Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 12

The 26th annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at St. John’s United Church of Christ, Pinckney, Missouri. The class was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by Paul Figura leading 32t. Jim Hearne offered the opening prayer.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Paul Figura; Secretary—Dave Ressler; Arranging Committee—Rebecca Browne; Finance Committee—Gary Gronau; Memorial Committee—Aubrey Hemminger and Rebecca Browne.

Song selections were called from the 1991 edition of The Sacred Harp and The Missouri Harmony 2005.

Leaders: Rebecca Browne 36b; Gary Gronau 38t; David Long 56b; Pattie Doss 175 (MH); Roberta Strauss 542; David Kaeser, Cherry Hinderberger, and Meg Stauffer 142; Karen Isbell 436; Les Sontag 178; Barbara Uhlemann 528; Charlie Derleth 348b; Anne Drexler 335; Lou Kujawinski 56 (MH); Bill Rintz 288.

RECESS

Dave Ressler called the class to order leading 29t. Leaders: Penny Kujawinski 128; Ann Leckie 122 (MH); Carla Bermudez 372; Rhonda Machlan 475; Ray Rechenberg 300; Gayle Von Engeln 107; Mark Graber and Lori Graber 474; Berkley Moore 24 (MH); Jubal Schultz 59; Anita Buswell 61; Matt Shomaker 117; Ben Copenhauer 143; Wendy Hofmann 109 (MH).

RECESS

Mark Bruns led 504 to call the class together. Leaders: Jo Dell Albi 392; Michael Domino 110 (MH); John Uhlemann “Blackwell Tune”; Gail Doss 290; Charlotte Baldwin 42; Tim Von Engeln 89 (MH); Noelle Copeland 133; Daniel Bearden 222; Terry Hogg 180 (MH); Melanie Hauff 411; Bill Beverly 547; Nate Green and Norma Green 314; Wayne Dell 6 (MH). Jim Hearne offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Paul Figura called the next session together leading 129. Leaders: Janet Fraembs 217; John Seaton 47t; Karen Swenson 70 (MH); B.M. Smith 318; Darrell Swarens 312b; Joan Aldridge 268; Rodney Willard 40; Nathan Berry 480; Stuart Ivey 564; William Gilman 26; Karen Willard 562; Kim Bahmer 38b; Judy Mincey 75 (MH); Judy Hauff 102 (MH); Dan Brittain 160 (MH); Martha Beverly 546.

RECESS

David Kaeser led 39t to begin this session. Leaders: Patti Sontag 457; Paul Wyatt 456; Peggy Brayfield 51 (MH); James Page 45 (MH); Elizabeth Schultz 162; Ted Mercer 131t; Ethan Schultz 496; Julie Vea 362; Bill Caldwell 138 (MH); Jan Ketelle 168; Sylwinn Tudor 66; Tommy Schultz 376; Mark Bruns 127 (MH); Presley Barker and Jane Wallace 8 (MH); Dave Ressler 77 (MH); Henry Schuman 532; Paul Figura 46.

Announcements were made. Jim Hearne closed the day with a prayer.

After the conclusion of Saturday’s Convention singing, a number of the attendees gathered in the convention church’s cemetery at the site of the internment of Laura Hearne, wife of St. Louis singer Jim Hearne, for a brief memorial. The group sang 163b, 147t, 72b, and 503 followed by sharing of remembrances of Laura by Jim. The class sang 180 (MH), followed by prayer for Laura and Jim, offered by Bill Caldwell.

Sunday, March 13

The Sunday session of the Missouri State Convention was called to order by Paul Figura leading 171 at 9:30 a.m. Roberta Strauss offered the morning prayer, and led 99.

Leaders: Pattie Doss 411; Gary Gronau 272; Presley Barker 313b; Dave Ressler 215; Julie Vea 216; John Uhlemann 212; Karen Isbell 68 (MH); John Seaton 62 (MH); Penny Kujawinski 138 (MH); Mark Graber and Lori Graber 155; Shirley Figura 361; Darrell Swarens 341; Janet Fraembs 151 (MH); Tommy Schultz 270; Anne Drexler 335; Barbara Uhlemann 299; Dan Brittain 304; Jo Dell Albi 293; Lamar Schlabach 48t; Jedidiah Schultz and Jairus Schultz 180 (MH); Lou Kujawinski 13 (MH); Judy Mincey 124 (MH); Jennifer Hedrich and Noelle Copeland 163b; Ted Mercer 434; Bill Caldwell 472; Ethan Schultz 135 (MH); Anita Buswell 473; Jubal Schultz 388; David Lloyd 320.

RECESS

Pattie Doss led 426b to call the class back together. Leaders: Wendy Hofmann 159 (MH); David Kaeser 47b.

Aubrey Hemminger conducted the memorial lesson. He read the list of names of the sick and shut-ins as follows: Coy Ivey, Marie Ivey, Pam Nunn, Bud Oliver, Jeff Sheppard, Shelbie Sheppard, Genny Whitworth, Maryann Sprskna, John Grant, Lonnie Rodgers, John Kaeser, Romelle Kaeser, Ed Hinderberger, Paula Saab, Steve Morris, Steve Hope, Lucinda Saue, Bob Anderson, Joyce Anderson, Bob Scorgie, and Barbara Berry. Aubrey spoke of compassion as living with the story of another person, and led 66.

Aubrey read the following list of names of those deceased since the last convention: Japeth Jackson, Rhoda Keeton Norris, Edith Swindle, Billy Williams, Myrtle Wooten—Alabama; Mary Florence Smith—Georgia; Larry Devocelle, Jerry Enright, Helen Hogg—Illinois; Bob Meek—Kentucky; John Blattner—Maryland; Joanne Bowman—Massachusetts; Laura Hearne, Janet Boyer, John Boyer, Dianna Wright, and Joe Wright—Missouri; George Seiler—New York; Henry Bissell—North Carolina; Christina Cox, Jeanette Rechenberg—Ohio; David Willard—Oregon; George Jones—Texas; Dennis Murphy—Vermont; Howard Hallock—Washington; Roxanne Crawford—Wisconsin. Becky Browne offered her thoughts about community and tradition, led 283, and closed the lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Peggy Brayfield 385 (t? b?); Melanie Hauff 113 (MH); Kristen Luther 121. Roberta Strauss offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Stuart Ivey led 507 to open the afternoon session. Leaders: Jan Ketelle 430; William Gilman 444; Martha Beverly 383; Karen Swenson 455; Gail Doss 35; Paul Wyatt 182; Karen Willard 550; Kim Bahmer 340; Joan Aldridge 540; Nathan Berry and Alexa Copeland 19 (MH); B.M. Smith 350; Nate Green and Norma Green 330b; Elizabeth Schultz 268; James Page 170 (MH); Bill Beverly 297; Ariel Cooper and Wayne Dell 282.

RECESS

The final session was called to order by Paul Figura leading 128. Leaders: Bill Rintz 276; Daniel Bearden 355; Ben Copenhauer 220; Tommy Schultz and Donna Schultz 178 (MH); Steve Copeland 569b; Henry Schuman 193; Judy Hauff 148 (MH); Toni Kazic 45t; Jim Hearne 162 (MH); Charlie Derleth 28b; Aubrey Hemminger and Ted Mercer 145 (MH); Gary Gronau, Rebecca Browne, and Stuart Ivey 384; the Minnesotans 183.

The arranging committee reported that seventy-seven songs were led on Saturday and seventy-one on Sunday; and that twelve states and Canada were represented by singers at this convention. Announcements were made. Roberta Strauss closed the convention with a prayer, and the class sang 146.

Chairman—Paul Figura; Secretary—Dave Ressler