Keynote Speakers were Patty Morrison, and Bishop David de Freese leading the Bible study.

On July 18, the ladies of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20th and Towle, entertained their guests at the 8th Annual Festival of Tables, a salad luncheon, and silent auction.
Thirteen tables and their hostesses portrayed the theme, “An Affair to Remember.” Some tables portrayed the magnificence of God’s Creation through the seasons or foreign cultures while others portrayed matters of the heart, mind, and soul.
Brenda Flores’s “Snowmen” called forth a shiver and memories of the cold crisp air of winter. Whimsical snowmen delighted the child in all.
Pam Scott’s “April” announced the spring season with a pattern of violets and daisies on china with the
name April! The daisy is April’s flower, and April is Pam’s birth month.
Mardy Herbster’s and Sheri Kemp’s “Spring Has Sprung!” featured a delightful blend of elegance and humor. A
three-tier collection of Noritake eggs formed the centerpiece amid Rose Chintz china by Meito of Japan. Resin chicks and bunnies cavorting on grape leaf placemats provided the beginning of the tale while bunny tails on chair covers signaled the end
of the tale!
Mary Ann Rieschick’s “Stars and Stripes” lit up the 4th of July with a Stars and Stripes table runner and red and blue chair covers. Milk bottles added a touch of country, and guest
favors of sparklers will light up the holiday in the future.
With the delicate colors and fragrance of a miniature rose garden, Caroline Chapp and Colleen Chapp invited guests to “Take Time To Smell The Roses!” Spring Glory china by Manor House and Adoration silverware completed the table.
With “Flowers Are My Garden Friends,” Ann Smith shared her garden, the place where she sees God’s miracles. A water
fountain, delicate orchid and herbs eclipsed flowers on the table cloth, napkins and stoneware.
Rose Huppert, Sheryl Warner and Zita Ebel took guests to “Mardi Gras” with dynamic purple, green and shimmering
gold masks and beads. The official colors of Mardi Gras symbolize justice, faith and power. Mardi Gras is actually French for “Fat Tuesday.” Set 46 days before Easter, it’s like one last hurrah of merriment and excess just before the solemn season of Lent begins. Celebrated in New Orleans annually, Mardi Gras first came to America in 1699; but has
been celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages.
Pastor Linda Daniels-Block’s “African Art” featured hand-dyed clothes, hand-woven baskets and sculptures made
from stone and wood. Pastor Linda Daniels-Block collected the articles in 1998 when she was sent to Zambia and Zimbabwe in the sub-Sahara of Africa for a World Council of Churches campaign called “Churches in Solidarity of Women.” The carvings are a symbol of parents and their love for their children, as
they try to keep them alive in these impoverished, desperate countries and times.
Carol Bierman’s table featured artist Susan Lordi’s hand carved “Willow Tree Sculptures.” The natural figurines represent special occasions in the lives of Carol, her daughter Cathy Bullock and her granddaughter Lauren Bierman. Carving from natural wood, the artist seeks to speak in quiet ways to heal, comfort, protect and inspire through the natural rhythm
in the lives of all women.
Sharon Walker shared her love of “Hearts” with a focal point of lighted red hearts. Her wedding ring features a heart-shaped diamond and seven hearts. Her wedding dress was also designed with hearts.
Marilyn Mckinsey shared “Family Treasures.” These included: a quilt made by her grandmother, Amelia Brucht; a vase from her parents’ 25th anniversary; her mother Anna Margaret Ebel’s china and silverware and her great-grandmother
Zorn’s sugar and creamer.
My table, “Music of My Heart,” celebrated my heritage of music and love from the Eickhoff family. Memorabilia included my Uncle Lawrence Eickhoff’s violin; my clarinet and baton; a photo of Uncle Lawrence and my mother, Edna Eickhoff Meyer, in an orchestra; and photos of the Falls City High School
Band, Band Day in Lincoln and my great niece, Kinsey, who will study music education this fall.
Frogs cavorted amid vibrant colors with Elysia McGill’s “Faith.” At St. Paul’s, we have been FROGing (Fully Relying On God).
Table viewing was followed by the Welcome by Marilyn McKinsey, President of the ELCA; a Table Prayer in Unison and a buffet luncheon. The women of St. Paul’s prepared the luncheon and the silent auction items. The Planning Committee included: Carol Bierman, Caroline Chapp, Ann Smith and Marilyn McKinsey; and Carol Bierman and Pam Scott were in charge of the Silent Auction. The Kitchen Committee included: Marie
Vonderschmidt, Kathy Rieschick, Linda Kirkendall, Linda Meyer and Carolyn Hays; and Greeters included Glenda Nelson,
Donna Bentley, Joan Witt and Judy Munn. Men from St. Paul’s were in charge of Table Set-up, and Office Secretary Karen Maze prepared the written programs.
After the luncheon, the program included a humorous reading by Carol Bierman and special music by Amy Dunn. Guest speaker Joan Auxier, curator of the Richardson County Museum, gave a summery of the museum’s history and highlighted some of the special exhibits. The program closed with Marilyn McKinsey
leading “The Lord’s Prayer Devotion.”
Proceeds from ticket sales ($828 supplemented with $200 from Thrivent’s Care Abounds in Churches) were donated to St. Paul’s for a church project. Proceeds $947 from the silent auction, sponsored by WELCA, were supplemented with $200 by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Chapter #30265. These proceeds will be divided betweenthe Richardson County Museum, the Falls City Area Ministerial Association and the STSX3 Youth Group.
Thrivent’s contribution was a part of its Care Abounds in Communities program. Through this program, Thrivent
Financial members receive financial support for hands-on service activities and/or supplemental dollars for fund-raising
activities benefiting individuals, families and qualified nonprofit organizations.
Through the Care Abounds in Communities Program, Thrivent for Lutherans is able to put members’ hard work and the organization’s dollars together to make a difference in the lives of others.