Minnesota Prairie Roots

A farm site along Minnesota State Highway 60 near St. John’s United Church of Christ, Wheeling Township, rural Faribault.

IN A RURAL SETTING not far from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, the members, families and friends of St. John’s United Church of Christ, Wheeling Township, serve not only an incredible German dinner each September, but also incredible hospitality.

Shirley checks and refills food on the serving line.

Even the pickles are homemade.

Through my many years of attending dinners, luncheons and other events at this country church, I’ve gotten to know these friendly folks—Lynn, Kim, Doug, Craig, Shirley… I can’t come and go without stopping to greet and hug sweet Elsie, who now into her nineties still works in the kitchen stirring gravy or potato salad or cutting and plating pies (during the church ice cream socials). Truly, these dinners are labors of love.

Here two volunteers, in ethnic costumes, take a break at the root beer stand.

Petting zoo animals come from a nearby farm.

There’s always a well put together historical display.

I can only imagine the tremendous time, effort and energy involved in pulling off Germanfest, an event which features more than just the showcased ethnic meal which this year fed some 650. I appreciate the country store and market that offer home-baked and garden grown goods and more. I appreciate, too, the quilts stitched by talented hands and the music and petting zoo and historical displays and more.

On the church altar, a beautiful harvest display.

There’s something divinely wonderful about a Minnesota church festival that reconnects me to the land, that brings a sense of peace in a world brimming with too much discontent and chaos.

BONUS PHOTOS:

This gentleman arrived from four miles away in his Model T Ford.

Congregants make and sell crab apple jelly from trees growing on church property.

Dressed in lederhosen, a volunteer pauses to enjoy the music and check out the market under the tent.

Lucy, seven months, and her grandpa listen to the old-time music.

The Ray Sands Band plays tunes like “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie…”

I observed these guys kicked back and relaxing to the music of the Ray Sands Band.

A display of German items honors the congregation’s heritage.

I enjoyed this over-sized woodcarving of a fisherman.

Church festivals are made for visiting.

Ice cream cones of feed for animals in the petting zoo were popular with the kids.

These piglets were among animals in the petting zoo.

Even the church windowsills are adorned with harvest themed decor.

One final look at St. John’s UCC as we drive away.

NOTE: To all my readers who wish I would have told you about this church dinner in advance, I’m sorry. Please mark your 2018 calendars for next September. Germanfest is always held around the same time annually.

But I can tell you about another outstanding area church dinner set for 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. this Sunday, October 8, at Trinity Lutheran Church, North Morristown. With a homemade meal of turkey, ham and all the fixings, it’s one of the best (in my opinion) church dinners around. The event also includes a craft and bake sale in the church basement. Click here to read previous posts about Trinity’s fall dinner.

Please check back for one last post in my four-part series from Germanfest. You won’t want to miss this final, especially endearing, photo essay. Click here to read my first post and click here to read my second post, both published last week.

© 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling