Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 9

The 34th annual session of the Missouri State Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order at St. John United Church of Christ by Álvaro Witt-Duarte leading 47t. Jim Herr offered the opening prayer. The convention officers previously elected or appointed are as follows: Chairman—Álvaro Witt-Duarte; Secretary—Dave Ressler; Arranging Committee—Presley Barker; Finance Officer—Roberta Strauss; Memorial Committee—Virginia Eldridge and Jim Herr. Song selections were from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition and The Missouri Harmony, 2005 Edition.

Leaders: Prisca Rice 51 (MH); Anne Drexler 276; Hollie Powell 472; Jo Dell Albi 500; Aubrey Hemminger 146; Dave Ressler 536; Gail Doss 440; Roberta Strauss 203; Dan Dohman 29t; Wendy Hofmann 13 (MH); Rebekah Gilmore 349; John Seaton 62 (MH); Jubal Schultz 39b; Tim Gregg 99; Wayne Smith 113 (MH); Andrew Albers 210; Tim Van Englin 503; Jamie Dohman 171; Ted Mercer 328.

RECESS

John Huffman and Katie Huffman led 569b to bring the class together. Leaders: Cory Winters 38b; Dan Ervin 178; Paul Figura “New Bridge”; Evelyn Lamb 177 (MH); Lou Kujawinski 85; Cecilia Kramer 380; Philip Gilmore 77t; Mike Hinton 534; Sharla Hulsey 198; Chris Nicholson 212; Tullaia Powell 300; Barbara Chopin 180 (MH); Craig Averill 312b; Steven Schmidgall 56 (MH).

RECESS

Tommy Schultz led 168 to bring the class together. Leaders: Marcus Whitman 151 (MH); Paula Gilmore 39t; Peggy Brayfield 149; Bob Borcherding 430; Anna Dohman 546; Clara Herr 124 (MH); Lori Graber 42 (MH); Anne Missavage 127 (MH); Marian Mitchell 138 (MH). Gary Huffman offered prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Syd Caldwell led 213t to bring the class together. Leaders: Virginia Eldridge 224; Eleanor Haase 142; Dan Brittain 68 (MH); Ginny Landgraf 5 (MH); Barb Onofrio and Penny Kujawinski 228; Carla Bermudez 56b; Jim Herr 475; Bill Caldwell 163b; Tim Morton 39 (MH); Nate Zweig 179 (MH); Bernadine Sommer and Lisa Bulawsky 84; Penny Kujawinski 547; Shirley Figura 299; Julie Thompson 485; Jeremy Van Horn and Syd Caldwell 318; Jan Ketelle 89 (MH); Lisa Grayson 269; Lamar Schlabach 148; Presley Barker 362; Álvaro Witt-Duarte 162 (MH).

RECESS

Terry Hoag led 523 to bring the class together. Leaders: Patti Doss 222; Rebekah Gilmore 411; Tim Gregg 541; Wayne Smith 66; Andrew Albers 501; Ted Mercer 80 (MH); Cory Winters 175 (MH); Dan Ervin and Dan Brittain 313b; Evelyn Lamb 136 (MH); Cecelia Kramer 71; Philip Gilmore 434; Mike Hinton 495; Sharla Hulsey 229; Chris Nicholson 157 (MH); Craig Averill 410t; Steven Schmidgall 22 (MH). After announcements, the class was dismissed with prayer offered by John Huffman.

Sunday, March 10

The class was called together by Álvaro Witt-Duarte leading 24b. Philip Gilmore offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Lori Graber 46 (MH); Karen Isbell 113 (MH); Mike Hinton 318; Virginia Eldridge 478; Jim Herr 377; Rebekah Gilmore 396; Ted Mercer 148 (MH); Cory Winters 479; Evelyn Lamb 37b; Philip Gilmore and Paula Gilmore 270; Cecelia Kramer 522; John Seaton 47t; Nate Zweig 17 (MH); Bill Caldwell 135 (MH); Clara Herr 564; Aubrey Hemminger 474; Theophilus Schultz 56b; Ellen Ress and Wendy Hofmann 28b.

RECESS

Dave Ressler led 67 to bring the class together. Leaders: Marcus Whitman 27; Anne Missavage 454; Peggy Brayfield 149 (MH); Jenny Whitman 455; Marian Mitchell 44; Syd Caldwell 53; Billy See and Vickie See 480; Eleanor Haase 384; Dan Brittain 172 (MH); Bob Borcherding 45 (MH); Jedidiah Schultz 448t; Lou Kujawinski 95; Tim Morton 94; Tommy Schultz 284; Philip Gilmore 285 (t? b?).

RECESS

Holly Powell led 426b to bring the class together. Leaders: Tullaia Powell 504; Ginny Landgraf 77 (MH).

The memorial lesson was conducted by Virginia Eldridge and Jim Herr. Virginia read the names of the sick and shut-ins. She commented on the importance of the phrase “I know that my Redeemer liveth” and noted that praying with and for each other is sweet. Virginia led 68b for the sick and shut-ins.

Jim Herr read the list of the deceased from the past year. He noted that age creeps relentlessly upon us all, but that our hope always is to fellowship together again. The class sang 86, and Aubrey Hemminger closed the lesson with prayer.

Penny Kujawinski led 500. The class sang 164 (MH) as a blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Lisa Bulawsky led 192 to bring the class together. Leaders: Álvaro Witt-Duarte 186; Craig Averill 49t; Steven Schmidgall 473; Jairus Schultz 457; Lisa Grayson 383; Julie Thompson 268; Jan Ketelle 368; Lamar Schlabach 131b; Chris Nicholson 235; Sharla Hulsey 535; Patti Doss 528; Paul Figura, Shirley Figura, and Abigail Figura 388; Roberta Strauss 236; Barbara Chopin 209; Wendy Hofmann 159 (MH); Anne Drexler 87; Karen Isbell 84 (MH).

RECESS

Eleanor Haase led 274t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Charles Whitehead and Dave Ressler 47b; Syd Caldwell, Philip Gilmore, and Paula Gilmore 137; Lori Graber 147 (MH); Mike Hinton 340; Rebekah Gilmore 269; Ted Mercer 569t; Cory Winters 547; Presley Barker 121 (MH); Evelyn Lamb 298; Cecelia Kramer 464; Aubrey Hemminger 344; Bill Caldwell 49b.

Announcements were made, and the class sang 62 as the closing song. Tommy Schultz dismissed the class with prayer.

Chairman—Álvaro Witt-Duarte; Secretary—Dave Ressler