Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 27

The 19th annual Minnesota State Convention was called to order by Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson leading 350. Doug Donley offered the opening prayer. Jefferson Spilman of the Three Rivers Park System welcomed the class to The Landing (formerly known as Murphy’s Landing), noting that Sacred Harp conventions have met at The Landing almost every year since 1993.

Leaders: Denise Kania and Steve Luttinen 565; Bill Waddington 171; Doug Donley 424; Nancy Koester 337; Stephen Parker 32t; Charles Wells 546; Cassie Lang 448b; William Gilman 29t; Jeanette Nelson 272; Mark Ellenberger 107; Annie Grieshop 384; Jeff Bell 148; Alice Love 65; Kristie Harju 440; Nathan Berry 170; Pleasance Crawford 446; Hans Guttman 270.

RECESS

Midge Olsen called the class back together by leading 50t. Leaders: Michael Moore 50b; Jim Goetz 159; Cindy Kissee 479; Barbara Swetman 497; Emma Schmidgall and Shachar Raindel 117; James Page 505; Bobby Watkins 376; Kit Canright 47t; Lisa Grayson 436 (for Steven Levine’s birthday); Donna Bell 480; Anita Shaperd 536; Judy Hauff 411; Dan Edwards, Karen Edwards, and Finnian Edwards 99; Paul Figura 339; Peter Newton 268; Peter Bradley 244 (?).

RECESS

Gordon Olsen called the class back to order by leading 277.

A business session was held and next year’s officers were announced as follows: Co-Chairpersons for next year’s fall convention are Stacey Berkheimer and Kristie Harju; Chairperson for the Cooper Book singing in February is Carol Buche.

Leaders: Myles Alexander 129; Jason Chance 254; John Seaton 49b; Jeff Breting 163t. Doug Donley offered prayer for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson leading 496. Leaders: Martha Henderson 550; Kim Bahmer 318; Shirley Figura 176t; Ted Mercer 302; Jessica Beer 142; Laura Densmore 328; Melanie Hauff 421; Donna Gunderson-Rogers 224; Ginny Landgraf 419; Steven Levine 28b; Roberta Strauss 276; Grace Scrimgeour 216; Charlie Obert 500; Stacey Berkheimer 335; Matt Wells 434; Chuck Crawford 38b; Midge Olsen 454; Cathy Lutz 218; Claudia Egelhoff 369; Anita Shaperd 183.

RECESS

Denise Kania brought the class back to order leading 40. Leaders: Paul Wyatt 168; Nate Zweig 432; Irene Lawrence 47b; Jenny Willard 422; Judy Hauff 181; Carol Buche 504; Bobby Watkins 512; Scott Schroeder 269; Lisa Grayson 448t; Donna Bell 503; Gordon Olsen 313b; Barbara Swetman 542; Shelley Robbins 299.

Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson led 330b as the closing song. The class was dismissed after prayer offered by Doug Donley.

Sunday, September 28

The Sunday session of the Minnesota State Convention was called to order by Steve Schmidgall and Karen Swenson leading 217. Myles Alexander offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gordon Olsen 39t; Claudia Egelhoff 77b; Jim Goetz 312b; Donna Gunderson-Rogers 155; John Seaton 47t; Hans Guttman 209; Michael Moore 202; Kristie Harju 148; Nate Zweig 84; Scott Schroeder 299; Peter Bradley 163b; Martha Henderson 456; James Page 24t; Roberta Strauss 300; Myles Alexander 129; Colette Miller 348b; William Gilman 51.

RECESS

The class was brought back to order by Stephen Parker leading 48t. Leaders: Francis Gurtz 56b; Jim Parsons 385t; Carol Buche 350; Chuck Crawford 535; Paul Wyatt 195; Jeff Breting 108b; Cathy Lutz 378b; Grace Scrimgeour 287; Alice Love 66; Melanie Hauff 271t; Jeff Bell 135 (for Val Eng); Robin Fox and Mary Rose O’Reilley 112; Anita Shaperd 372; Christine Stevens 373.

RECESS

Dan Edwards, Karen Edwards, Finnian Edwards, Peter Edwards, and Caleb Borgmeier brought the class back together leading 278b. Kim Bahmer led 162.

Stephen Parker and Paul Figura conducted the memorial lesson. The names of the deceased were read as follows: Marjorie Parker Burke—North Dakota; Bethalee Harpst—Ohio; Jean Marcotte, John Sinclair Payne—Oregon; Paul Gilliland, Joy Swenson, Mirjana Lausevic, Ann Nelson, Irene Yung, Fran Farnham, Ramona Lang—Minnesota; Barbara Holly Neal—Colorado; Lee Rogers, Homer Benefield—Georgia; Pauline Childers, Norman Whitfield—Michigan; Marilyn Darch, Al Chealey—California; Jeannette Lowry, Janet Boyer, Ben Berry—Missouri; Amanda Denson Brady, Dick Mauldin, Mattie Townsel, Edith Tate, LaRue Allen, Milton Oliver—Alabama; Richard Ellenberger—Connecticut; Kat Kincade, Becky McGill—Virginia; Anah Jackson, Becky Roberts—Wisconsin; Robert Baldwin—Maine; Virginia Tomlinson—Kentucky; Ed Wagner—Iowa; David Foster Wallace—New York; Edna Lehr—Pennsylvania; Gary Irwin—Alaska; Doug Spitz—Rhode Island. Stephen Parker led 122 in their memory.

The list of sick and shut-ins included John Yoakam, Rev. Tom Ewald, Beverly Dumas, Bill Plieseis, Roy Wyatt, Cindy Kissee, Val Eng, Cathryn Bearov, Rochelle Lodder, Richard Grayson, Hollis McBride, Edie Goffrey, Larue Stolling, George Garner, Bob Scorgie, Bob Anderson, Dick Dunagan, Bill Ellason, Clinton Ivey, Bud Oliver, Peg Pearson, Janet Bell, John Blattner, Margie Baron, John Etheridge, and Jennifer Burke. Paul Figura led 68b in their honor. Stephen Parker offered prayer to conclude the lesson. After the grace offered by Myles Alexander, the class was dismissed for lunch.

LUNCH

Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson called the afternoon session to order leading “Marching to Zion”. Leaders: Cassie Lang 472; Jeanette Nelson 455; Johanna Fabke 475; Matt Wells and Lara Andersen 318; Donna Bell 31t; Laura Densmore 522; Julie Vea 436; Pleasance Crawford 151; Midge Olsen 362; Bobby Watkins 460; Karen Swenson 327; Ginny Landgraf 383; Kit Canright 203; Jan Ketelle 168; Steven Levine 285t; Ted Mercer 468; Jenny Willard 145b; Steven Schmidgall and Eloise Jerome 340.

RECESS

Christine Stevens brought the class back together leading 31b. Leaders: Nancy Parr and Steven Levine 474; Jessica Beer 549; Keith Willard 274t (for John Etheridge); Nathan Berry 178; Barbara Swetman 390; Steve Luttinen 442; Lisa Grayson 428; Denise Kania 384; Carol Buche 143; Stacey Berkheimer and Kristie Harju 282.

The secretary reported that singers attended from 13 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Oregon, Alaska, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York) and from Canada. Claudia Egelhoff and Joan Fritz, as the Resolutions Committee, gave thanks—in rhyming verse!—to all who worked to make the convention a success.

Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson led 82t as the closing song. Myles Alexander offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Next year’s convention will be held on September 26 and 27, 2009.

Chairpersons—Steven Schmidgall and Karen Swenson; Secretary—Stacey Berkheimer