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St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, May 31
• Exxon/Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Friday, June 1
• This is the entry deadline for all 4-H show projects
Monday, June 4
• The St. Elmo City Council, 7 p.m., Phillips Building.
Tuesday, June 5
• Friendly Neighbors, potluck at noon, Phillips Building.
• The Summer Reading Program starts at the St. Elmo Public Library.
• The Council of Catholic Women, 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church Parish Hall.
Wednesday, June 6
• Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education, 1 p.m., Loudon Town House.
Thursday, June 7
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m.
Quilt Club
Present for the Friendship Quilt Club meeting held the evening of May 17 at the St. Elmo Public Library were Julie Aderman, Rosalynde Stine and Peggy Stolte of Farina, Joy Edwards and Karen Roedl of Altamont, Kris Luster of Ramsey, Tamara Johnson of Brownstown and Tonia Austin and Marie Durbin of St. Elmo.
Plans were discussed for possibly attending a quilt retreat at Danville in July.
At the May 5 Sew-In, there were five present. The next Sew-In will be held on Saturday, June 16, at 8:30 a.m. at the St. Elmo Public Library.
Refreshments were served by the hostesses, Stine and Stolte.
Methodist News
Ascension Day was observed during the morning worship at the St. Elmo First United Methodist Church on May 20, and the chancel choir, accompanied by Kathy Spitler on the organ, performed for the final time until the Sunday after Labor Day.
At the end of the morning worship, the choir sang a cappella.
Choir members are Sharon Belden, Susan Belden, Bob Cox, Cathy Flowers, Judy Gillaspie, Kay Hanna, LeMar Marchman, Joann Maxey, Leatha Newberry, Kathy Spitler, Lloyd Stanley and Mona Stanley.
An administrative board meeting was held after the worship service. Plans were discussed for a dinner to be held at noon on June 10 in the church Fellowship Hall as a farewell for the current pastor, the Rev. John Eisfelder and his wife. Eisfelder is retiring from the ministry and is leaving after June 10.
Meat, beverages and table service will be provided for the potluck dinner, so those attending can take salads, vegetables, desserts.
RNA
Royal Neighbors of America No. 5784 met at 1 p.m. May 23 at the Phillips Building and voted to donate to 4-H for a Fayette County Fair trophy.
Records were done for May. Present were Ina Abendroth, Jean Brown, Rosemary Owen, Irene Reed, Marjorie Sarver, Shirley Smith, Della Stewart, Betty Wright and Leona Wright.
The Wednesday, June 27, meeting will be at the Altamont McDonald’s at 4:30 p.m. for a birthday celebration.
Fayette County HCE
The Fayette County Home and Community Education Board met the morning of May 21 at the Vandalia Extension Office, with the following present: Flo Allen, Shirley Klitzing, Phyllis Pryor and Debbie Swain of the Sefton Unit; Dorothy Harpster of the St. Peter Unit; Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit; Anita Smith and Debbie Segrest of the Vandalia Day Unit; and Mary Smith of the Wright’s Corner Unit.
The county HCE Board is donating an auction gift for the Relay for Life. It is a basket filled with a guardian angel, four guardian angel mugs, a note pad that has an angel food cake recipe on the bottom, and a bookmark with a tiny “angel for your shoulder.”
Board member Panzi Blackwell wrote the following poem attached to the basket: The baton is passed from hand to hand as the race for the cure continues on; and when the foe has been disarmed, the survivors will have won, for the dreaded disease is losing and the battle must continue on ‘till the words cancer-free ring around the world and that will be the survivors “Victory Song.” It is signed, “Joining you in the battle, from the Fayette County Home and Community Education-HCE.”
Units are reminded that dues for the 2012-13 year need to be sent to the county treasurer, Harpster, by the end of June. At the 2011 annual meeting, it was voted to increase the dues to $13 starting June 1 of this year.
Unit officers are elected in May and the units also are reminded to send in June the list of the unit officers to the first vice, Pryor.
The annual meeting is set for Tuesday, June 19, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Vandalia. Registration is 11 a.m., the potluck at 11:30 a.m. and the business meeting will follow the potluck.
Wright’s Corner Unit Mary Smith reported that she is making 14 little girls dresses that will be sent with a granddaughter who is going to Kenya on a mission trip in June.
Sefton Unit has made 20 pillow cases, took 18 pounds of tabs to McDonalds for the Ronald McDonald House and is responsible for serving lunch for kids one day a week at the Brownstown United Methodist Church.
After the meeting, all but Mary Smith ate lunch at the Vandalia Los Amigos.
Historical Vandalia Inc Board
The board of Historical Vandalia Inc. met the evening of May 21 in the Fayette County Museum at Vandalia with the following present: President Steve Durbin, Donna Blair, Allison Magnus, Phil Shroyer and Mary Truitt, all of Vandalia; Jim Brewer of Ramsey, Barbara Buckland of Brownstown, Marilyn Beyes of Smithboro; and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
The board voted to engrave a brick for the garden in memory of Alice Dickerson, Gloria Durbin’s mother, who recently died. Gloria is the wife of Steve Durbin.
The museum had 322 visitors in April. So far, future tours planned for the museum are three in June and one in July.
It was reported that the garden has had to be watered before the recent rain.
For the Town and Country Art Show scheduled for June 16-24, the opening critique and reception will be Friday, June 15, at 7 p.m. and the museum will be open from 6-9 p.m. The regular hours the museum are open are: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 1-4 p.m. on Sundays.
The Historical Vandalia Inc. membership is now 79.
For the fundraiser newsletter, 29 have responded with restoration donations and 21 who have donated $100 or more will have their names on a plaque.
The museum’s electrical work is in the final stages, and the lights and fans soon will be installed. Future work includes putting insulation in the upstairs walls, so more donations will be needed.
The museum committee is to meet at 10 a.m. next Monday at the museum. The fundraising committee is to meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13, at the museum.
The First National Bank awards luncheon is on June 6, and Shroyer will represent the museum.
Beyes attended a photography workshop at Champaign in May.
Seeds of Kindness
“Seeds of Kindness was the theme for the evening for fun, fellowship and refreshments for all ladies held May 22 in the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Attendance of 36 included 19 guests.
The church nurture committee was Rene Edwards, Marilyn Sproat and Rosemary Owen. Edwards was in charge of the decorations. When entering the church entrance, one had to walk through a decorated arbor. Inside the Fellowship Hall was a small garden, surrounded by a small fence, that included flowers and garden statutes. The tables held centerpieces of birdhouses and potted flowers on grass green colored mats. The serving table had two pineapple magnolia arrangements.
After all were welcomed, Owen gave a blessing for the refreshments. The serving table had chicken salad and ham salad sandwiches, a watermelon boat filled with pineapple, strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe and watermelon balls, varieties of miniature cupcakes, cream puffs and cookies. Beverages were punches.
To start the program, Doris Jones read an original poem “The Pitch for Vitamins.” Next was a game: points were given for various items worn, and the winner was Delva Krost. Owen read an article, “Recipe for Friendship.”
Krost gave a program on flower gardens and seeds, using several scriptures. She also passed around springs of several herbs – lavender, chives, sage, mint and rosemary.
Guest Rosemary Hardaway of Altamont sang an cappella song her mother had sung to her when she was a child – “The Little Tree.”
Door prizes of small buckets filled with three  bulbs, packages of a variety of seeds and a candle were won by Elizabeth Bail, guest Pat Hamilton of Ramsey and Linda Wolf. Guest Vicki Pattillo of St. Elmo donated the door prizes.
To close the program, Sproat read an article explaining “Seeds of Kindness.” All were presented with a ribbon holding beads spelling faith, love or joy.
Anna Jean Rhodes, whose birthdate is May 28, was presented with a floral arrangement.
In addition to Hardaway, Hamilton and Vicki Pattillo, other guests were Vernus Lytle of Brownstown; Linda Kraus of Effingham; and Ina Abendroth, Barb Beck, Ellen Borntreger, Joyce Drees, Betty Feezel, Sheila Himes, Susan Hollinshead, Amber Johnson, Emily Johnson, Erna Koontz, Ava Pattillo, Olivia Pattillo, Irene Reed and Marjorie Sarver, all of St. Elmo.
In addition to the committee – Edwards, Sproat and Rosemary Owen – Bail, Jones, Krost, Rhodes and Wolf, the others present were Pat Belden, Susan Belden, Helen Koonce, Barb Lane, Billye Jo Marchman, Joann Maxey, Letha Newberry, Joanne Owen and Joni Springman.
St. Elmo HCE
The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education met the afternoon of May 24 at the St. Elmo Public Library, and the meeting was opened with the pledge of allegiance. Roll call was answered with “A fun thing I did with my mother.”
The board notes from the Fayette County HCE May 22 meeting were read.
Because May is the month to elect unit officers, the present officers were re-elected: Anna Jean Rhodes, chairman; Loretta Heischmidt, first vice chairman; Karen Denning, second vice chairman; Rhodes, secretary; and Karen Wegscheid, treasurer.
Joyce Drees gave the major lesson, “To Soy or Not to Soy,” and Sharon Shelton gave the special feature, “Cool Cooking Tips.”
For refreshments, Shelton served a pasta salad and Drees served punch and M&M candies. In addition to Shelton, present were Denning, Goldie Harris and Rhodes.
Dues will be collected at the June 28 meeting. The county HCE dues now are $13. The St. Elmo Unit will have each member pay an additional $2 that will be kept in the unit’s treasury.
65th Anniversary of Class of 1947
A 65th anniversary party for the St. Elmo High School Class of 1947 was held May 26 in the home of class member Anna Jean (Bates) Rhodes, with the following present: Roy Hinton of Cathedral City, Calif., Leon Gibbons and wife Janie of Greenville, Ky. and their son Mark of Shelbyville, Ky., Norma Jean (Fristoe) Berg Olds and husband Fred Olds of Sidney, and Martha (Flemming) Berg Pankey, and Bob Owen and wife Joanne of St. Elmo.
Lunch was served at 12:30 p.m. and Fred Olds gave the blessing. Much visiting was done.
An update letter was requested from the graduates and a booklet with letters, sent from 11 class members and from two former classmates, has been made for each one who sent a letter.
In addition to letters received from the six class members present at the Rhodes home, letters were received from Doris (Garrison) Haslett of St. Elmo, Betty (Jenkins) Gallion of Oblong, Fay (Jenkins) Julius of Beecher City, Devon O’Dell of Ft. Collins, Colo., and Kenneth Skipworth of Dayton, Ohio, and the two former classmates, Florina Finley of St. Elmo and Charles Pulliam of Chenoa.
Those who didn’t respond to the letter request were Robert Price of Villa Grove, Donna (Mathis) Hinton of Mascoutah and Paul “Skipper” Bliss of Hobbs, NM. For several of the class anniversaries, an address update was not known for one class graduate, Jimmy Green.
On May 28, 1947, 32 class members received diplomas. The class had its first reunion, the 25th anniversary, on July 1, 1972, in the St. Elmo Golf Club dining room. No deaths were reported.
The 35th reunion was held July 17, 1982 in the Phillips Building. The first class members who died were Ben Kepner, in 1980, and Pat Masters, in 1981.
To observe the 40th anniversary, a 2-5 p.m. class social was held May 23, 1987, in the Rhodes home.
The 50th reunion was held on May 24, 1997, at Katherine’s Restaurant. Those who died the previous 10 years were Floyd Calvert, in 1994, Elvin Mills and Bill Berry, in 1996.
The 60th class reunion was held on May 26, 2007, in the Rhodes home. Those who died since the 50th reunion were Dorothy (Owen) Anderson, sometime in the early 2000’s, Robert Werner in 2005 and Richard Kennedy in 2007.
Those who have died in the past five years are Kent Bail, Evelyn (Durbin) Clough, May (Jenkins) Donaldson and Richard VanRheeden, all in 2010; Elma (Durbin) Pallone, Norma Jean (Foistier) Garrett, Iris (Jenkins) Belden and Nina (Langston) Rhodes, all in 2011; and Mary Ann (Philbrook) Martin in 2012.
Alumni Banquet
“Stars of St. Elmo Meet Again” was the theme of the St. Elmo Alumni Banquet held the evening of May 26 in the high school gym, with about 200 in attendance, including 145 alumni.
Kent (Pee Wee) Denton of the 1962 class was the master of ceremonies. After the welcome, pledge of allegiance and announcements, Wayne Lovett of the class of 1952 gave the invocation. The catered dinner was by Deb’s Catering of Altamont.
After meal, Denton introduced all alumni by the year they graduated. Those from Illinois will just have the town listed ,and those who are from other states will have the town and state listed.
1934-Jennie Alice Logue Harner of St. Elmo (who was observing her 95th birthday on  May 26).
1938- Millard Mills, Gilbert Wright, both of St. Elmo.
1944-Rosemary Mills Owen, Mary Bail Smith, both of St. Elmo.  
1945- Mary Jane Dufford Gibbons of Greenville, Ky.
1947-65th reunion-Leon Gibbons of Greenville, Ky.; Roy Hinton of Cathedral City, Calif.; Norma Jean Fristoe Olds of Sidney; Bob Owen, Martha Flemming Pankey, Anna Jean Bates Rhodes, all of St. Elmo.
1948-Bobby Cox, Carrie Dial Dodson, Frank Krost, all of St. Elmo; Betty Johnson Niesman of Decatur.
1949-Ruby Fulks Shipley of Hymers, Ind.
1950-Phyllis Justice Albright, Helen Tucker Smith, R. W. Smith, Della Bartimus Stewart, all of St. Elmo; Mary Bell Owen McLean of Creve Couer, Mo.
1952-60th reunion-Phillip Brewbaker of Jacksonville, Fla., Donald Calvert of DuQuion; Raymond Coker,Velta Sue Wilson Coker of Albermarle, N.C.; Dorothy Peterson Eaton of St. Charles; John Fulton of Washington; Sam Gillespie of Greenbrae, Calif.; Neil Kepner of DeKalb; Paul Little of Metropolis; Wayne Lovett of Brownstown; Monda Harpster Reeder of Arthur; Carolyn Waddell Turley of Powell, Ohio; Marilyn Brown Calvert, Arlin Grobergeiser, both of St. Elmo.
1953-Carla Slifer Fulton of Washington; Delva Jennings Krost of St. Elmo; Evelyn Rogers Taylor of Decatur.
1954-Don Fairchild of Evergreen, Colo.; Laura Ann Rush Feezel of Brownstown; Richard Freeman of Salem; Keith Haslett, Cora Dial Miley, both of Beecher City; Charlotte Coblentz Kilough of Grove, Okla.; Lois Ragel Lash of Springfield; Darold Rhodes, Dorotha Childress Rhodes, James Stolte, all of Vandalia; Mary Cummins Swarm of Decatur; Galen Underwood of Warrensburg.
1955-Betty Barnick Britt of Patoka; JoAnn Evans Feldcamp of Altamont; Mary Mathis Harrison, Sue Gire Stites, both of St. Elmo; Roberta Branham Miller of Crestwood, Mo.; Pat Ragsdale Storm of Mt. Zion; Johnny Williams of Beecher City.
1956-Charles Bosomworth of St. Elmo; Margaret Tucker Haslett of Beecher City; Merle Lash of Springfield; Sandra Sperry Lovett of Brownstown; Jack Smith of Antioch, Calif.; Janice Underwood Thode of Broadlands.
1957-Dallas Bosomworth of Adel, Iowa; Karen Weidner Denning, Marie Mills Durbin, Marjorie Sarver, all of St. Elmo; Janice Fulks Geiger of Anderson, Ind.; Gene Ireland of Beecher City; Carrie Jenkins Miller of Effingham; Barbara Ralston Oberlink of Vandalia, Margalee Reed Park of Springfield.
1958-Flossie Garrison McDowell of St. Elmo; Norma Garrison Tharp of Effingham; Betty Lash Underwood of Warrensburg.
1959-Lorene Gorenz Abendroth, JoNell Reeder Hill, both of St. Elmo; Roger Bosomworth of Decatur; Donna Jenkins Claar and Kenneth Fisher, both of Effingham; Rita Haslett Fieber of Nashville; Barbara Frailey Nielson of Piscah, Iowa; Madonna Simmons Robbins of Vandalia; Mick Rogers of Beecher City.
1960-Mary Ellen Simmons Alm of Frisco, Texas; James Crain of Walnut; Irene Brewbaker Dart of Effingham; Dorothy Fairchild Davis of Olathe, Kan.; Billy Durbin, Lois Dial Durbin, Neil Smith, Barbara Doty Smith, all of St. Elmo;
1961-Sandra Milliron Bosomworth of Decatur; Elizabeth Kelly Finney of Sycamore; Joyce Smith Morgan of Pana; Steve Pattillo of St. Elmo; Leona Gorenz Pulsford of San Berito, Texas.
1962-50th reunion-Frank Cameron of Shelbyville; Kent Denton, Doyle Dial, Donna Frailey Dial, Kent Janes, all of St. Elmo; William Dufford of Cincinatti, Ohio; David Fairchild of Lakewood, Co.; Kay Evans Fulk of Garland, Texas; Larry Gire of Troy; Sandra Murphy Glueck of O’Fallon; Twila Haslett Presnell of Nokomis; David Ruble of White Cloud, Mich.; Michael Stice of Oklahoma City, Okla.; Judy Potter Watson of Brownstown; Carol Myers Williams of Beecher City; Judy Buzzard Wollet of Springfield.
1963-Karen Orr Gire of Troy.
1964-Ruth Belden of Effingham; Jim Hopper of Farina.
1965-Joyce Brewbaker Drees of St. Elmo; Royce Duff of Decatur.
1967-Dot Hendrickson Cameron of Shelbyville; Rose Hinton Guarini of Lake Villa; Marie Mills Hopper of Farina; Mary Coppenbarger of St. Elmo.
1969-Ann Hinton of St. Elmo.
1972-Randy Watson of St. Elmo.
1974 -Tommy Taylor of Shobonier.
1977-Rodney Haslett of Dyerbury, Tenn.; Susan Owen Hollinshead of St. Elmo.
1979-Marsha Lilly Wright of Beecher City.
1982-Kevin Dial of Leroy.
1984-Justin Brent Smith of St. Elmo.
1986-Rodney Dial of Lincoln.
1987-Brenda Dial Smith of St. Elmo.
1988-Jill Stewart of Urbana.
1992-Kelly Sperry Roberts of Vandalia.
The following 12 made reservations but were unable to attend: Class of 1952-Ward Brady of St. Paul, Minn. and Susie Irey Pollock of Farina; Class of 1953-Sherrill Blankenship of Bellingham, Wash.; Class of 1954-James McClure of St. Louis, Mo.; Class of 1965-Patty White Wennmacher of Pontiac and Nancy Sims Wetzel of Livermore, Ky.; Class of 1956-Ralph Wetzel of Livermore, Ky.; Class of 1957-Peggy Dunaway Blankenship of Bellingham, Wash.; Class of 1958-Keith Purcell of Longview, Texas; Class of 1971-Lyle Stewart of Robinson; Class of 1989-Jason Hill of St. Elmo; Class of 1994- Jill Veteo Hill of St. Elmo.
After Caroline Turley, class of 1952, was introduced, she read an article on remembering how children were reared back in the 1930s and 1940s.
After the graduates were introduced, ticket numbers were drawn for the door prizes. Driftstone Pueblo donated two blankets that were won by Betty Underwood and Jim Stolte. Karen Hyde donated three glass dishes that were won by Jack Smith, Ann Hinton and Steve Pattillo. Susan Hollinshead donated baskets that were won by Pat Storm and Mary Harrison; dishes that were won by Kelly Roberts and Rod Haslett; and the Hollinshead family home made maple syrup that was won by Paul Little. Delva Krost donated a small school desk that had a tablet, pens, etc., that was won by Carrie Miller.
Chances were sold on the blue star pattern quilt and the winner was Harry Rule of Wheaton. Because he was not present, the quilt will be shipped to him.
The round tables each were centered with a potted large gerbera daisy donated by Richardson Brothers Greenhouse. On the bottom of a mint cup at each table was a sticker and the winner received the centerpiece.
The alumni committee was: Lorene Abendroth, class of 1959; Laura Ann Feezel, class of 1954; Karen Hyde, class of 1960; Delva Krost, class of 1953; and Susie Pollick, class of 1952. Several others helped the committee.
So those attending could have more time to visit, there was no program again this year.
Holly Huffer, class of 1975, was the janitor.
Each year the alumni banquet is held the Saturday evening prior to Memorial Day, and invitation letters are sent out to all alumni who want to receive them.
Any alumna who is reading this and is not on the mailing list, but would like to be, can write to Laura Ann Feezel at 370 W. Cumberland Road, Brownstown, Ill. 62418 or call her at 427-2210.

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