Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 29

The 32nd annual meeting of the Midwest Sacred Harp Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, on the fifth Sunday and Saturday before in April. Mary Rogel and Jerry Gripshover opened the Saturday session held at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse by leading 276. Jim Swanson offered the invocation.

Leaders: Rochelle Lodder 300t (ShH); Jim Swanson 422 (ShH); Noelle Copeland 218t (ShH); Steve Warner 503 (at the request of Don Bowen); Myles Alexander 102; Claudia Egelhoff 364b (ShH); Debbie Barford 242 (ShH); Luke Sivertson 565; Beth Todd 475; Paul Wyatt 173 (ShH).

A business meeting was convened to elect the following officers: Chairpersons—Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld; Vice Chairman—Cathryn Bearov; Secretary—Rochelle Lodder.

RECESS

Anna Pfau called the class to order leading 114. Leaders: Alec Jenkins-White and Aaron Ban 106 (ShH); Steven Schmidgall 260b (ShH); Matthew Lind 474; Erica Detemmerman 429 (ShH); AnnaLeigh Smith 243 (ShH); Matt Wells 456; Orwin Youngquist 81t; Doug Stapleton 163b; Barb VanderJagt 155; Seth Wenger 448b; Anne Missavage 217; Wendy Wahn 448t; Marian Mitchell 327; Benjamin Bedroske 192; Ana Tighe 358; Lisa Cohen 485.

The following names of the committee members were announced: Memorial Committee—Steve Warner and AnnaLeigh Smith; Finance Committee—Jim Helke; Arranging Committee—Carolyn Deacy, Kathy Williams, Anna Pfau, and Mary Rogel; Chaplain—Melanie Jansen.

RECESS

Cathryn Bearov called the class to order leading 294. Leaders: Leon Pulsinelle 464; Barbara Patterson 235 (ShH); Jeff Begley and Arieta Santinelli 114 (ShH); Cecelia Kramer 380; Amanda Jokerst 285 (ShH); John David Thacker 122; Jim Helke and Pornkamol Huang 69 (ShH); Joel Menk 152 (ShH); Myles Louis Dakan 165 (ShH); Bob Borcherding 210; Betsy Jeronen 78 (ShH); Jan May 125 (ShH); Tullaia Powell 142; Katie White 547; Gerry Hoffman 564. Melanie Jansen offered grace before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Susan Geil called the class to order leading 29t. Leaders: Sam Kleinman 392; Nora Miller 420b (ShH); Reba Windom 546; Sasha Maslanka 107; Erik Schwab 447; Phillip Langley 215; Kelly Macklin 188 (ShH); Jonathon Smith 96t (ShH); Pam Nunn 318; Gillian Inksetter and Julia Inksetter 377; Susan Cherones 300; Dick Patterson 407 (ShH); Eva Striebeck 361; Kathy Williams 234; John delRe 12b (ShH); Judy Hauff 384 (ShH); Lydia Lewallen 56t.

RECESS

Rochelle Lodder called the class to order leading 36b. Leaders: Daniel Lee 566; Lisa Grayson 264b (ShH); Kathy Kaiser 501; Ted Mercer 428 (ShH); Elise delMas 562; Ginny Landgraf and Dan Gar 200 (ShH); Catherine Brown and Dan Gar 66; Harriet Dart 229; Gillian Inksetter, Jim Helke, Susan Cherones, and Joel Menk 180; Jacob Kiakahi 147 (ShH); Carolyn Deacy 208; Bruce Vyles 344; Anne Heider 378b (ShH); Eileen Ferguson 140t (ShH); Dave Barford 101 (ShH); Amritpal Singh 362; Carol Ann Munro 556; Mary Rogel 390 (ShH); John Seaton and Adrian Garcia 22b (ShH).

Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld led 347 as the closing song. Melanie Jansen dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, April 30

The Sunday session of the Midwest Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Irish American Heritage Center. Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld brought the class to order by leading 68b. Melanie Jansen offered the invocation.

Leaders: Ginny Landgraf 76t (ShH); Dick Patterson 385 (ShH); Carol Ann Munro 392; Eleanor Haase 454; Dave Barford 366 (ShH); Tullaia Powell 300; Pam Nunn 236; Alissa Ricci 547; Anne Heider 528; Bill Beverly and Gillian Inksetter 191; Bob Borcherding 344; Katie White 475; Joel Menk 105 (ShH).

RECESS

Jim Swanson called the class to order leading 145t. Leaders: Gillian Inksetter 310 (ShH); Len VanderJagt 350; Bruce Voyles 38b; Jake Kiahahi 363b (ShH); Elise delMas 424t (ShH); Daniel Lee 410t; Alexandre Pomier 388; Debbie Barford 313b; Eva Striebeck 53 (ShH); Claudia Egelhoff 214 (ShH); Beverley Rose Enright 352; Erik Schwab 396; Kerry Cullinan 348 (ShH) (for his daughter, Atticus); Hollie Powell 426b; Sam Kleinman 522; Betsy Jeronen 472 (for Concetta Branson); Ann Miczulski 361.

RECESS

Kathy Williams called the class to order leading 37b. Leaders: Martha Beverly 114 (ShH); Steven Schmidgall 369; Kelly Macklin 292 (ShH); Jacob Lee 299; Megan Dunning 335.

AnnaLeigh Smith spoke on behalf of the sick and shut-ins. She led 72b for the following: Melanie Hauff, Michael Appert, Carol Ruth Kimmel, Wayne Rose, Concetta Branson, Mary L. Capron, Nicholas Hill, Tommie Spurlock, Vera Nell Sasser, Elaine Zidek, Hannah Mae Blair, Mike Ramsey, Atticus Cullinan, and Karen Rollins.

Steve Warner gave the memorial lesson. He read the following list of names of the deceased, and led 209 in their memory: Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, B.M. Smith, Earlis McGraw, Geneva Prichard, Edna Vickers, and Loyd Landrum—Georgia; Buster Creagh—Texas; Laura Burns, Don Fahrbach, and Dick DeLaVergne—Michigan; Lila Mitchell—New York; Peggy Stapleton—Kentucky; Mel Connet and Laurie Eash—Iowa; Colette Miller and Gerhardt Moldenhauer—Minnesota; John Bayer, Jr, Gerhart Schwab, Sharon Owens, and Patricia Cohen—Ohio; Judith Klein—Maryland; Jean Comfort-Hallowell and Michael Sensor—Pennsylvania; Levon Wootten, Kathleen Doss Traywick, Elsie Moon, Steve Adams, Kermit Adams, Toney Smith, Gary Smith, and Gravis Ballinger—Alabama; Janelle Davis, Steven Craig Miller, Edgar Houston Martin, and Les Sontag—Illinois; Darrell Fasching and Joe Nall—Florida; Ron Huss, Pandora Wright, and Bill Horvitz—California; Pat Colteryahn and Timothy Grannis—Vermont; Nanda Hoppenwasser and Aren Simmering—Colorado; Charles Derleth—Missouri; Ruth Steggles—United Kingdom; Diana Hauff Zwieg—South Dakota. Melanie Jansen read “The Gate” by Marie Howe, and offered prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Carolyn Deacy 95; Jonathon Smith 442. Melanie Jansen offered grace before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Mary Rogel brought the class back to order leading 178 (for Carol Ruth Kimmel). Leaders: Matt Wells 500; Phillip Langley 564; Reba Windom 216; Myles Louis Dakan 284 (ShH); Susan Cherones 460; Alec Jenkins-White 338 (ShH); Ana Tighe 140b (ShH); Nora Miller 402 (ShH); John delRe 278 (ShH); Noelle Copeland 413 (ShH); Paul Wyatt 417 (ShH); Barb Patterson 416 (ShH); Julie Vea 419; Kathy Kaiser 326b (ShH); Ted Mercer 431 (ShH); Cecelia Kramer 444; Amanda Jokerst 305 (ShH); Lisa Grayson 79 (ShH); Jim Helke, Susan Cherones, Joel Menk, and Jane Wells 26; Anne Missavage 362; Judy Hauff 392 (ShH).

RECESS

AnnaLeigh Smith called the class to order leading 77 (ShH). Leaders: Leon Pulsinelle and John delRe 351 (ShH); Sasha Maslanka 157; Miriam Delirium 381 (ShH); Gerry Hoffman 315; Beth Todd 373; Lydia Lewallen 426t; Myles Alexander 68t; Johanna Fabke 84; Jan May 266 (ShH); Jeff Begley 422 (ShH); Jo Dell Albi 197 (ShH); Linda Selph 480 (in memory of Janelle Davis); Ann Sleeva 445; Marian Mitchell 532; Kathy Williams and Anna Pfau 434.

John delRe thanked the officers, keyers, and all others who contributed to the success of the convention

The officers led 62 as the closing song, and those who wished took the parting hand. Melanie Jansen dismissed the class with prayer.

Chairpersons—Susan Geil and Randy Neufeld; Vice Chairman—Cathryn Bearov; Secretary—Rochelle Lodder