It's church dinner season. The fall of the years is the time many churches sport an annual dinner of some sort. The Dadio endeavors to hit them all. The themes are generally the same - family style seating (ten to twelve people to a table), often all-you-can-eat fixin's, lots of homemade eats, and most of the church folks chip in and volunteer to help. They usually put the kids to work to get them some experience in social skills...and to help with the busy work.
I saw a blurb in the paper for the turkey dinner at
Triune Lutheran Church out near the Sharon, Wisconsin area. It is a rural presentation. And, it has the pretty farm land setting to go with it. The building is a picturesque A-frame structure. As I waited to be seated I noticed there is a 50th anniversary banner hanging above the pulpit. The Sharon area is encroaching on the state line area. That facilitates the dynamic of the mixing of both Wisconsin and Illinois cultures. In a nutshell, you better know a bit about both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears... or, you risk socially perishing.
They also offered a drive-through option for their dinner. I however, always opt for the sit-down eats at these events.
The meal came in big dishes with helpings we loaded our own plates with - just like grandma's house. There was huge portions of mixed turkey slices, both white and dark. There was some good au gratin potatoes with the deal. The vegetable was some good kernel corn. Of course cranberry jelly came with the deal. There was also a dish of pickles and beets passed around. A big basket of rolls kept making the rounds. And finally, of course, the meal was topped off with some good dressing and gravy. With the weather changing now, I enjoyed the bottomless cup of coffee.
The preacher made the rounds, usually with a dish of more turkey. There was oodles of homemade pies to choose from. I just had to try the pumpkin. While I demolished the pie I also got to chat with a former preacher for the church who just happened to sit at my table.
The folks at
Triune Lutheran Church did a dandy job. I peeked in the kitchen to note all the activity facilitating the good meal. It ain't easy to put a public dinner together with volunteers. Put them on your church dinner short-list for next fall. You got to get to one of these good meals before your daily intake someday consists of applesauce in a nursing home.
For the record, this particular post is in regards to the meal that was held on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Find the
Triune Lutheran Church at N1584 County K near Sharon, Wisconsin. The listed (262) 882 - 4000 as a contact number for the church.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Marine Captain Kevin Michael Kryst, 27, West Bend, Wisconsin, died Monday, December 18, 2006 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Light-Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton, California. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted Captain Kryst was a helicopter pilot and was on his second deployment to Iraq. Kryst was the eldest son of Elizabeth and Glenn Kryst. The most recent deployment to Iraq began in early December of 2006. He was killed at the Marine Corps' Camp Korean Village, in the desert of Anbar province west of Baghdad. That area near the border of Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia has been known as one of the deadliest regions in the Iraq war. Kryst's unit mission was to secure major highways in the province. Kryst's younger brother, Dan, was a member of the Marine Reserves and has also served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004. Kevin had become engaged while home before the deployment. The Journal Sentinel went on to say Kryst graduated from West Bend West High School in 1997. He played French horn in a school ensemble. Kevin was on the Spartans' swim team and was known as being an excellent student and graduated with a high grade point average. Captain Kryst was the second West Bend West graduate to die in Iraq. Marine Lance Corporal Travis Wichlacz a 2002 graduate was killed in February 2005 in Babil province. The paper went on to say Kryst enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after high school and attended Marine Officer Candidates School during summers. Kevin Kryst attained commission as an officer when he graduated from UW-Madison in 2001. He flew Cobra helicopters in Iraq. A biography via www.arlingtoncemetery.net/kmkryst.htm notes Captain Kryst was the oldest of six children. He has four younger brothers and a younger sister. At the time of his death, he was survived by his parents, Glenn and Elizabeth of West Bend; his fiancee, Sara of West Bend; brother Bradley of Mesa, Arizona; brother Daniel of Stevens Point, Wisconsin; brothers Justin and Timothy of West Bend; and, sister Jennifer of West Bend. He was further survived by his maternal grandparents, Sy and Betty Dziak of Illinois; and, paternal grandparents, Clifford and Rita Kryst of Michigan. Captain Kryst was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 5 July 2007. The Wisconsin Legislature honored Captain Kryst with 2007 Assembly Joint Resolution 53. Captain Kevin Kryst was the 65th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
97,994 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,714 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,425 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1300 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
799 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,951 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
8,041 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
102 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
22 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
142 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.
