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St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENT
Thursday, October 11
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo Public Library District Board, 7 p.m. Brownstown Branch Library.
• Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Monday, October 15
• Historical Vandalia Inc., 6:30 p.m., Fayette County Museum, Vandalia.
• St. Elmo Board of Education, 7:30 p.m., unit office.
Tuesday, October 16
• Lunch for Veterans, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
• Fayette County Extension Foundation, 7 p.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
SEBA Fair
St. Elmo Business Association is organizing a non-profit organization fair for Saturday, Oct. 27, from 1-4 p.m., at the St. Elmo Grade School.
Ten or more non-profit organizations have signed up to participate. They can start setting up at 9 a.m. Oct. 27.
The purpose behind the fair is to bring together the public with the organizations that are essential to St. Elmo.
SEBA said, “We hope to bring awareness and recognition to our non-profit organizations and match more members so that you can continue to thrive. We are asking that each organization set up a booth with information about your organization, including what event(s) you hold and/or sponsor throughout the year and in what way your organization has a positive impact on the community.
“There is no fee for this event, however we encourage you to hold a drawing at your booth.”
SEBA will provide refreshments as well as a passport -drawing. High school students who walk through must get a stamp (provided to each booth by SEBA) from each booth present. The completed passports will be turned in to the high school guidance counselor, Mrs. Loy, and the students will earn 1 Eagle Pride volunteer hour.
Adults who visit the booths and get their passportstamped can turn in the completed ones to be entered into a drawing sponsored by SEBA. The winner of this drawing will receive a gift certificate to be used at any St. Elmo business.
Fayette County HCE Week
Illinois Association of Home and Community Education and Fayette County HCE started the Home and Community Education Week on Monday and continues through Sunday. During the week, the first born to a Fayette County mother will receive a basket of gifts from the Fayette County HCE.
National 4-H Week
National 4-H Week started on Sunday and continues through Saturday. Several 4-H clubs in the county will have window displays, with locations posted in Fayette County 4-H Facebook page. Each location will have a sign-in sheet for those who view the window. Winners from these names will be selected for a prize.
Fayette County 4-H enrollment now is open. Instructions can be found on https://extension.illinois.edu/cefj and a 4-H’er can register online or by calling the Vandalia Extension Office at 618-283-2753.
More information can be obtained by contacting Dr. Lisa Diaz, assistant dean & director of 4-H youth development at 217-333-0910 or news writer Judy Mae Bingman, Extension media communication specialist at 217-300-2113.
4-H members in Fayette County will join the 6 million youth across the country in celebrating National 4-H Week. Every county in Illinois has a 4-H program that is operated through University of Illinois Extension. 4-H club membership is open to youth ages 8-18. Youth 5-7 years of age may join the 4-H Cloverbud program.
There are several ways to participate in 4-H. You may join 4-H clubs, coordinated by local screened adult volunteers. Each club decides how often it meets, the location of its meetings and the activities held during the meeting.
Members may select from dozens of project areas to study while they build leadership, teamwork, cooperation, decision-making and communication skills.
Youth may also choose to focus on a very specific project area and join a club specifically related to that one project, said Sara Luce University of Illinois Extension 4-H Program Coordinator.
Robotics, photography, gardening, visual arts and nutrition are just a few of he popular topics for special interest clubs.
One may also participate in 4-H clubs through short-term projects held during the school or at after-school youth organizations. Some of these popular groups teach youth about caring for the environment, preparing for a career, making healthy choices or other priority issues which build a person’s life skills.
Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups, and short-term programming.
Myers’ 50th Wedding Anniversary
Charles (Chuck) and Mary (Barborek) Myers of St. Elmo were married on Sept. 28, 1968, at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Charleston, Mo.
They met when Chuck of St. Elmo was in the Navy stationed in Tennessee and Mary was going to a business college in Memphis.
They and two of their sons, David of Parma, Ohio, and James and friend Tarra Moseley of St. Elmo, attended the all-area diocese Mass on Sept. 23 in Springfield for couples married 50 or more years. Bishop Patrocki presented them with a certificate.
Both of them thought this was their 50th anniversary celebration, but they were totally surprised on Saturday evening, Sept. 29, at the American Legion Home, which was decorated in gold – table cloths, candle lights and lanterns with flowers. Dave and Barb Morrison of Brownstown were in charge of the dinner and had much help. Trinity Kramer made the two-tiered decorated cake and each tier had three layers.
In addition to David and James, their other sons present were Travis and wife Vicki, and Henry and wife Erika, all of New York.
Chuck’s family present were: his brothers, Ed of St. Elmo, and Alan and wife Mary of Altamont; sister, Judy and husband Terry Heffle of Albuquerque, N.M.; and sister-in-law, Dorinda Myers of St. Elmo. Mary’s brother, Tony Barborek, was present. There also were nieces, nephews and cousins present and many friends.
One of Chuck’s Navy friends he had not seen for 50 years, Larry Corder of Robinson, was present.
Entertainment was the bluegrass music played by Chuck’s friends – Gratton and Marylynn Tolliver of Effingham, Mike Oldham of Finley, Chris Griffy of Salem, Russell Rench of Collinsville and Andy King of White County. Chuck and Mary danced one time.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 30, they went to the St. Clair Catholic Church in Altamont. Their son David presented them with a framed apostolic blessing certificate for their 50th wedding anniversary.
Fayette County HCE
President Flo Allen of the Sefton Unit opened the Sept. 24 meeting of the Fayette County Home and Community Education with the Pledge of Allegiance at 10 a.m.
Others present were Panzi Blackwell, Ashley Davis and Connie Green of the Sefton Unit, Donna Blair of the Bingham/Ramsey Unit, Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit and Rebecca Graves and Joyce Mueller of the Vandalia Day Unit.
This year started in June with 79 members. Sefton got a new member in June, but the September death of Mary Smith of the Wright’s Corner Unit puts the county membership back to 79. The county is going to lose another member, because the Rebecca Graves family is moving to Alabama.
State President Jane Chapman answered Allen’s email on Pennies for Friendship: “It is two different projects. Continue collecting Pennies for Friendship or its new name Friendship Project Funds. What we are doing in my own unit in Perry County is we collect Pennies for Friendship and we take the dimes out and put them in the water bottle for Zero Hunger Project.”
A check for the pennies each unit has collected has to be sent to Treasurer Connie Green before November.
In the August board notes, it stated that Allen provided magnets to the board members, but it was Davis who provided them.
Fayette County’s Illinois Association of Home and Community Education International Week is Oct. 7-13. The first baby born to a Fayette County resident will receive a basket of gifts from the units.                                                                                                                                                         
The International Night was set for Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Unity Baptist Church in Vandalia. Registration was 5 p.m. and a potluck at 5:30 p.m. The program was on Australia.
The annual Fayette County Extension Foundation chili/soup fundraiser is on Sunday, Nov. 4, in the Brownstown Elementary Cafeteria, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Fayette County HCE is to provide the desserts.
Fayette County Hospital will have a Health Fair on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Vandalia’s Olde Tyme Christmas is on Nov. 9-10.
Past and present officers of the board will eat at 11:30 a.m. at the Vandalia Ponderosa after the Monday, Oct. 22 board meeting.
Rhodes’ name was drawn for a door prize from Allen; it was a large can of popcorn. Because Graves is leaving the board, Rhodes gave the door prize to her as a farewell gift.
Those able to eat lunch at Denny’s were Allen, Green and Rhodes.
CCW
President Mona Durbin opened the Oct. 2 meeting of the Council of Catholic Women held in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall with prayer and all gave the Pledge of Allegiance.
The following answered roll call with “What is your favorite sports team?”: Helen Bergman, Karen Denning, Durbin, Loretta Heischmidt, Judy Hejnal, Debbie Jo Hough, LaVerne Kramer, Darlene May, Mary Myers, Jan Niemeyer, Pat Porter, Carol Rine and Natalie Stout.
Cards of encouragement were signed and one was signed for pastor appreciation day for Father Chris.
A former pastor of the church, the Rev. Jack Savory died, and his funeral was on Sept. 29 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Paris, Ill. Several attended the funeral, and a special Mass will be held later.
Church repairs were discussed and it was decided to use the old Christmas decorations.
Myers showed the 50th wedding anniversary certificate that she and her husband Chuck received from Bishop Patrocki at the Sept. 23 Mass in Springfield for all diocese couples who have been married for 50 or more years.
Hostesses Niemeyer and Stout served apple cake, M&M’s and candy corn from a fall-decorated table.
St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club
Ten members and three guests were present at the Oct. 4 meeting of the St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club held in the St. Elmo Public Library: members Susan Belden, Neva Carter, Peggy Cox, Loretta Heischmidt, Sheila Himes, Kara Lamar, Mary Jane Mattix, Mary Myers, Pat Porter and Anna Jean Rhodes; and guests Carrie Cox, Debbie Jo Hough and Laura Taylor.
Carrie Cox, daughter of Peggy Cox, became a new member.
A program on home schooling was given by Laura Taylor of St. Peter. Taylor was home-schooled, received some grants and went to college in Greenville. She and her husband have four children ages 5-11, one girl and three boys.
Each one received a booklet that answers, “Why should I consider homeschooling?” It includes: We believe: the purpose of education is to know God and make Him known; God trusts parents with their children and so should we; education is the responsibility of the family, with support from fellow believers; the support of community enhances our ability to fulfill parental duties; the accountability of community both sharpens and humbles members; Truth is required to inculcate wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; wrestling with truth promotes blessing and virtue for the whole community; and classical education prepares us to accept the responsibilities of Christian freedom.
Taylor answered several questions. Her interesting program was well received.
President Porter opened the business meeting with the club collect and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Porter read a letter from SEBA asking if the Women’s Club will participate in the SEBA Fair 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, in the grade school; four volunteered to help.
Rhodes presented each one with the info on getting orders for nuts and candies from Terri Lynn at Elgin. This is the annual Women’s Club fundraiser to help the club meet the several hundreds of dollars the club budgets to donate to community projects each year.
Orders have to be given to her no later than Oct. 27, so they can be ordered early and received before Thanksgiving.
Hostesses Carter and Peggy Cox served pineapple cake, vegetable pizza, fruit pizza, nuts and candy on orange plates amd the napkins were orange Two tables had centerpieces of fall candles and harvest candle holders.
On Thursday, Nov. 1, the members and guests can eat Dutch at Mary Ann’s Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. After a short business meeting, at 7 p.m. they will go to Pagel Funeral Home for a program.
 

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