Christ UMC to celebrate Bicentennial with Pancake and Sausage supper
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By Carmen Ensinger
Christ United Methodist Church in White Hall will be celebrating its 200th anniversary this year and as part of their 200th anniversary celebration, they are hosting a community pancake and sausage supper on Saturday, April 29, from 4-7 p.m. at the church.
Christ United Methodist Church was created when the White Hall United Methodist Church and the Roodhouse United Methodist Church merged in 2008.
The pancake and sausage supper is a tradition that has carried over from the Roodhouse UMC. Christ UMC organist Carol Martin recalls those early days at Roodhouse UMC.
“Some of us from the Roodhouse UMC remember our pancake and sausage suppers from the 80s and 90s because they were always held on the day after Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “The day started off upstairs with the women participating in a Christmas Bazaar. You could always find Flo Bryant and Mary Beth Manning there all day. While this was happening, the men were downstairs getting ready for the supper.”
After cooking a big Thanksgiving meal for the family, the women were more than happy to turn the kitchen over to the men on this occasion.
“Back then it was quite the affair,” Martin recalls. “Russell Meece had the recipe for the made-from-scratch pancakes and whole hog sausage was served that had to be made into patties that day. It started out as strictly a men’s project, but the men soon realized that they needed help and it soon became a family affair. Mary Beth Manning would always make her home-made warm syrup to be served over the pancakes.”
Just reading about it makes one hungry and long to be back there waiting in line to be served.
“We had three griddles in a tiny room located off the kitchen,” Martin said. “It was crowded, but the men manned the griddles and kept up with all the orders all evening. The women and children waited on tables with all you could eat refills plus served the drinks and cleaned up the tables.”
Some of the families Martin remembers from those days include: Gibbins, Keller, Marshall, McLamar, Meece, Manning, Martin, Voigts, Proefrock, Bryant, Bridges, Ehlert, Barnett, Smith, David, Picou, Neece, Duncan, Bettis, Plahn, Israel, Harp, Hensen, and Payne.
“Lots of people went shopping on this day and came back into town about 4 p.m. and stopped and ate with us upon their return,” Martin said. “We had big crowds all evening. The stores in Roodhouse were open that evening and Santa came to town at 7 p.m. Mary Akers always sold the most tickets ahead of time. She was all over the community selling. We would also sell whole hog sausage by the pound.”
Everyone is welcome to come join Christ UMC on April 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. and help them celebrate their 200th anniversary at the pancake and sausage supper. There is no cost, but a free-will offer will be taken. This offering will go towards planning their September Birthday Celebration. Take-out orders will be available. Christ UMC is located on Main Street in White Hall.
