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St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday, May 9
• The annual Kid’s Klub Fun Fair will be from 6-8 p.m. in the First Church of God S.H.E.D. Vans will not run. All kids in third grade and under must be accompanied by an adult (high school or older). It will be the last Kid’s Klub until school starts in the fall. There will be games, inflatables, face-painting, hair paint and food
• The St. James 4-H Club meeting, 8 p.m.
Thursday, May 10
• Lunch Bunch, noon, Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
• The St. Elmo Library District Board, 7 p.m., Beecher City Branch Library.
• The Effingham Chapter #110 Order of the Eastern Star, 7:30 p.m., Effingham Masonic Temple.
• The Fayette County Livestock Committee meeting, 8 p.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
Friday, May 11
• St. Elmo High School spring musical, “Georgia on my mind,” is set for 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are to be purchased ahead of time, not at the door. They are on sale at the high school office, from Mr. Somodi or from any member of the musical.
Saturday, May 12
• The St. Elmo Lions Club annual Diabetes Awareness Day will be held at various locations in St. Elmo.
• The National Letter Carrier Annual Food Drive – Anyone interested in donating food can take the items to the St. Elmo Post Office for distribution to the St. Elmo Food Pantry.
This year the St. Elmo Post Office will not collect food from individual addresses, so do not put the food in or by the mailbox.
• St. Elmo High School, spring musical, 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 13
Happy Mother’s Day!!
Monday, May 14
• Book Club, 1 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
• The St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Thursday, May 17
• Vit-Em-In Sunday school slass potluck, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
• Friendship Quilt Club, 7 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Fayette County Museum
Special exhibits for May at the Fayette County Museum, Vandalia include 1940’s Mother’s Day, Memories of WWII and Women of WWII.                         
April was a busy month, as 322 visitors registered. Many came to the open house on April 1. Tours included: Mrs. Hobbie’s seventh-grade class, Vandalia Christian Academy art students, St. Elmo fourth grade and Girl Scout Troop #804 from Mulberry Grove.
Entry forms now are available for the annual Town & Country and Professional Art Shows sponsored by the Museum’s Artworks Gallery; it will be June 16-24. Divisions are available for artists and photographers to enter as amateur adult, youth or professional.
Entry forms are due by May 30. Forms may be picked up at the museum or requested by phone 618-283-4866.
Summer hours are: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 1-4 p.m. on Sundays.
Donations continue to be accepted for the restoration project now in progress.
First Time Great-Granddad
Jacob and Mary Cox of Peoria became parents on April 28 when a daughter, Elana, was born. Grandparents are Keith and Cheryl Cox of Antioch. Bob Cox of St. Elmo is a great-grandparent.
Obituary
Mary Ann Martin, 82, of Melbourne, Fla., a member of the St. Elmo First United Methodist Church, died at 6:35 p.m. on April 27, 2012, at home.
Her husband, Jim Martin, died on Oct. 19, 2010, when they lived in St. Elmo.
After Jim died, their daughters took Mary Ann to Florida.
The cremation ashes of Mary Ann and Jim Martin are being mixed and buried in the Emmanuel Methodist Memorial Gardens at Melbourne.
Her deceased parents were L. K. and Mabel Smith Philbrook. Survivors include daughters, Lynn Helsel and Robin Martin of Melbourne, Fla.; and a son, Rick Martin of Satellite, Fla.
Friendly Neighbors
Thirteen were present for the Friendly Neighbors noon potluck May 1 at the Phillips Building. Tables were decorated with yellow roses and a bowl of fresh strawberries. After the pledge of allegiance, Bob Owen gave the meal blessing.
During the business meeting, the treasurer resigned and Mary Smith became secretary/treasurer. The other officers are R. W. Smith, president, and Ina Abendroth, vice president. It was discussed having some type of program at each of the potlucks.
For this month’s program, Abendroth read three humorous articles – “Joining a Texas Church,” “Cub Fan?” and “The Favor.”
In addition to those mentioned, all of St. Elmo, there were present Joanne Owen, Rosemary Owen, Irene Reed, Marjorie Sarver also from St. Elmo; Marybelle Ledbetter of Brownstown; Cora Miley and Dora Miley of Beecher City; and Shirley Smith and Mary Thomas of Altamont.
Wright’s Corner HCE
Wright’s Corner Unit of Home and Community Education met the afternoon of May 2 at the Loudon Town House, with 11 members present who paid dues for the 2012-13 year. The meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance, and roll call was answered with “A fun thing I did with my mother.”
Kate Jennings gave the special feature, “Cool Cooking Tips,” and the major lesson, “To Soy or Not to Soy.”
She served four recipes from the lesson sheets: sunshine spinach salad, lemon fruit dip, beef roll-ups and snack pizza. She also served strawberries, crackers and diet sodas.
CCW
The St. Mary’s Parish Mother/Daughter Potluck was held the evening of May 1 in the church parish hall, with 25 present.
Before the meal, everyone said the prayer led by Council of Catholic Women President Ann Rowland, who also welcomed all.
The tables were decorated by Karen Denning and Pat Porter with spring flowers and placemats of assorted colors. At each place setting were favors of nuts and M&M’s, and bookmarks with a cross on a ribbon.
The entertainment was Tom and Sherry Watson from Altamont, who played music and sang.
The centerpieces were given as door prizes to Connie Blackwell, Karen Denning, Lois Durbin, Mona Durbin Lavonne Kramer, Susan Murphy, Brandy Oakley, Ann Rowland, Angie Springman and Ginny Wilber.
The CCW committee officers in charge of the dinner were Ann Rowland, Karen Denning, Lucille Koeberlein and Pat Porter.
Wheatland HCE
Karen Hyde was hostess to the Wheatland Unit of Home and Community Education, which met May 3 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. Roll call was answered with “A fun thing I did with my mother.”
Ethelyn Williams gave a special feature, “April Showers – Shelter in a Time of Storm,” and the major lesson for April, “Going Green,” was passed out.
Joan Aderman gave the May major lesson, “To Soy or Not to Soy,” and passed out the special feature lesson, “Cool Cooking Tips.” To help illustrate the major lesson, she served soy nut muffins and soy flour muffins.
For refreshments, Hyde served pineapple pie. Others present were Erna Fay Koontz, MaryEllen Lovett and Marilyn Sproat.
Women’s Civic Club
Officers for the St. Elmo Women’s Civic Club 2012-13 club year were installed May 3. The officers who were re-elected are: Pat Porter, president; Lucille Koeberlein, first vice president; Ann Rowland and Libby Kessel, co-second vice presidents; Karen Denning, third vice president; Anna Jean Rhodes, recording and corresponding secretary; and Elizabeth Stoner, treasurer. All were present to be installed except for Rowland.
Sheila Himes was the installing officer at the meeting held at Ryan’s at Effingham. Each officer was presented with a long-stemmed red rose.
After the dinner, the meeting was opened with the club collect and the pledge of allegiance.
Rhodes read a thank-you from the St. Elmo Public Library for the $25 donation in memory of Charles Moore. The library has purchased the following books, which will have donor/memorial stickers – Backyards for Kids: Playhouses, Sandboxes, Tree Forts, Swing Sets, Sports Areas, and More, by Ziba Kashef; Playhouses You Can Build: Indoor and Backyard Designs (Weekend Project Book Series) by David and Jeanie Stiles; and the Ultimate Guide to Kids’ Play Structures and Tree Houses by Creative Homeowner. Porter read a thank-you note from Noma Moore.
Membership Chairman Denning started accepting dues for the new club year. The $15 a year dues go into the club’s budget for local projects. For members’ names to be included in the 2012-13 club book, the dues have to be paid by July 31. The club will welcome anyone who would like to be a member of the civic organization.
The audit committee was appointed. The officers will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, to approve the programs, set up the budget, etc., for the new program books.
Those present in addition to Denning, Himes, Kessel, Koeberlein, Moore, Porter, Rhodes and Stoner were Susan Belden, Debbie Hough, Mary Myers and a guest, Loretta Heischmidt.
Polio Survivors & Friends
Polio Survivors & Friends of East Central Illinois had the May 5 meeting in the Sarah Bush Lincoln Education Center in Mattoon, with the following present: Marian Martin and Bill Wendling of Altamont; Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo; Bob and June Myers of Neoga; and Glee Helms, Dawn Maple and Mary Lou Replogle of Charleston.
A member, Annie Barber, gave a talk at a woman’s conference held April 12 at the Salisbury Church in Charleston and a DVD of her talk was shown. The theme of the conference was “From Ashes to Blessings.”
Her talk was on her deceased father, Bill Heise, who had polio in 1951 at the age of 12 and suffered post-polio symptoms before his death in 2006.
Maple explained to those present about polio survivors being on Facebook. Those present discussed pros and cons concerning being on Facebook and getting e-mail.
Prior to the 1 p.m. meeting, all but Maple ate in the hospital cafeteria, which is known as the Basement Bistro.
RNA Join Hands Day
Royal Neighbors of America #5784 chose to visit Friendship Manor Nursing Home and play bingo with the residents for the May 5 Join Hands Day. Bingo prizes were provided by the camp members. Eight members and three guests participated in the event.
One young member, Hadley Hagler, made butterfly favors for the residents. Since she was unable to attend the meeting, Emmalyn Wright passed out the butterflies.
Members participating were Ina Abendroth, Jean Brown, Irene Reed, Rosemary Owen, Margie Sarver, Della Stewart, Jill Stewart and Marsha Wright. Guests were Nancy Arnold, Barbara Durbin and Emmalyn Wright.
Special guest Grizzly Stewart brightened the day with his black curls, bright eyes and strutted walk. Grizzly is a peekapoo poodle.
Resident family members and volunteers participating were Elizabeth Bail, Joyce Drees, Ellen Hunter and Lynn Janz.
Everyone had a good time visiting during and after the bingo games.
PTO Fundraiser
The St. Elmo Parent-Teacher Organization fundraiser was held the evening of May 5, and a crowd filled the St. Elmo Elementary gym.
The pork burger/hot dog supper (with baked beans, chips, pie, cake or cookie) was served from 5-7 p.m. and was almost sold out.
Carnival games also were played and after the supper an auction on classroom projects, gift baskets, etc was held and brought in about $3,000 for the PTO.

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