ADAMS — The Thanksgiving celebration began a week ago at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Adams.

That’s when volunteers hosted a pre-Thanksgiving meal for the elderly and others in the Southland school district.

The meal was served Wednesday, Nov. 19 in the Sacred Heart fellowship hall.

Volunteers prepared and served 350 meals for students and faculty and guests.

Brothers Albert, Marvin and Bobby Smith, Gene and Shirley Lewison, Jim Sathre, Steve Schroeder and others delivered means to shut-ins at Adams Health Care Center, apartment complexes, the countryside and neighboring communities, including Taopi and Rose Creek and as far away as Brownsdale.

Fifty-five meals were delivered.

This was the 10th year for the pre-Thanksgiving meal at Sacred Heart.

According to Tom Mullenbach, support came from Farmers State Bank of Adams and Rose Creek, American Legion Post No. 146, Adams Booster Club, Little Cedar and Marshall Lutheran churches, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church of Johnsburg and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

The menu was a traditional Thanksgiving meal: turkey or ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, squash, cranberry sauce and home-baked pies.

Monica Mullenbach, former school cook, was in charge in the kitchen.

More than 30 volunteers helped out, many of them “regulars” like Jim Bartlett, Gerald Meier and Jim Kellogg, who come every year, according to Mullenbach.

“The feedback we are getting is that everybody really appreciates what we do,” said Mullenbach, “and they look forward to this happening every year.

“After 10 years of doing this, we’re getting it down to a science now,” she said.

A year ago, the volunteers served 170 people at the church and delivered 79 meals.

Two hams, six turkeys, turkey breasts, 130 pounds of potatoes and watermelon-size Hubbard’s squash from the gardens of brothers Larry and Roger Mullenbach add up to a meal that can’t be prepared overnight.

Work started the Monday before the Wednesday dinner. By 6 a.m. that morning (Nov. 19), the first volunteers were in the kitchen preparing for the mid-day feast.

After the meal, there was clean-up work to do, which kept some of the volunteers there until late afternoon.

The organizers thanked all the volunteers, but singled out Betty Retterath, school cook, and her crew of servers headed by Jan Douty.

One of the servers, Melanie Kasner, took off from work to volunteer for the pre-Thanksgiving meal.

“This is a three-day process,” Monica Mullenbach said, “One day we do the squash, and the next day we do the stuffing and cranberries and the last day we do the meat and potatoes.”

Denise Riste, a hair stylist for Progressive Hair Salon in Austin, came as a volunteer for Adams American Legion Post No. 146. “It’s good to volunteer and help other people,” Riste said.

Past-Post No. 146 commander Jim Kellogg said, “This is one of the great things done for the community, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

His daughter, LuAnn Kellogg, an emergency medical technician, also volunteered.

Julia Koenigs was the oldest guest: 101 or 102.

“I can’t remember,” said Koenigs. “I enjoy coming here and seeing my friends. Thanksgiving has always been a favorite time of the year for me.”

Alvina Lewison came with friends. “We get to see lots of folks and have a good meal,” Lewison said. “This is great.”

Nearby was Marie Rauen.

Lewison, 95, and Rauen, 93, were among the Thanksgiving meal’s most senior diners.

Gene and Shirley Lewison visited with friends when taking a break from making home deliveries of meals. “We delivered our meals here in town,” said Shirley. “The northside apartments and several individuals who weren’t able to get our. Everywhere we went, they were glad to see us.”

Perhaps, the most special guests were Sr. Marga Ernster and Sr. Dolores Simon, who were among the last teaching nuns at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Sister Yvonne Elsenkamp, the very last teaching nun, who also served as Sacred Heart’s principal, was unable to attend.

Ernster and Simon were swarmed by Sacred Heart friends from years past.

Ernster produced a notebook from her purse, where she listed her students’ names each year she taught at the Adams school.

She came to Sacred Heart to teach in 1976-77 and retired after the 1993-94 school year.

“They were wonderful students,” Ernster said. “I came from a farming community just like this. I had Boes and Mullenbachs and Kiefers. They were all very good students.”

Each year students design place-mats of original art for the diners; many of whom take them home to display over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Rev. James Seitz, senior pastor of Sacred Heart and St. John’s churches, gave the dinner prayer.

Greg Storey, physical education instructor, showcased his juggling teams.

Fifth-graders and first-graders sang songs.

Sean Kennedy, Sacred Heart’s principal, watched the meal serving take place and said, “I think it’s awesome. This time of the year can be a lonely time for the elderly and shut-ins, so providing a meal and letting our students at Sacred Heart be a part of that is a win-win situation for everybody.”