry throngs were receiving all they needed for a great meal experience. Over 30 church volunteers worked tirelessly and smoothly through the two-hour meal. Pastor Laurie Stoeger was one of the greeters this year, but last year entertained the troops by playing the banjo. "While it was a great idea, we thought that people couldn't listen a whole lot because they were busy eating and visiting," Ruby chuckled. Doesn't matter anyway, as Pastor Laurie said her banjo was in repair right now!

They purchase and then roast about 120 pounds of buffalo, which they also sell to those who want to take some home for tomorrow. Perry Mortensen's family roasts the buffalo. When they first started the meal, it cost $3.85 a pound for buffalo meat, now its up to $9 a pound. About 80 pounds of ham, and more pounds than you'd want to carry of potatoes are processed as well. Chuck and Gert Schubbe mastered potato duty years ago and still smile while they work.

Kitchen Duty
Back row: Chuck Schubbe, Ron Schull, Darryll Schubbe; front row: Melva
Schull, Sonja Swanson, Erikah Kirksey, Vi Gonsolus, Gert Schubbe,
Vera Gonsolus and Ruby Isebrand.

Ruby's been a loyal Medo Lutheran since 1974, when her husband and she bought a farm near Pemberton. Now a hobby farm, they both stay busy enough, but remain just as active in church activities. "We used to have a lutefisk dinner for many years, but it became too much work to make all the food back then." It seems like they found their niche here!

Elnore Lindeland waited by the entrance table for her family before she wrote the check for all to eat. Just about to turn 90 years old the next day, she recalled vividly many dinners she worked - she chaired the lutefisk dinner many years. She had been raised near Owatonna, and a member at Medo since 1946. Her husband's family was one of the charter members of Medo, way back in 1868. As we talked more, we learned of similar people and places we both frequented, as is with every meal I attend. The world is indeed small if you take the time to meet the person next to you!

Elnore went on. "There's only one person older in the congregation, and he's four months older but not in good health." The Lindeland's celebrated their farm's 100 years at the church's 125th anniversary a while back. She is indeed a local treasure.

Medo volunteers pitch in

As the church quickly filled, it was a rare sight to see so many young men taking the time to get a meal. And with the youth filling roles as table clearers, coffee pourers, lemonade chasers, it was clear the buffalo roast was - and has been - a hit, drawing in those not usually seen at most church meals. There were about 17 take-out meals, "more when the guys are in the field" added Ruby.

"It's a long day preparing, serving and cleaning it all up, but it's worth it," she said. It must be, because when you have a congregation of 300, with about 50 weekly steady members, pulling it altogether is a work of art. But the September meal was a very special one indeed.

Recipe from the women of 

Medo Lutheran Church:

 

Apple Bars

 

2 and 1/4 cup flour

1 cup butter

1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk + milk to make 1/2 cup

 

1 and 1/2 cup slightly crushed corn flakes

4 cups sliced apples

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

 

Cut butter into flour, sugar and salt.  Add liquid (milk & egg yolk).

Roll out 1/2 the dough to fit in a jellyroll pan.  It works best if you roll the

dough out between two well floured sheets of wax paper.  You may need to

work a little flour into the dough when rolling it out.

 

Spread crushed corn flakes over dough.  Mix apple slices, sugar & cinnamon

together and place on dough.  Roll out top crust and place on top.  Spread

the beaten egg whites on top.  Bake at 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Drizzle a

thin powdered sugar icing on top while still slightly warm.  These freeze well.

Upcoming Meals:

 Sept, 20 - First Presbyterian Church, Bemidji, Roast Beef Dinner, 4:30-7

Sept. 28 - Pine River United Methodist, Pork Chop Dinner, 4:30-7

Oct. 8 - Vang Lutheran, Dennison, 34th Lutefisk Dinner, 4:30-7

Oct. 15 - First Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, Lutefisk Dinner, 4 - 7 serving

Going with the flow

Church ladies just know how to "go with the flow".

Despite a little scare the day before, St. Paul Catholic Church in Zumbrota pulled off its 21st Salad Luncheon, filling the reception hall with over 200 hungry locals on such a beautiful day outside, only church food like this redeemed their souls to go inside.

And it was here, the battle for keeping such luncheons for charitable organizations in the state began - and was won. Fundraising enthusiasts remember three years ago when Cathy Thiel and Pat Irrthum of Wanamingo, loyal members of St. Paul Catholic Church, jumped into action when a state health department inspector told them they could no longer hold the traditional church meal.

St. Paul's Catholic Church in Zumbrota.

Back then both the women - and countless others around the state - felt strongly church dinners should continue. You never know when a new roof, a mission project or charity may need the funds raised by such meals. The dustup over the food came after Goodhue County dropped its enforcement of state health laws and an inspector got tough on them.

Never tick off a church lady: as loving, mild-mannered, dedicated and hardworking as they are, they stand together in defense of their faith - and food. Over 400 signatures spurred the change and the rest is history. Church, sportsmen, fraternal and patriotic groups all over the state continue their fundraising food sales because of a little church with big hearts in Goodhue County.

So when their was a small gas leak from the church's kitchen stove the day before the luncheon, there was no need to worry. Quick action and contacting the proper experts made short order of the mishap and the volunteers quickly returned to fixing their goodies. Deadline was Wednesday, August 14, and they were easily ready for the 11 a.m. start.

The signup in the corner of the basement hall shows just how many people it takes to pull off this church festivity. If you don't sign up to bring food, you can donate money, donate time or help out making the fixin's. Over three days, over 40 different women help out to make this event such a success. And it allows local and national groups, plus church activities, get a little financial help because of their commitment.

Chairman Linda Kazmierczak organized the CCW group and was herself one of the busiest volunteers in the place. Active in this luncheon for four years, she easily rose to the challenge, albeit one that many have done for decades!

Loyal kitchen workers: Louise Gerken, Kathy Thiel,
 Barb Boraas, back row: Monica Capra, Linda Kazmierczk

"Many of the volunteers will tell you they look forward to every August, when this is done," said Linda. "Like any other church worker, your biggest fear is that you run out of food," she added, although it might be a group's biggest compliment. Louise Gerken's biggest fear might be what happened a few years ago - the coffee maker went down. "People don't get their coffee they aren't very happy," she smirked.

Tomorrow's church ladies: Emma Tschann, Rachel
Tschann, Maddie Lawler, Ashli Christopherson,
Carrie Befort all pitched in at the luncheon.

In this case, the food was just enough because of great planning and the coffee as delicious as only church ladies can make. Father Randal Kasel slid in amongst his followers, never missing a second of great conversation with church members. He even handed me a special prayer token and a hearty handshake and welcome. In his second year, he shares his faithful leadership with St. Michael's Catholic Church in Pine Island. And they have such a great website and while perusing their weekly bulletin, found the cutest and best idea in helping youth expand their faith: for the second year they have the "Little Flowers Girls", a class that teaches girls 5-16 about saints, virtues and other skills in a safe an welcoming environment. The girls earn badges while learning the virtues of piety, faith, love of God, obedience - and have fun at the same time. The class ends with a Mary crowning and mother-daughter tea. Kuddos!

After you received your meal ticket, you waited until you were told to take that stub and find a seat - leaving it as reserved. Then you came back and picked what side you wanted to fill your plate from, picking from 12 salads, including a meat/cheese tray, deviled eggs and homemade bread.

And a really clever idea - although I'm a big fan of desserts of all kinds, sometimes you don't do them justice because you are too full, or maybe you don't take that one scrumptious salad choice because you gotta have that piece of German chocolate cake. Well, at St. Pauls, their dessert was a Russell Stover chocolate, which was just enough to top off the meal. What is better than coffee and chocolate at the end of such a meal? And an added bonus not mentioned it had been done at other meals in my previous undertakings: diabetic and no-gluten salads as well.

Timothy Befort filled a plate of
chocolates and was rewarded
with a drink of lemonade for
all his hard work.

Because of lack of room in many cases, not all churches can have two serving lines. But I'm a big fan of it, probably dating back to three starving kids and trying to feed them fast enough not to inconvienence everyone else with they screaming or running under the table. In my case nowadays, I can hardly wait to try out all the great food. As most people realize, it seems like everyone else's salad, even though it might be the same one you make, just tastes better because we don't have to make it!

With Monday and Tuesday preparation days, volunteers bring in the food necessary to make the salads and Tuesday is make-em-up day. Linda, however, said that next year the church will be able to bring salads from home again as the law might become more lenient in its interpretation.

St. Paul's Catholic Church was around half a century before they secured land on South Main Street for their edifice. The cornerstone was laid in 1900 and the church became the seventh one built in Goodhue County at the time.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle from workers, the greatest quote came from 10-year-old Timothy Befort, who proudly helped little old ladies to their seat, grabbed dirty plates, filled coffee pots, etc. during his shift. His hard work sprouted sweat dripping down his face and the question to Linda, "Could I have a drink of lemonade since I'm working so hard?'

A small price to pay for a loyal - and future - parishioner!

Yummy Popcorn Salad
2 cups salad dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP vinegar
2 cups chopped celery
2 small jars (8 oz) water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled bacon
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Make 6-10 hours before serving. Add 6 ox. of popped white corn just before serving.

Spinach Salad for the Throngs
40 oz. spinach
4 bags romaine
12 red apples, diced
2 cans salted cashew halves
8 oz. shredded parmesan
8 oz. shredded swiss cheese
32 oz. craisins

Dressing:
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
2 2/3 cups canola oil
3 bunches chopped green onions
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP dry mustard
4 TBSP poppy seeds

Add dressing to mixture of ingredients, refrigerate an hour before serving.

Future food fun

Wed. August 28 - Garden Salad & Hotdish Luncheoon, St. John's Lutheran Church, Annandale, 11-1

Sat. Sept 1 - Aebelskiver Supper, Trinity Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, at BP Servicemen's Club, 4-7

Sat. Sept 28 - Pork Dinner, Pine River United Methodist, 4:30-7

Sat. Oct. 12 - Pine River Lutheran Church, First ever Lutefisk and Meatball Supper, 3:30 -7:30, downtown Pine River

Seconds are

 OK . . .

Somewhere in the depths of my brain was the idea that you just go through the church social line once, so make sure you pile up on the foods as much as you can. And, of course, the plates are always too small . . .

But at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells, they encourage you to take seconds - so I apologize to the hefty guy that went up for seconds before hostesses went around and suggested another trip. He was about to get a dirty look, and besides, who doesn't get enough on the first wave?

WELCA volunteers: back row: Gwen Peterson, Darlene Quade, Sue Seedorf, Marlene Kauffmann; front row: Diane Luedtke, Arlene Breitkrutz, Carol Jacobson.

If there awards given out from Church Cuisine of Minnesota, Good Shepherd may have received two Wednesday, July 23, at their Annual Salad Luncheon. They would top the list on friendliest people, as just about every worker came up and wondered who the stranger was that arrived 15 minutes early with a camera and notepad. And a new description was crowned best of show, when "creative stacking" was introduced as way to make room for more food. 

Gwen Peterson busy peddling lemonade.

"I wasn't supposed to chair today, but that's OK, I've done it enough that it runs itself," chuckled Diane Luedtke. The Wells church served over 110 people, filling to the brim in the 50-year-old church basement about halfway through the 1 1/2 hour meal. "We've done this for over 25 years," she added. "It's a good money-maker for us (WELCA members volunteer and coordinate the well-run machine.)"

Another bonus was the garlic toast to top off the salad selection tables, a first at any social for my taste buds. "We used to make them ourselves, and people still think we should, but it's just easier to get them from the grocery bakery." About 50 women donate salads, time and duties to pull off the yearly event. Altogether there were 45 salads, 11 large platters of bars, plenty of coffee and plenty of lemonade - as Gwen Peterson can attest.

"I'm not sure I'm peddling the lemonade very good," Gwen mentioned in her many trips to customer tables. "I'm not getting many people to pour for." It wasn't because of lack of effort or the flavor as my full glass lasted just 10 seconds as it was gulped down midway through the meal - just enough to catch my breath for the second half!

Earlier this year, in April, the church group was ready to have another luncheon. But as we all remember, mid-April brought over 1 1/2 feet of snow to some places in southern Minnesota. "We got together and prepared the Friday night before, thinking we could still have it," said Diane. "Well, I woke up around 6 a.m. and looked out the window and couldn't see two feet in front of me." The event was called off, but two hardy, dedicated souls who didn't get the news braved the weather and brought their salads to the church. "We finally got a hold of them and felt bad they made the trip when no one was there!"


This July feast had little extra food, but what was left was put in containers and taken down to the local senior-assisted facility to share with people there. Appreciative appetites didn't take long to dispose of those tasty dishes!

Diane runs a pretty tight ship, as the person in charge should with church eating events. "It was a hard sell for a few people," she explained. "Some of them don't like that I make them wear aprons at the funeral meals and wash their hands a lot. It took awhile for them to understand you can't bring your hankie, blow your nose and slip it under your watch to use later. I guess you can call me the taskmaster, but that's my job to make sure the meals are healthy ones."


Usually the money goes to Lutheran charities or missions, unless the church has a specific need to address. In the past roof and floor work needed some extra funds and the women's group gladly helped out. Two years ago they held their last meatball dinner to concentrate on salad luncheons, which are a little easier to manage. And a church-wide garage sale would be a welcome return, although that can take some time to pull off as well.

Good Shepherd has 1,100 members in the town of 2,443. At one time the luncheon was held in May, hoping to bring in more teachers, but when that didn't work out, they went for a July date. "I think it's so hot in July that people don't feel like cooking and can have a good meal in air-conditioning," added Diane. "We have a pretty good turnout in July."

The church opened in January 1963, brought together by two town Lutheran churches - one of German descent and one of Norwegian. Over the years 15 pastors have headed the church, with Pastor Kay Fullarton leading the congregation today. As any church, fellowship and sharing meals prompted an update in the kitchen in 1998 and a handicapped elevator in 2000. A library addition a year later. Change can be difficult, but Good Shepherd has taken its diverse congregation and created a sound, God-served church.

As people became more brave to sit at the 'stranger's table', my conversation veered towards my place of residence, Faribault. Happens to be two women at my table have daughters that live there, and I knew both of them. That's why every church social is so unique and special: people who love their church and community working toward a common goal, with hungry visitors from all around willing to get their fill on homemade cooking.

My social wanderings may be random, but never dull or boring. Never had a bad meal, bad conversation nor a bad drive - all because the likes of people at Good Shepherd and each church that undertakes volunteer meals such as these.

Small-town America still reigns in my world! Thanks for a wonderful experience Good Shepherd!

Diane's Hawaiian Chicken Salad

5 cups of cooked, cubed chicken
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 1/4 cups seedless green grapes, cut in 1/2
1 1/4 seedless red grapes, cut in 1/2
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup salted cashews
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup green onions chopped

Mix together in bowl. Combine dressing: 3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup yogurt, 2/3 tsp. salt. Pour over salad, stir and enjoy!

Four-bean Salad

1 can green beans
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 small, diced red onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
Drain beans and mix altogether.

Dressing - 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper. Mix together and add to salad. Refrigerate overnight.

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