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St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, April 30
• ExxonMobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Saturday, May 2
• The St. Elmo Historical Society will have a Kentucky Derby Day from 2-6 p.m. at Summer Breeze Wine House in St. James.
Sunday, May 3
• Sunday Night Live youth, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
• AMP’d youth, 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Monday, May 4
• The St. Elmo City Council, 7 p.m., Phillips Building.
Tuesday, May 5
• Friendly Neighbors, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• Council of Catholic Women, Mother’s Day potluck, 6:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall. The program will be given by “The Scarf Lady.”
• The Fayette County Extension Foundation, 7 p.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
Wednesday, May 6
• Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, 1 p.m., Loudon Townhouse.
• Reverb Youth, 6:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Thursday, May 7
• National World Day of Prayer, noon, Main and Fourth streets – Rediscovering God.
• The Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m.
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club, dinner at the Effingham Iron Skillet. Those attending are to meet at St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot at 5:30 p.m. to pool rides.
• The St. Elmo Public Library Board May meeting has been changed to this Thursday. It will meet at 7 p.m. at the St. Elmo Public Library.
Historical Vandalia Inc.
At the Historical Vandalia Inc. Board meeting held the evening of April 20 in the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia, a report was given on the Artworks-sponsored School Art Show held upstairs in the museum from April 2-5. Four hundred and fifty pictures were displayed by students from the following schools: Brownstown Elementary, Brownstown High School, Mid America Prep School at Herrick, Ramsey Elementary, St. Peter Lutheran, Vandalia Christian Academy, Vandalia second-graders, Vandalia Junior High and one Vandalia High School student.
During the Abraham Lincoln Convention April 17-19 weekend in Vandalia, more than 40 Abe Lincolns and Marys visited the museum.
Many items have been donated to the museum. Some received are an 1890 report card from the Farina public school, an 1881-1896 Circuit Court fee book, two 1937 political forms for Constable Cyril Smith, a 1924 Chamber of Commerce banquet program, a paperback of marriages in Fayette County 1911-1915, an 1860 Third Reader, 1878 History of Fayette County, two beaded purses, a quilt with signatures from Westcott Chapel, a 1922 Ramsey High School yearbook, an 1869 Harvey’s Elementary Grammar, an 1879 Harvey’s Revised English Grammar and a large manila envelope with Schultz family papers.
The board is renewing the membership in the Illinois Association of Museums. The annual conference of IAM will be Sept. 24-26 in Springfield.
Guidelines are being drawn up for the museum to loan out costume clothing and a contract will have to be signed to accept the stipulations.
The Fayette County Museum’s 35th Anniversary Cookbook was featured in the Southwestern April magazine in the Electric Co-op Kitchen pages.
Present at the board meeting were President Steve Durbin, Donna Blair, Joyce Mueller, Phil Shroyer and Mary Truitt of Vandalia, Jim Brewer and Mary Ann Rhoades of Ramsey, Barbara Buckland of Brownstown, Marilyn Beyes of Smithboro and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
UMW Spring Meeting
“Welcoming God, Welcoming All” was the theme of the spring meeting of the Embarras River District United Methodist Women held April 21 in the Paris First United Methodist Church. After registration and refreshments, the program started at 9:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.
After the welcome and devotions, a report was given on the Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana.
President of the ERD District UMW was a little late arriving because of road construction. Introduced was Marilyn Stout of Illiopolis.
An offering was taken for the missions UMW helps and $2,514.11 was received.
A memorial service was held for members of the district units that died in 2014. Of the 30, one was from Altamont – Wanda Ballard – and three were from Effingham – Joan Mankin, Esther Segrest and Pat Mitchell
The oldest district UMW member who died was from Shelbyville – Daisy Ritter was 107.
Awards were presented to units in the district. Area units receiving awards follows: Cunningham Children’s Home Spirited Servant Award-Altamont First and Effingham Centenary; Rainbow Award-Altamont First, Brownstown/Emmanual and Effingham Centenary; Love Unit-Altamont First and Brownstown/Emmanuel; Joy Unit-Effingham Centenary.
Of the 29 units in the Embarras River District, nine units reported readers. From Altamont, Louella Christensen and Marilyn Yakel completed Plan 1; from Effingham, Cyndy Montgomery and Peggy Peters completed Plan I, and Eileen Cumming, Helen Niccum and Judy Stroud completed Plan 2.
Units that read the most books were Marshall First, 108; Paris First, 77; Effingham Centenary, 62; Toledo, 48; and Shelbyville, 40.
A former pastor of Methodist churches in Illinois, John Harris, now is the assistant disrict superintendent at Terre Haute, Ind. For 16 years, he has spent 10 days each year helping with mission work in Haiti. He gave a talk on the past, present and future of Haiti and showed slides.
After lunch, the Paris church bell choir performed three numbers.
The next speaker was Vera Jones of the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House in East St. Louis.
A sheet in each packet had 10 questions on United Methodist Women’s Trivia. Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo, an ERD member-at-large, was the only one who had nine correct answers. She was presented with a container of three foliage plants.
The 67 who registered also included Louella Christianson, Shirley Harder and Marilyn Yakel of Altamont, Connie Green, Billyanna Forbis, Carol Hanna and Carol Severns of Brownstown and Kate Jennings, Judy Stroud and Linda White of Effingham.
The ERD UMW will have a mission study on Tuesday, June 9, in the Shelbyville Fourth Street UMC, from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The study is titled “Welcoming Those With Disabilities” and will be presented by Dot Hueman, the president of the Mississippi River District UMW. The cost is $7 for the meal. Registrations can be sent to Joan Miller at 2176 E 600 North Road, Mode, Ill. 62444 and the registration deadline is June 2.
The annual meeting of the United Methodist Women in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference will be held in Normal on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Royal Neighbors of America
Teddy bears were delivered to the Bonutti Clinic in Effingham in April by Royal Neighbors of America #5784. The bears are to be given to children while they are being treated.
RNA members will donate pies for the FFA banquet pie auction that will be held Saturday evening May 9 in the St. Elmo Elementary cafeteria. The pie auction is to raise money for scholarships and other items the FFA needs.
At the regular RNA meeting held April 22 in the Phillips Building, members charted April activities. Those present were President Della Stewart, Ina Abendroth, Jean Brown, Rosemary Owen, Marjorie Sarver, Betty Wright and Leona Wright.
The next regular meeting will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, in the Phillips Building.
St. Elmo HCE
Chairman Karen Wegscheid led in the Pledge of Allegiance to open the April 23 afternoon meeting of the St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education held in the St. Elmo Public Library. Roll call was answered by naming a favorite actor. Others present were Karen Denning, Mary Myers and Anna Jean Rhodes. A guest was Myers’s almost 3-year old nephew, Zachary Myers.
Denning gave the major lesson, “Mindfulness and Soul Care.” She ended with an interesting activity: “Mindful Eating – the pleasure of a Kiss Script.”
Rhodes presented the special feature lesson, “Misunderstood Tofu.”
Those present decided to change the monthly meetings from the fourth Thursdays to the fourth Tuesdays. The May 26 meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the St. Elmo Public Library.
Boy Scout Sunday
Scouts and leaders were honored on Boy Scout Sunday on April 26 at the First United Methodist Church that sponsors the Scouts that have their meetings in the church.
Richard Tucker played the prelude on the piano for the 10:35 a.m. worship service. The Boy Scouts presented the colors and the Cub Scouts led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Scoutmaster Justin Polanin then introduced the scout leaders.
After a hymn, opening prayer, another hymn and the pastoral prayer, the Cub Scouts were in charge of taking up the church offering. Before the service, the Cub Scouts handed out the church bulletins.
After a “Sharing the Love” and the children’s time, Tucker played “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” on the piano for special music.
The Rev. Dan Laack then gave the morning message.
Following the service, everyone was invited to the Fellowship Hall for a spaghetti dinner, compliments of Bryan Ward of St. Elmo, the co-owner of Joe’s Pizza in Greenville (he has two sons in the Scouts).
In addition to Polanin, other leaders present were Assistant Scout Master Chris Moore (who also is Cub Scout Pack master and assistant Webelos II den leader), Assistant Scout Master Kenny Warner and committee members Jenni Warner and LaQuita Booher.
From the St. Elmo First UMC, Joni Springman is the Scout charter rep and Judy Fasnacht is a Cub Scout committee member. Dale Sperry, a former pack master, was in Scout uniform.
Boy Scouts present were Keith Booher, Derek Moore, Ethan Moore, Nick Warner and Tayten Walker.
Cub Scout leaders present were Marea Yagow, Webelos Den leader, and Becky Gottman, Wolf Den leader.
Cub Scouts present were Logan Gamman, Zephaniah Johnson, Jack Kimberlin, Jack Knowles, Demario Ledbetter, Max Moore, Cotton Ward, Keegan Ward and Ben Yagow.
Book Signing
A number were present at the Fayette County Museum the afternoon of April 25 for the book signing by Faye Watson of Vandalia. Her book, “Recipes From God – Reflections of a God-Fearing Grandmother” is available in the Museum Artworks Gallery with some of the proceeds going to the museum. It includes different “ingredient” recipes and several real recipes.
After her review of the book, a variety of refreshments were served.

 

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