St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thursday, October 13
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• St. Elmo Public Library District Board, 7 p.m., Beecher City Branch Library.
• Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
Monday, October 17
• Historical Vandalia Inc. Board, 6:30 p.m., Fayette County Museum, Vandalia.
• St. Elmo Board of Education, 7:30 p.m., unit office.
Wednesday, October 19
• Reverb Youth 56, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Reverb Youth 78, 6:45-8 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Antiques Appraisal
The first fundraiser for Fayette County Museum elevator is an Antiques Appraisal on Saturday, Oct.22, in the Vandalia First United Methodist Church Wesley Hall. It will start at 1 p.m. by Phil Lewis of Effingham. A $10 ticket will allow the person tp take two items to be appraised; up to 100 items can be appraised during the afternoon.
For those who do not want to take items to be appraised, but would just like to watch the appraisal of the articles, the tickets are $5. The tickets are available at the museum in Vandalia or by calling the museum at 283-4866
An elevator for the museum is a necessity – many items now are being displayed in the upstairs and also all the art shows are upstairs. The estimated cost of an elevator large enough for a wheelchair and one person is $35,000. Historical Vandalia Inc. will appreciate those who make this first fundraiser a success.
Friendly Neighbors
The funeral of Bob Owen, a faithful attendee of the Friendly Neighbors, was held Sept. 30. A card for his wife, Joanne, was signed at the Friendly Neighbors Oct. 4 meeting by Marybelle Ledbetter of Brownstown, Ron Smith and Shirley Smith of Altamont, Susie Hollinshead, Karla Llinkar, Cora Miley, Malinda Miller, Rosemary Owen, Irene Reed, Larry Reed and R. W. and Mary Smith of St. Elmo.
A guest mentioned at the September meeting should have been Troy Tucker of Mattoon.
CCW
St. Mary’s Catholic Church Council of Catholic Women hosted CCW of the Altamont St. Clair Catholic Church and CCW of the Edgewood St. Ann’s Catholic Church to a salad supper the evening of Oct. 4 in the church Parish Hall. The tables were decorated with pots of mums.
The Rev. Marek Kasperczuk gave the blessing. He also encouraged them to think, discuss and pray on how to make the CCW more welcome to all the women of the church.
After the meal bingo was played and the winners of small potted mums were the following: Betty Jean Bushue, and Martha Bushue of St. Ann’s; Leann Heiden, Cheryl Goeckner and Rosa Millville of St. Clair; and Helen Bergman, Lamina Buzzard, Karen Denning, Debbie Hough, Darlene May, Mary Myers, Pat Porter and Betty Springman of St. Mary’s.
Two large potted mums were given as door prizes to Betty Bailey of St. Ann’s and Mona Durbin of St. Mary’s.
Others present Tina Verdeyen of St. Clair; Delores Kroke of St. Ann’s; Libby Kessel, LaVonne Kramer, Jan Niemeyer, Natalie Stout and Helen Rine of St. Mary’s and Kessel’s guest, Lola Gehle of Brownstown.
Wright’s Corner HCE
Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education met the afternoon of Oct. 5 at the Loudon Town House, with Carol Austin, Janice Garrison, Kate Jennings and Amanda Miller answering roll call to “What country would you like to learn more about?”
Jennings had the special feature, “Origami,” and the major lesson, “Ecuador.” She served pumpkin pie with Cool Whip and peach punch.
St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club
On Oct. 6, the St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club went to Effingham to take a tour of the Hodgson Mill. They enjoyed the long walk to see all the areas of the factory, some that included equipment made in Italy. The mill makes natural, organic and gluten free foods for the whole family that include cereals, baking mixes, pancake mixes, bread mixes, flax seed, flours and corn meals, baking aids, pasta, couscous; dozens of new items are non-GMO and gluten free.
After the tour, they were taken into a room and each was given a ditty-bag with two products in it. Those attending were Susan Belden, Karen Denning, Sheila Himes, Debbie Hough, Libby Kessel, Mary Myers and Pat Porter.
They went to Culver’s for refreshments, either a late dinner, early supper or just dessert.
Porter conducted a short business meeting with the reading of the minutes and passing out information on the club’s annual fundraiser, sales of Terri Lynn products that include a variety of nuts, candies and mixes.
The Thursday, Nov. 3, meeting will be to go to the Cross at the Crossroads in Effingham for a 2 p.m. program. To carpool, they will meet at St. Mary’s Catholic Church parking lot at 1:15 p.m.
Five-County Teacher Institute
Regional Office of Education No. 3 a Teacher Institute for five counties: Bond, Christian, Effingham, Fayette and Montgomery. It was held from 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Friday at the Pana High School and 1,400 teachers were expected. This also was the first time the event had vendors that sold various articles.
Some vendor tables were for organizations to pass out free literature. Fayette County had a table with representatives from three organizations to pass out brochures with information, so the teachers could plan special tours for school groups for Fayette County.
Representing the Interpretive Center in Vandalia were Mary Truitt of Vandalia and Ashley Davis of St. Elmo; representing the Vandalia Statehouse were Debbie Segrest and Joyce Mueller of Vandalia; and representing the Fayette County Museum in Vandalia was Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo (Jim Brewer of Ramsey was unable to go).
Free sandwiches, chips, yogurt, fruit, cookies and beverages were available during the day.
Rhodes-Side Gleanings
My (deceased) husband’s cousin, Charles C. Harper, 85, of Rock Falls, died at his home Oct. 6. One of his daughters, Rindy, called me a few days before he died to tell me about him.
In August, he fell and hit his head and it was bleeding, but he was doing OK. In September, he was put back on his blood thinner, then had a massive bleed, had surgery and was doing wonderfully until last week he had a stroke. He couldn’t speak and his right side was not functioning. The doctor’s didn’t think he would recover; on Oct. 3 he was taken home and put on hospice and was given a week to 10 days.
My parents and I moved from Oklahoma to St. Elmo in the fall of 1938 during the oil boom. New people in the town had to find a place to live. My folks found the front part of a farmhouse on the west side of St. Elmo available and that is the first place we lived in St. Elmo. (We finally found a new round top cabin on the west side of the Methodist Church).
The farmhouse belonged to Clifford and Gertrude Harper. They and their young son, Charles, stayed in the back part of the house. Gertrude was a Bieber, sister to Alice Rhodes.
I was in the fourth grade and Charles was in the second grade. Grade school was just a few blocks south and east of the Harper home. I remember Charles chasing me to school.
My fourth grade teacher was Zona Beck, in her first year of teaching.
In 1949, I married Zona’s brother and Charles’ cousin, Phillip Rhodes. I remember sometimes, when the Harpers lived in Stewardson and came to Phil’s and my home for a dinner, Charles decided to stay in the car. He did what he wanted to do and was, most of the time, funny with his “stories.”
It has been awhile since I have seen Charles and his wife, Doris, and I will miss his sense of humor.
Charles was born on Sept. 26, 1931, in Loudon Township to Clifford and Gertrude Harper. He was born in the same house where his mother and most of her siblings were born.
He grew up on a farm near St. Elmo, until his parents moved to Stewardson where he completed high school.
He attended Eastern Illinois University, where he met and married the love of his life, Doris Schmittler. He later entered the U of I, receiving his master’s degree.
Charles was selected to participate at the Smith & Wesson Coaching Academy and the shooters coaching program at the Olympic Training Center. He married Doris on April 3, 195 and they had celebrated more than 63 wonderful years together.
He was in the Army from 1953-1955. After the Army, Charles had various jobs, such as selling insurance and working for Charleston Chamber of Commerce. He taught high school at his alma mater, Stewardson High School until 1969, when the family moved to Rock Falls, and he taught various science courses at Sauk Valley Community College. Charles and Doris decided to become business owners, so they purchased property and crated Rack and Range and then Dixie Cream Donuts. After their retirement, they enjoyed wintering in Texas.
In addition to his wife, Doris, and daughters Rindy (Scott) Wohlstadter of Clinton and Karen (Brad Folkers) Harper of Woodridge, he is survived by two grandchildren, a sister-in-law, three nephews and many cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father in 1962, his mother in 1983 and many cousins.
The funeral was held Oct. 10 at the Harvest Time Bible Church in Rock Falls; burial with military honors was at Coloma Township Cemetery in Rock Falls. The Rock Falls McDonald Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the NRA.