Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, May 28

Ginny Landgraf opened the Saturday session of the 31st meeting of the Midwest Convention at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse by leading 59. Samuel Sommers offered the invocation.

Leaders: Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover 49b; Rochelle Lodder 49t; Dave Barford 542; Randy Neufeld 99; John Seaton 47t; Eileen Fergusono 36b; Cathryn Bearov 426b; Michael Mosley 432; Steve Warner 475 (in honor of Don Bowen); Jenny Solheim 444; Peter Bradley 538; Joel Menk 57; Jim Helke 540; Matthew Seifert 217.

A business meeting was held to elect the following officers: Chairpersons—Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover; Vice Chairpersons—Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld; Secretary—Rochelle Lodder.

RECESS

Jim Swanson called the class to order leading 274t. Leaders: Linda Selph and Lyda Jackson 81t (for Janelle Davis); Bill Beverly 546; Nathan Migdal and Alec Jenkins-White 282; Grace Patterson 278t; Jacob Lee 300; Barb VanderJagt 87; Leon Pulsinelle 344; John David Thacker 122; Eleanor Haase 270; James Nelson Gingerich 569b; Kelly Brest van Kempen 335; Bill Waddington 430; Beverley Rose Enright 543; Larry Nothwehr 547; Ann Missavage 528; Myles Alexander 53; James Solheim “Happy Birthday, Stand Up and Sing!”. Mary Rogel announced appointed officers and committees as follows: Memorial Committee—John Seaton and Wendy Wahn; Finance Officer—Randy Neufeld; Arranging Committee—Carolyn Deacy, Judy Hauff, Anna Pfau, Clarissa Fetrow, and Ann Sleeva; Chaplains—Jim Swanson, Becky Browne, Will Fitzgerald, Ryan Wheeler, and Samuel Sommers.

RECESS

Ginny Landgraf called the class to order leading 324. Leaders: Alec Jenkins-White 198; Susan Geil 474; Gerry Hoffman 492; Martha Beverly 216; John Bealle 434; Katie White 448t (for Janelle Davis); Marian Mitchel 287; Len VanderJagt 350; Matt Wells 348t; David Smead 411; Wendy Wahn 207; Cathy Lutz 472; Brad Oglesby 208; Ted Johnson 142; Cecelia Kramer 168; Matthew Lind 36t; Lisa Grayson 340; Jim Patterson 178. Becky Browne offered grace before the noon meal with words of Psalm 118.

LUNCH

Anna Pfau called the class to order leading 328. Leaders: Steve Schmidgall 54; Jim Pfau 112; Lisa Bennett 562; Richard Ivey 396; Gillian Inksetter and Clarissa Fetrow 548; Aldo Ceresa 431; Becky Browne and Gary Gronau 384 (in memory of Charles Derleth); Justin Bowen 209; David Brodeur 327; Pam Nunn 454 (in memory of her parents, Jeff and Shelbie Sheppard); Jesse Latimer 192; Marcia Johnson 222 (for Melanie Hauff); Karen Isbell 348b (in memory of Charlie Derleth); Samuel Sommers 518; Gosia Perycz 436; Julie Vea 392; Andy Ditzler 550; Ted Mercer 86; Steve Helwig 227.

RECESS

Judy Hauff and Carolyn Deacy called the class to order leading 29t. Leaders: Anne Heider 236; Jake Kiakahi 89; Debbie Barford 218; Beth Todd 32t; Carol Ann Munro 556; Randy Neufeld 102; Sheila Patterson 362; Judy Hauff 536; Kate Fine 369; Dave Ressler 376; Eloise Clark 532; Jan May 228; Ann Sleeva 383; Dan Nickel 34t; Megan Holm 162; Bob Borcherding 361; Jim Swanson 564 (for Janelle Davis); Carolyn Deacy and Anna Pfau 269.

Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover led 347 as the closing song. Becky Browne dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, May 29

Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover opened the Sunday session at the Irish American Heritage Center by leading 34b. Ryan Wheeler offered the invocation.

Leaders: Debbie Barford 207; Bob Borcherding 146; Jim Pfau 203; Eleanor Haase 272; Bill Beverly 297; Anne Heider 171; Peter Bradley 169; Pam Nunn 556; Ann Sleeva 155; Cecelia Kramer 380; Megan Holm 445; Barb VanderJagt 107; Jim Swanson 488; Beth Todd 501; Marian Mitchell 106; John David Thacker 56t; Micah Sommersmith 157.

RECESS

Cathryn Bearov called the class to order leading 114. Leaders: Dave Ressler 189; Len VanderJagt 277; David Barford 480; Lisa Bennett 32b; Michael Mosley 352 (in memory of Seka); Jake Kiakahi 82t; Steve Schmidgall 496; Steve Warner 99 (in honor of Don Bowen); Lisa Grayson 436; Benjamin Bedroske 375; AnnaLeigh Smith 383; Matt Wells 456; Ted Johnson 222; Elizabeth Gentry 76b; Gerry Hoffman 196; Martha Beverly 283; Karen Isbell 485; Alec Jenkins-White 218; Jenny Solheim 214.

RECESS

Jim Helke called the class to order leading 39t. Leaders: Anne Missavage 280; Natalie Jablonski 197; Bill Waddington and Danny Hallum 299; Kate Fine 318.

John Seaton spoke on behalf of the sick and shut-ins. He led 48t for the following sick and shut-ins: Janelle Davis, Melanie Hauff, Angie Holtzman, Caroline Linde, John Thomas, Harvey Wahn, Janet Fraembs, Frank Fraembs, Lisa Cohen, Joan Bradbury, Carol Brindley, Earlis McGraw, Delorese Lee, Laird Schaub, Lila Mitchell, Kirsty Blattner, Mary Owen Grayson, Mary Ann Wydell, Johanna Fabke, and Judith Klein.

Wendy Wahn read the list of names of the deceased, and led 444 in memory of the following: Oliver Kindig-Stokes, Randy Simmons, and Jane Stephenson Brewer—Pennsylvania; Dan Adams—Connecticut; Ann Henry and Jo Houghton—New York; Eveline Inksetter—Quebec and New York; Charlie Derleth—Missouri; Loraine Bayer—Ohio; Leon J. Pulsinelle, Joe Neighmond, and Paul Maller—New Jersey; Daniel J. Sommers—Indiana; Jay Wallace—Virginia; Kathy Thompson and Sibyl Robinson—Wisconsin; Anna Campbell Bliss—Utah; Max Stackhouse—Massachusetts; John Webster—United Kingdom; Joyce Van Tuyl—Washington; Quentin Young and James Alexander—Illinois; C.W. Garner and George Garner—Georgia; Robert DuPree, Gib Amason, Vernelle Amason, and Kathleen Doss Traywick—Alabama; Paula Danks and Melvin Amundson—Minnesota; Tammi Ziola and Sarah Hausen—Oregon; and Marian Bush—California. Wendy Wahn offered prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Becky Browne 211; Julie Vea and Peter Bradley 368; Larry Nothwehr 66; Ann Miczulski 145b; Leon Pulsinelle 400. Jim Swanson offered grace before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Matt Wells brought the class back to order leading 52t. Leaders: Cathy Lutz 500; Richard Ivey 212; Judy Hauff 421; Joel Menk 372; Andy Ditzler 195; Will Fitzgerald 365; Clarissa Fetrow 453; Jan Ketelle 151; Gillian Inksetter 302; Justin Bowen 67; Aldo Ceresa 472 (for Janelle Davis); Katie White 547; David Smead 483; Marcia Johnson “Boulder”; Gosia Perycz 168; David Brodeur 486; Jonathon Smith 428; Steve Helwig 298; Linda Selph 215; Samuel Sommers 422; Randy Neufeld 504.

RECESS

Clarissa Fetrow called the class to order leading 30b. Leaders: John Bealle 373; Mary Rogel 534; Jan May 276; James Solheim 464; Anna Pfau 505; Sam Singleton-Freeman 84; Eloise Clark 184; Myles Alexander 378b; Michael Appert 163b (for Ashby Paca, in memory of her mother, Pam Paca); Ted Mercer 324; Carolyn Deacy 315; Ginny Landgraf 455; Matthew Seifert 153; Jim Pfau 498; Gary Gronau 550.

The Finance Committee reported that expenses were nearly met. The Resolutions Committee (Martha Beverly, Susan Geil, and David Brodeur) offered praise and thanksgiving to God for His many gifts to us, including the gift of song and these expressions of praise, hope, and prayer we know as The Sacred Harp; thanks to our forebears for keeping this tradition alive and growing; thanks to God for the spirit of fellowship that has brought us together in this beautiful place; thanks for the hospitality of the local singers, for the direction and dedication of all the officers and committees, for the singers who traveled from near and far to join us, and for the bountiful and delicious meals prepared by so many loving hands. They resolved to continue to meet and to sing, not only in this convention next year, but as often as circumstances allow.

The officers led 62 as the closing song, and those who wished took the parting hand. Will Fitzgerald offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairmen—Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover; Vice Chairmen—Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld; Secretary—Rochelle Lodder