St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, June 27
• The Royal Neighbors of America #5784 will meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Altamont McDonald’s for the birthdays’ celebration.
• The St. Elmo Board of Education will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the unit office to hold a budget amendment hearing and to vote on the budget.
Thursday, June 28
• The summer reading program will have a special program, Swords and Roses, at the St. Elmo Public Library.
• Exxon/Mobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
• The St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Friday, June 29
• All Fayette County 4-H general show projects are to be checked in at 4:30 p.m. at the Brownstown schools cafeteria, which is between the elementary and high schools. All exhibits must be in place by 5 p.m., when the judging begins for all general show projects; members must be present.
Saturday, June 30
• The county 4-H general project exhibits open at noon. At 12:30 p.m., all foods-nutrition and clothing projects are to be checked in. At 1 p.m. the judging starts and all members must be present.
The contest for public speaking and general demonstrations will be held at 2 p.m.
At 5 p.m., there will be the 4-H family social and viewing of the projects, the 4-H awards program at 6 p.m. and the release of all the 4-H projects at 7 p.m.
Monday, July 2
• The St. Elmo City Council, 7 p.m., Phillips Building.
Tuesday, July 3
• Friendly Neighbors, noon potluck, Phillips Building.
Thursday, July 5
• St. Elmo Business Association, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m.
Interesting Item Left to Fayette County Museum
The Fayette County Museum in Vandalia in June received a brass key that had been used at the Vandalia Statehouse during the time Abraham Lincoln served in that building. The key was given to the museum by Charles “Kelly” Ireland of Greenville with the following story:
“My grandfather, Austin D. Thompson of Vandalia, gave me a brass key on my tenth birthday, March 8, 1932. I was told that it was from the time Abraham Lincoln served in the statehouse. My grandfather was a carpenter and had worked on the statehouse some time during the 1920s.
“If I remember correctly, there had been a fire and he had repaired damage which had required the replacing of some of the doors and locks.”
The key was shown at the meeting of the board of Historical Vandalia Inc. held the evening of June 18 in the museum. Those present were President Steve Durbin, Betty Aderman, Allison Magnus, Phil Shroyer and Mary Truitt of Vandalia; Jim Brewer and Mary Ann Rhoades of Ramsey; Marilyn Beyes of Smithboro; and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo.
Other items donated to the museum the past month are a cookbook, a metal easel and a scrapbook.
It was reported that 332 visitors registered at the museum in May.
Several ideas presented by the fund raiser committee to help raise funds for the museum restoration were approved: a rummage sale in the museum upstairs during the Grande Levée on Sept. 29; a spaghetti supper this fall – date to be decided – in the Vandalia First Presbyterian Church; a quilt raffle, with the winner’s name is to be drawn before Christmas; collecting recipes for a cookbook that is planned to be ready for Christmas 2013 to observe the museum’s 35th anniversary in 2014.
Recipes may be sent to Anna Jean Rhodes at St. Elmo. All recipes, including old recipes ancestors used, will be appreciated.
The upstairs electrical work, lighting and fans have been completed. Work next includes working on a wall to get it ready so it can be used to hang pictures the museum has for display.
In observance of her birthday, Magnus’s husband, Robert, provided homemade cherry and blueberry cheesecakes for refreshments for the board members.
HCE Annual Meeting
The 64th annual meeting of the Fayette County Home and Community Education was held June 19 in the Vandalia Holy Cross Lutheran Church, with 31 members and one guest attending.
The blessing for the 11:30 a.m. potluck was given by Mary Smith. This was followed by all giving the Aims of the Homemaker – To have every home economically sound, mechanically convenient, physically healthful, morally wholesome, artistically satisfying, mentally stimulating, socially responsible, spiritually inspiring, founded upon mutual affection and respect (by Julia Lita Bane).
Following the meal, President Flo Allen opened the business meeting with all giving the pledge of allegiance.
Co-second Vice President Joyce Moore was in charge of a memorial service. Sandra Runge of the St. Peter Unit gave a memorial for Hermine Grandt, who died in July 2011, and Evelyn Probst of the Bingham Ramsey Unit gave a memorial for Geraldine Casey, who died in January 2012.
Treasurer Dorothy Harpster  presented the 2012-13 budget that was approved.
Reports were given by First Vice President Phyllis Pryor, Community Outreach Anita Smith, International Shirley Klitzing, Cultural Enrichment Debbie Swain and Public Relations Panzi Blackwell.
Co-second Vice President Anna Jean Rhodes was in charge of membership reports. The Fayette County Home Bureau was organized in May 1948, later became Home Extension and now is Home and Community.
The county has only three charter members still living – Vontella McEndollar of the Wheatland Unit, Martha O’Dell of the St. Peter Unit and Ilene Sidwell of the Sefton Unit who have been members for 64 years. None were able to be present.
Evelyn Probst was presented with a 50-year pin. Others who have been members for 50 or more years are Ruth Schnake of St. Peter Unit, 51 years; Sally Behrends and Lucille Fisher of the Sefton Unit and Freda Willms of the St. Elmo Unit, 53 years; Mary Stokes of the Bingham/Ramsey Unit, 54 years; Mary Ellen Lovett of the Wheatland Unit and Lucille Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit, 61 years; and Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit, 63 years.
Seven new members joined four of the county units during the past year – Connie Bingham, Genny Wilber and Betty Miller of the Sefton Unit, Joyce Drees and Mary Myers of the St. Elmo Unit, Jan Mendonca of the St. Peter Unit and Lura Tarter of the Vandalia Day Unit. Tarter was the only one able to be present.
New members received a flower and an Aim for the Homemaker cardboard plaque.
Given flowers for having consecutive years of perfect attendance were Irene Reed of the Wright’s Corner Unit, 18 years (she was unable to attend, but her unit received the flower for her); Dorothy Harpster of the St. Peter Unit, 16 years; Flo Allen of the Sefton Unit, 16 years; and Anita Smith of the Vandalia Day Unit, 16 years.
The following officers for the 2012-2013 year were elected and installed by the District 6 director, Marilyn Schaefer of Effingham. She gave each one a flower or box of flower seeds. Installed were Flo Allen, president; Phyllis Pryor, first vice president; Joyce Moore and Anna Jean Rhodes, co-second vice presidents; Mary Smith, secretary; Dorothy Harpster, treasurer; Anita Smith, community outreach; Shirley Klitzing, international; Debbie Segrest, cultural enrichment; and Panzi Blackwell, public relations.
Rhodes announced the winner of the Homemaker of the Year – a plaque was given to Anita Smith.
A plaque is engraved each year for the Unit of the Year and this year, two unit names are engraved on the plaque – Wright’s Corner and Sefton. Each did much work on community outreach and family issues projects.
The Sefton Unit was in charge of the decorations, and Panzi Blackwell decorated the tables with interesting centerpiece arrangements of tea pots, flowers, ceramic people and animals.
St. Elmo Unit was in charge of registration, Vandalia Day Unit was in charge of the beverages, Wright’s Corner Unit was in charge of arranging food on the tables and Bingham/Ramsey, St. Peter and Wheatland units were in charge of the cleanup.
In addition to the guest present, District Director Schaefer, members present were the following: Evelyn Probst, May Della Probst and Veda Stout of the Bingham/Ramsey Unit; Dorothy Harpster and Sandra Runge of the St. Peter Unit; Karen Denning and Anna Jean Rhodes of the St. Elmo Unit; Flo Allen, Sally Behrens, Panzi Blackwell, Elizabeth Kasten, Shirley Klitzing, LaVonne Kramer, Shirley Mattes, Phyllis Pryor, Debbie Swain, Betty Williams and Marilyn Yakel of the Sefton Unit; Ruth Brackenbush, Carrie Hill, Debbie Segrest, Anita Smith, Joan Moxey, Joyce Mueller, Alvena Noffsinger and Lura Tarter of the Vandalia Day Unit; Joan Aderman and Joyce Moore of the Wheatland Unit; and Kate Jennings, Mary Smith and Leona Wright of the Wright’s Corner Unit.
The county HCE started the year in June 2011 with 113 members. Seven new members joined and two died, leaving the membership at 118 at the end of May 2012.
To rejoin, members are to pay their dues in June. At the 2011 annual meeting, the dues to start this year were increased from $10 to $13.
Nursing home residents have to pay only the IAHCE state dues of $3. Units are to send the dues collected to the county treasurer, Dorothy Harpster, by the end of June.
All the HCE units would welcome new members. An HCE member is able to develop leadership ability, keep up-to-date on trends and research, develop skills and improve home and family life, become involved in community affairs and make new friends.
Vit-Em-In Potluck
The Vit-Em-In Sunday School Class potluck was held the evening of June 21, with the following present: Elizabeth Bail, Bob Cox, Frank and Delva Krost, Ed and Barb Lane, Bob and Joanne Owen, Rosemary Owen, Anna Jean Rhodes, and Jack and Marilyn Sproat, and a guest, Bail’s sister, Kathryn Militello of East Alton.
Following the delicious potluck of a variety of dishes including several pies and cakes, Delva had a short business meeting.
Delva reported that John Eisfelder had surgery the day before and that his wife Barbara soon would have surgery, so they need to be on the prayer list. She also gave a report on the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference she attended earlier this month.
There was no program, just visiting.