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A HARVEST OF MEMORIES
The theme for this year's fallfest & booya brings to mind the beginning of booya in 1931:
It was during the depression, and it was begun as a way to bring families together with a meal that was both filling and inexpensive. The task of making and serving this meal fell to Gertie Lange. She had a recipe from her mother that had originated in Europe where booya was created. We all know that it consists of many kinds of vegetables, meats, and spices. The amount and type of each remains a mystery, for the recipe to this day is know only to those doing the cooking. For Sunday dining, the preparation begins on Saturday with the cleaning and cutting of vegetables and meat. The actual cooking begins at 11 p.m., and this in itself is a science since ingredients are added at intervals. The kettles are attended throughout the night by adding ingredients and stirring.
I've been told that many new friendships have been made throughout the years and even a few romances, as evidenced by the children and grandchildren participating in the booya preparation. In 1998, Ron & Marianne Flor, their children, brothers and sisters, in-laws, and friends took over this task, and what began as a parish tradition of one kettle has grown to nine kettles or 500 gallons of booya! Some years ago an alternate meal was introduced for those who prefer not to eat booya, this consisted mainly of hot dogs and chips (I was not aware that one could belong to St. John's and not eat booya!).
Bingo became a big part of the booya festivities, and prizes were procured in a most unusual and fun way. On an evening prior to serving the booya, the women would gather in the school auditorium and bring gifts to be used as prizes on Sunday. They, in turn, played Bingo with Monsignor Paul who did the calling and giving out of prizes of a dollar per game. Coffee and goodies were served afterwards. Fifty-one years later, as our parish grew, Father Tim Wozniak suggested we have a festival, not just to raise money, but to involve more people and to get to know one another as a parish community. A committee was formed, and thus St. John's fallfest began.
The committee worked very hard so that there would be something for all ages. There were games for children, arcade games for teens, gambling for adults (the "infamous" MOUSE GAME), dancing, and entertainment for all. They had pseudo personalities at the festival, such as John Wayne and Dolly Parton, and people could have their picture taken with them. On Sunday, the festivities began with a Polka Mass, which was a very new thing to most but very well received, and many people remarked that they wanted to dance in the aisles. The words to the songs were reverent and meaningful. One of the biggest attractions was the Dunk Tank with celebrity dunkees, such as the pastor and his assistants. Margaret Latch later reported that she spent about a half week's salary giving dollar bills to men with a strong arm and a good aim to dunk certain people. The finale came late Sunday afternoon with the drawing for the door prizes, the biggie being a new car!
Six years ago, the first gala was held. This is a fun filled, elegant evening of dining and dancing. Each year there is a different theme which is carried out by the menu, decorations, and dress
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ing attire. Until last year, due to lack of space, the Gala was held at a restaurant or hotel. With our new addition completed last year, the gala was held in St. Joseph's Hall, and the transformation was exquisite. The decorations were outstanding, the food delicious, and a wonderful time was had by all. Along with the gala, there is a silent auction featuring theme baskets donated by staff, parish groups, and parishioners. Some of the baskets have been a golf weekend, hand painted china, quilts, and the ever popular sports tickets and memorabilia. There will be a golf tournament again this year, which will not be just a competition among duffers, but it will be a great family outing, too. There will be goodies for all participating, and of course, the usual prizes for best score, longest putt, and other achievements.
Money raised from the fallfest & booya has always gone toward improvements to the church or school, such as new windows in the school, redoing the sound system in church, and restoration of the church bells. We should never forget about all the friendship and fellowship this festival brings to our community. It takes many hands for all of this to take place, so if you have the time and energy, please help with the many tasks to be done. If you were here last year at the festivities, come back again! You may miss something new if you don't, or worse yet, you might miss seeing an old friend or making a new one. As that famous song goes, "One is silver and the other is gold…"
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