September 11, 2003

Plains Folk: Fall Suppers

Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University

The pace of social life here on the Northern Plains is killing me. So much to do, so many things happening. Why, the countryside is boiling with activity.

I’m talking about all those fall suppers. Yes, I know, in some places, "fowl suppers." That’s the older term, still preferred in some communities north of 49 degrees N. Linda Manson of Domain, Manitoba, has kindly sent me a reference to the fowl supper tradition in her United Church.

I hope all went well at St. Hildegard’s of Menoken, N. D., on the 7th. Sharon Renfrew of the Altar Society told me they make more than 3000 pounds of sausage to serve and sell at their annual fall dinner. Like many other parishes, especially the Catholic ones, St. Hildegard’s surrounds the dinner with other activities such as bingo, craft and produce sales and horseback rides. An amazing day.

Coming up later this month, Sunday the 28th, check out the Harvest Festival at Sunne Lutheran, rural Wilton. Pastor Paul Schauer says, "This is a pretty big event in our congregation and in the surrounding area. We usually try to get a few combines, tractors, and trucks to put out in the parking lot to remind us that we’re celebrating the harvest. Fewer people today have agricultural roots. This makes us connected." The meal still looks like farm fare, of course -- "ham, homemade meatballs, real mashed potatoes, corn, and homemade pies."

All right, here’s a rant. How come we feel it necessary these days to say, "real mashed potatoes?" Either they are mashed potatoes, or they are something else. What sorry state is our society in that we have to specify "real" about commonplace things in life? This is why we need fall suppers! Get on over to Sunne! Serving noon to 2 p.m.

You can’t be everywhere, of course, but if you can’t get to Sunne, try the St. Mary’s Turkey and Ham Dinner in Medina, same day, the 28th. I don’t want to make you cry, but here’s what Elly Rau told me about it: "Even though we started the dinner as a fundraiser, more important is the getting together. It gives a whole new meaning to ‘breaking bread together’ -- this time it’s not to celebrate the Eucharist, but getting the day-old bread ready for the stuffing. It’s nice to cry together as we cut onions for the pickled onion rings instead of crying together at a funeral.

"You learn more about your fellow parishioners’ families while peeling potatoes (no instant boxed ones here!) than you do in a whole year of sitting next to them at Mass." St. Mary’s serves at the Medina School, 11 a.m. to 2 pm.

Looking ahead to Oct. 19th, there’s the German supper at Trinity Lutheran, rural Litchville. They serve sausage and kraut, hot potato salad (The first I’ve heard of that great dish at a fall supper), Kuchen, fry bread, and other stuff for non-Germans, if any happen to show up. Wanda Bassen, the food chair, ramrods the hot potato salad crew herself. Serving 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Lori Lahlum, who told me about the supper at Trinity, you better be there this year! Lori was raised in that parish, but confesses that she never went to the German supper; her mother always gave her money to eat at the Tasty Treat.

I hope by now you realize there’s a lot more going on here than food. It’s about community, and nowhere more so than in Miami, Manitoba, according to a note from Allan Dawson, of the Farmers’ Independent Weekly. He brags about the fine community centre of Miami, which makes it possible for a town of 400 to serve turkey and dressing, roast beef, potatoes, coleslaw, vegetables, pickles, and dessert to 2000 folk on the first Sunday in October. Allan sees this not only as tradition but also as part of being a "progressive community."

Web users, I’m posting information about fall suppers here: www.plainsfolk.com/suppers.htm

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Source: Tom Isern, (701) 799-2941, isern@plainsfolk.com
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu 

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