Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 29

The 36th meeting of the Midwest Convention took place at the Logan Avondale VFW on the fifth Sunday and Saturday before in April. The class was called to order by Lisa Grayson leading 171. Anne Heider offered the invocation.

Leaders: Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld 99; Dave Barford 350; Michael Mosley 186; Steven Schmidgall 260b (ShH); Steve Warner 34b; Christine Stevens 140b (ShH); Lori Graber 548; Cathy Lutz 460; Eleanor Haase 142; Anne Missavage 217.

A business meeting was convened to elect the following officers: Chairpersons—Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld; Vice Chairman—Mary Rogel (in absentia); Secretaries—Rochelle Lodder and Eileen Ferguson.

Leaders: Jim Helke 441 (ShH); Hannah Lutz 112.

RECESS

Jim Swanson called the class to order leading 114. Leaders: Carol Crawford 458; Eileen Ferguson 501; Marion Mitchell 264b (ShH); Susie Kauffman 503; Richard Popp 145b; JoDell Albi 183 (ShH); Jonathon Smith 542; Anne Heider 268; Bob Borcherding 276; Alec Jenkins-White 277; Jim Crawford 313t; Susan Geil 474; John Seaton 47t; Paul Wyatt 266 (ShH); Rochelle Lodder 78 (ShH).

RECESS

Randy Neufeld called the class to order leading 36b. Leaders: Lisa Grayson 29t; Wendy Popp 148; Dave Barford 37b; Steven Schmidgall 125 (ShH); Steve Warner 81t; Christine Stevens 475; Michael Mosley 318; Lori Graber 28t; Cathy Lutz 344; Eleanor Haase 270; Jim Helke 377 (ShH); Anne Missavage 66; Jim Swanson 258 (ShH). Dave Barford offered grace before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Paul Wyatt leading 87. Leaders: Carol Crawford 538; Hannah Lutz 269; Eileen Ferguson 472; Lyda Jackson 421; Marian Mitchell 362; Eric Gu 426b; Dan Nickel 448t; Ginny Landgraf 364b (ShH); Richard Popp 80 (ShH); Alex Calhoun 141; Debbie Barford 193; Susie Kauffman 106; JoDell Albi 197 (ShH); Alec Jenkins-White 242 (ShH); Anne Heider 236; Susan Geil 315; Jonathon Smith 226 (ShH); Bob Borcherding 385t; Rochelle Lodder 363 (ShH).

RECESS

Lisa Grayson called the class to order leading 145t. Leaders: John Seaton 84; Wendy Popp 547; Steven Schmidgall 136; Randy Neufeld 102; Christine Stevens 254 (ShH); Eleanor Haase 171 (ShH); Cathy Lutz 432; Paul Wyatt 173 (ShH); Marian Mitchell 213b; Eric Gu 77t; Carol Crawford 433; Hannah Lutz 168; Debbie Barford 313b; Richard Popp 117; Bob Borcherding 430. Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld led 347 as the closing song, and John Seaton dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, April 30

Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld opened the Sunday session at the Logan Avondale VFW by leading 59. Dave Barford offered the invocation.

Leaders: Eileen Ferguson 34b; Michael Mosley 129; Paul Wyatt 440; Cathy Lutz 176b; Steven Schmidgall 369; Anne Heider 532; Martha Beverly 283; Anne Missavage 155; Lori Graber 122; Laura Noble 276; Will Fitzgerald 86 (in memory of Bill Beverly; Martha Beverly spoke up and mentioned that when they buried his ashes, they read the middle verse of this song); Alec Jenkins-White 57 (ShH).

RECESS

Rochelle Lodder called the class to order leading 36b. Leaders: Debbie Barford 6b (ShH); Eleanor Haase 221 (ShH); JoDell Albi 195; Jim Helke 540 (for Don Bowen); Marian Mitchell 157; Steve Warner 47b; Christine Stevens 310 (ShH); Hannah Lutz 479; Bob Borcherding 507; Dan Nickel 106; Jim Swanson 348b (ShH); Randy Neufeld 146 (ShH); Ginny Landgraf 402 (ShH); Eileen Ferguson 140t (ShH); Steven Schmidgall 473; Michael Mosley 303.

RECESS

Jim Helke called the class to order leading 480. Leaders: Paul Wyatt 218b (ShH); Lisa Grayson 79 (ShH); Eric Gu 243 (ShH).

Steven Schmidgall spoke on behalf of the sick and shut-ins, reminding us that we all experienced being shut in during Covid, and especially calling our attention to the need to reach out to those with dementia and their caregivers. He led 414 on behalf of the following: Melanie Hauff, Kris Richardson, Wendy Wahn, Janet Fraembs, Ted Johnson, Marcia Johnson, Lisa Cohen, Donna Gunderson-Rogers, Jeff Bell, Becky Browne, Gary Gronau, Charles Taylor, Robert Owen, and Mary Owen.

Lisa Grayson gave the memorial lesson and led 112 in memory of the following deceased: Lydia Lewallen—North Carolina; Ted Mercer, Nathan Shelly, Walter Joshongeva—Illinois; Nadine Lee—Kansas; Lila Anne Mitchell—New York; Patricia Geil—Oregon; Cheryl Foreman—Texas; Darren Millam—Missouri; Willa Mae Cott-Meissel—Minnesota; Jerry Harpst—Ohio; Nick Nagy and Anne Nagy—Ohio and Virginia; and Tony Seaton—United Kingdom. Steven Schmidgall closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Susan Geil 415 (ShH); Cathy Lutz 500; Anne Heider 220 (ShH); Martha Beverly 464 (in memory of Ted Mercer and Jeff Sheppard). Anne Heider offered grace before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Jim Swanson leading 274t. Leaders: Laura Noble 140b (ShH); Anne Missavage 454; Will Fitzgerald, Mark Fitzgerald, and Lak Cai 142; Lori Graber 101b; Alec Jenkins-White 320; Dave Barford 513; Eleanor Haase 352; JoDell Albi 214; Marian Mitchell 189; Steve Warner 84; John Seaton 49b; Christine Stevens 254 (ShH); Hannah Lutz 504; Bob Borcherding 362; Rochelle Lodder 236b (ShH); Randy Neufeld 163t.

RECESS

Michael Mosley called the class to order leading 61. Leaders: Matthew Siefert 342; Charlie Ewell 82t; Martha Beverly 210; Cathy Lutz 282; Paul Wyatt 417 (ShH); Will Fitzgerald 113 (ShH); Marian Mitchell 528; Alec Jenkins-White 328; Hannah Lutz 300; Eleanor Haase 522; Anne Missavage 212; Anne Heider 186. Reports were presented. The Finance Committee reported that all expenses had been met. Resolutions were presented.

Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld led 62 as the closing song, and those who wished took the parting hand. Steve Warner offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairpersons—Ginny Landgraf and Randy Neufeld; Vice Chairman: Mary Rogel; Secretaries—Rochelle Lodder and Eileen Ferguson