St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, January 5
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library. The program will be bingo and those attending are to take a wrapped $5 gift.
Sunday, January 8
• Rescheduled Children’s Christmas program, 10:35 a.m., First United Methodist Church.
• First United Methodist Church Sunday Night Live youth, 6-7:30 p.m.; high school in parsonage and grade school/junior high in Fellowship Hall.
Monday, January 9
• St. Elmo Board of Education, 5:30 p.m. – special meeting regarding superintendent candidate interviews.
• St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Tuesday, January 10
• Avena Township Park Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Community Park Centennial Building.
• American Legion Post #420, 7 p.m., American Legion Home.
• Fayette County Board, 7 p.m., Fayette County Courthouse, Vandalia.
Wednesday, January 11
• St. Elmo Board of Education, 6 p.m. – special meeting regarding superintendent candidate interviews.
Thursday, January 12
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo Public Library District Board, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• 4-H leadership council meeting, 6 p.m.; livestock committee meeting, 7 p.m., both at Vandalia Extension Office.
• Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Ministerial Alliance Christmas Meals
Churches in the St. Elmo Ministerial Alliance prepared Christmas meals for shut-ins and older people who were by themselves on Christmas Day. Because Christmas was on Sunday, the meals were not delivered until between 4 and 5 p.m.
St. Elmo Christian Church was the host church and prepared the 31 boxes that included: ham donated by Royal Neighbors of America #5784, bread donated by First United Methodist church, turkey noodle soup donated by Church of God and Baptist Church member Susan Jennings, frozen fruit salad donated by the First Assembly of God Church, and cookies and candies donated by Freedom Reigns in Christ Church. Also included was plastic tableware tied in a Christmas napkin.
Members of the various churches help prepare and deliver the boxes. The host church changed each time and churches rotate the food items they donate.
The recipients really appreciate being remembered on Christmas and thank all the church members for their thoughtfulness.
Rhodes-Side Gleanings on Christmas
What did you think of our “white” Christmas? We didn’t have snow on the ground, but the entire day had white fog and no sunshine – so we did have a “white” Christmas! Is this the first time we have ever had this kind of white Christmas on Christmas Day?
My son, Steve Rhodes, and his friend, Scott Edmonds, both of Chicago, visited with me on Dec. 20 and 21 after spending the weekend with Scott’s parents, Richard and Carol Edmonds of Carlinville.
Steve gave me a new laptop for Christmas, and new ones never work the same as the old ones – it takes time to get acquainted with the different “system.”
Several days before, I had to get a new printer and it also works different, but is not as involved in as many changes as the computers are.
I usually am alone on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and always look forward to attending the Christmas Eve Communion service and was glad the weather didn’t keep the churches from having a Sunday Christmas Day service. I also appreciate being remembered by the Ministerial Alliance.
My daughter and family, Prentiss and Phyllis Lea, Soo Jin, Chae Rin and cocker spaniel Ginger of Green Oaks, were here Dec. 26 and 27. I really appreciate one of their gifts – an AncestryDNA kit.
Rhodes-Side Gleanings on Alumni Update
The new year of 2017 has started and St. Elmo High School alumni need to put the 2017 Alumni Reunion date on their calendars – Saturday, Aug.19, at noon in the First Church of God S.H.E.D.
The middle of November 2016, I received this letter from Ken Gillespie, a 1954 SEHS graduate:
“It’s real and it’s happening. From a pipe dream to a reality was a big step, but the step has been made and, with a little luck, there’ll be a party next August.
“Enclosed are two copies of the email just sent to the folks for whom we have email addresses. It is our hope that you can help get the word out, as we are about 1,400 emails less than the mail list used in the past.
“My email address is: kengillespiecpa@yahoo.com and my home address is 2506 Royal Drive, Winterville, N.C. 28590. To call me, 252-364-8267 is best because of my hearing. My cell phone is (still a Florida number) 561-358-1611. As to time, if you’re up, I likely am, too. So, basically any time is fine.
“Please let me know whether you can help us and what further information you might want. Thank you for your time and indulgence. Sincerely, Ken.”
This next info is the email that was sent by Chairman of Committee 2017 Ward Brady of St. Paul Minn., class of 1952:
“Elections are behind us and it is time to turn our attention to some serious business. We will have a alumni gathering in 2017 (the Lord willing). Mark your calendars and consider this official.
“The date selected is the third Saturday in August (Aug. 19). It will be a luncheon at noon. It will be at the Church of God S.H.E.D. in St. Elmo. If it is hot, we will have the AC turned on.
“Location is reserved and we are on the calendar of the caterer. Seriously, The Lord Willing, it is a go. No bells and whistles. The agenda is simple – basically eat and visit. We have the room available to visit all afternoon.
“I am really looking forward to seeing, hugging and visiting with a lot of old friends. I hope to great several whom I have never met, but have communicated with on e-mail.
“Don Campbell (class of 1952) and Ken Gillespie are in charge of communications. They will be distributing information in the future via e-mail and notices in the St. Elmo Banner and The Leader-Union (the Devonian is no more).
“Beyond that it is grapevine. So tell all you know and spread the word.
“Don and Ken will forward this to your lists. (Several of you will receive this a second time from them. You can chuckle and say yes, I know).
“Will all who receive this please e-mail me at wabrady@visi.com just to give me warm fuzzies that the e-maill list from Don & Ken is working.
“We have a fantastic committee helping and it is coming together quite nicely
“Every weekend in August appears to be some ones family reunion. I am sorry but we just could not accommodate all your requests. We selected this date and hope for the best. Regards, Ward Brady.”
Those who email their SEHS graduate friends can let Ken know their email addresses, so if he doesn’t already have them, it will help.
Those of us who have attended the reunions at the end of May from the early 1950s through 2015 really missed having one in 2016 and are looking forward to this year’s.