St. Elmo News

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Friday, February 19
• A seminar, “Living Your Bucket List,” 1 p.m., Kaskaskia Community College at 2310 W. Fillmore, Vandalia. Preregistration is required by calling the college at 545-3445.
Saturday, February 20
• Central Illinois Wedding Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Summer Breeze Wine House and Barn Venue in St. James. Fourteen or more vendors are participating. One lucky bride will receive a grand prize.
• Haley’s Fight Benefit, Carriage House Event Center, Altamont. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and the serving of supper will start at 4:30 p.m. There also will be a silent auction and a live auction.
Sunday, February 21
• Wolf Creek Cluster of United Methodist Churches Lenten Service, 4 p.m., Funkhouser United Methodist Church. Brownstown United Methodist Church Pastor Don Thomas will be the speaker.
• Sunday Night Live youth, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church Parsonage.
• Detour youth, 6 p.m., First Church of God S.H.E.D.
• Amp’d high school youth, 6 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
• Youth Night Breakthru, 6:30 p.m., Freedom Reigns in Christ Church.
Monday, February 22
• Fayette County Home and Community Education Board, 10 a.m., Vandalia Extension Office.
• St. Elmo Lions Club, 6 p.m., Mary Ann’s Restaurant.
Tuesday, February 23
• St. Elmo Unit of Home and Community Education, 1:30 p.m., St. Elmo Public Library.
Wednesday, February 24
• Royal Neighbors of America #5784, 1 p.m., Phillips Building.
• Reverb Youth 56, 5:30-6:30 p.m., and Reverb Youth 78, 6:45-8 p.m., St. Elmo Christian Church.
Thursday, February 25
• ExxonMobil Annuitants, noon, Vandalia Ponderosa.
Fayette County Museum
February exhibits in the Fayette County Museum feature Abraham Lincoln artifacts. The monthly exhibit allows artifacts not displayed at other times to be put on display. Each month, Patty Marler plans and places special exhibits in three of the cases in the museum.
With the museum being a not-for-profit organization, Marler is the only half-time employee and many volunteer hours are a necessity to keep the museum open from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. In 2015, there were 21 volunteers who gave 2,213¾ hours: Marilyn Beyes, Donna Blair, Jim Brewer, Steven Durbin, Phil Shroyer, Betty Greer, Mary Truitt, Elizabeth Keller, Patty Marler, Ethan Hanabarger, Jenna Lett, Joyce Mueller, Barbara Buckland, Anna Jean Rhodes, David Marler, Mary Ann Rhoades, Allison Magnus, Sharon Moss, Donna Thompson, Lynn Reznick and C. Lewis.
Volunteers are always needed, and they learn about the wonderful history of this great country.
If you would like to volunteer, stop by the museum at 301 W. Main St. in Vandalia or call 283-4866.
Museum Membership
The operation of the Fayette County Museum depends on the support of the Historical Vandalia Inc. members who join each year. If you need a membership form, stop by or call the museum. Member categories are the following: individual donor, $25; family, business or organization donor, $50; museum friend, $100; and museum sponsor, $200. Museum patrons can donate more.
In addition to the costs of daily operation, there is maintenance and restoration of the 149-year-old Presbyterian Church building that now is the museum. Other support comes from donations and various fundraisers.
Artworks Gallery supports the museum throughout the year by operating the gift shop and selling Vandalia souvenirs, Lincoln items, artwork by local artists, prints, books, postcards, note cards and unique items.
Also in the gift shop are the 35th Anniversary Cookbooks, which include more than 450 recipes from Fayette County people and sell for $15, Fayette County games that are $5 and museum T-shirts; sales are clear profit for the restoration fund.
Lions Club
St. Elmo Lions Club annual pancake and sausage breakfast will be held in the Phillips Building on Saturday, March 5. See any member to purchase advance tickets with an donation of $5. Further details will be given later.
The Feb. 8 meeting of the club opened with Dee Newberry leading in the Pledge of Allegiance and Dan Laack giving the prayer. Pee Wee Denton’s and Bob Wells’ anniversary of eight years with the Lions were recognized.
The 2016 defensive drivers course will take place sometime in March; the date will be announced later.
Those present were Charles Brubaker, Don Crawford, Pee Wee Denton, Roger Fulk, Max Hollingshead, Holly Huffer, Mark Lash, Dan Laack, Bob Lowe, Richard Lowe, Dave Maxey, Al Nevergall, Dee Newberry, Rex Reeder and Lloyd Stanley and Will Williams.
American Legion
American Legion Post 420 recognizes all who volunteered to help with the soup supper fundraiser, which was a success.
At the Legion meeting the evening of Feb. 9, the fundraiser was discussed; it helped with Legion expenses, and another two or three will be held this year.
Three of the Legion members, Bud Himes, Dave Cox and Charles Bosomworth, have received certificates for taking the food handlers course.
The St. Elmo American Legion is participating in the state American Legion scholarship program by contacting the school to get students to write an article on patriotism, but no one did this year. Chairman Dave Cox will try again next year to get students to participate for a scholarship.
On the new officer nominating committee are chairman Bob Heckert, Al Nevergall and Ernie Myers. Officers will be elected at the May meeting.
Members present at the meeting were Doyle Beck, Charles Bosomworth, Dave Cox,
Bill Goodwin, Clement Lilly, Chuck Myers, Ernie Myers, Al Nevergall, R.W. Smith, Dave Stewart and Will Williams.
Lunch Bunch
Those present at the Lunch Bunch social at noon on Feb. 11 at Mary Ann’s Restaurant were Karen Denning, Arlin and Lillian Grobengeiser and Anna Jean Rhodes of St. Elmo and Pat Porter of Farina. For the past several months ,they missed Gene Clark of Salem who had been a faithful member. Clark, 87, died on Feb. 1 at St. Louis University Hospital.
In 2000, his deceased wife, Avis (Delaney) Clark, and old school friends Iris (Denton) Orr (a resident of the Aperion Care), and Janet (Sapp) Funneman and Pat (Rhodes) Smith (who are both deceased) explored the idea of a luncheon for anyone with a connection to St. Elmo High School. The purpose was to become reacquainted with old schoolmates living around the local area and to rehash the good old days.
This article has some of the info in a several-page 2012 report Clark gave to the Lunch Bunch.
They started a campaign of phone calls and letter writing. After a few false starts, a luncheon meeting was held, with a turnout that surprised everyone. It was such a success that someone suggested further meetings. It was agreed to have monthly meetings, thus the start of what became known as the Lunch Bunch.
These are the guidelines: it was to be informal with no hierarchy; it would be sponsored or facilitated by the class of 1952; it would include anyone with any connection to SECHS and friends; politics or religion would not be items for discussion; and meetings would be held on the second Thursday of each month.
In addition to monthly meetings, they “meandered out on many outings” to various areas in Illinois and even a St. Louis flea market. His newsletter included many photos of the trips.
The letter ends with this, “Perhaps a later class will someday assume sponsorship and keep the tradition going.”
Library Board
The St. Elmo Public Library District Board met the evening of Feb. 11 at St. Elmo Public Library. After the approving and paying the bills, the board learned that Jacob Edwards in the St. Elmo reading club has read all 25 books in this year’s “Read for a Lifetime” list.
Billie Enlow will call Brumleves about cleaning the awnings. Gutters also need cleaning.
An Eagle Scout would like to landscape the backyard for his project. He needs to bring plans, estimated costs and a timeline to the board. Ivan Kames will mow at St. Elmo Public Library this year. The Fayette County Health Department would like the library to set up a table at its health fair in April.
The bookcases are ordered, and because they are going to be a little cheaper than estimated, Beecher City Branch Library would like an additional short bookcase.
The new router has been installed at the Brownstown Branch Library and the Internet speed has been upgraded. Beecher City Branch Library is next.
Kathy Spitler will work on Mediacom contract for the St. Elmo Public Library.
Tony Koberlein and Wayne Moran plan to finish work on cameras in March. Beecher City Branch’s roof is good.
The board discussed various e-reader services.
A new, less-expensive Frontier contract is in place that includes faster Internet at the Brownstown and Beecher City branches.
The board accepted the resignation of Dona Jo Henry as trustee; Kathy Arnold of Beecher City was appointed to finish Henry’s term.