Twenty-one years of turkey and thankfulness

Over twenty years ago, the Carrington Ministerial Association started a tradition, a community Thanksgiving dinner. After two years, the idea passed along to a small committee of friends and neighbors, Caroline and Jeff Golz, Helen and Gary Rosenau, and Becky and Lynn Schroeder, who realized the tremendous value in community gatherings.

After a pandemic year off, the organizing committee has reassembled and is planning for a return to - what else? – community and thanksgiving.

This year's Carrington Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be served at noon at the Calvary Baptist Church, 725 Main Street in Carrington, on Thursday, Nov. 25.

The spirit remains the same, but the faces have changed over the years. Becky Schroeder passed away in 2012. Caroline and Jeff Golz retired and moved away from the area. Lynn Schroeder passed away in 2019, and Helen Rosenau passed away in 2020. New people have come on board – Becky handed the books to her daughter Wendy Schroeder, and Wendy has handed them on to the current team. Linda Schuster now serves as spokesperson, visiting Kiwanis, Lions, KDAK, the Senior Center, and other groups, inviting people to the dinner and gathering volunteers. Shirley Fritza handles the star of the show, securing and purchasing turkeys, finding home roasters, carving the birds, and preparing the co-star, scratch-made gravy. Betty Montgomery has taken over a myriad of catch-all details, along with booking carry-out orders and dispatching deliveries.

Can too many cooks spoil the dinner? Not this one!! There are many people who deserve much credit, a host of people, steadfast regulars, who step in year after year, donating potatoes and turkeys, purchasing supplies, and contributing operating funds. There are delivery drivers, and people who serve all that food on the Big Day. Potato peelers, and potato mashers, dishwashers, and people who simply help carry food and drinks to the dinner tables for anyone who needs assistance. Some people come for dinner, then pitch in on the clean-up. The committee cannot accomplish this feast alone!

Our favorite constant is the guests – everyone who comes to dinner at noon. Entire families spend time together enjoying conversation over a traditional turkey dinner. For small families, preparing the full meal at home would be an enormous effort. Some households don't like leftovers. Some prefer to concentrate their efforts that day on appetizers and football games. Some roast a turkey and prepare their favorite side dishes for supper and come to spend quality community time at the dinner. Travelers, truckers, and shift-workers are frequent and especially-welcome guests, too. All are welcome!

Each church building in the committee's five congregation host rotation has advantages. Several things are unique to the Calvary Baptist Church building. Most noticeable is the address – conveniently located on Main Street in Carrington. There are no steps to navigate, and there are two large entrances, one with an automatic door. The back room, with a pass-through window to the kitchen, is perfect for staging deliveries, storing extra supplies, and preparing pies for a rolling-cart, table-side delivery. A small classroom with running water becomes a beverage station, and most of the seating will be in their large fellowship hall.

What's for dinner? The menu has not changed over the years. Succulent roast turkey, locally-grown potatoes, whipped with hot milk and butter; a huge batch of savory stuffing, comingled from every church congregation in town, covered with a luscious hot gravy, made fresh from turkey broth simmered the day before; buttered corn, lightly-candied yams, and crisp coleslaw with homemade dressing; both whole berry and jellied cranberry sauce, fresh baked dinner rolls, cold milk and hot coffee make this a fantastic meal. And pie, oh, my, the pie -- showpieces of pumpkin, apple, and all kinds of berry pie, baked fresh by parishioners from local church congregations. Each place setting and take-out dinner will feature a decorated placemat, designed and colored by art students from Carrington Elementary School.

This year, Calvary Baptist Church will host the Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The team will move in on Wednesday morning, bringing in extra roasters and pots, and checking their setup notes from the last time they visited this church in the rotation. Volunteers are needed at 1 p.m., Wednesday, November 24, to peel potatoes, set tables, and set up workspaces. (BYOP...bring your own peeler.)

Many generous people contribute their time and energy to help with serving on Thanksgiving Day, but no one should feel over-worked or un-needed. If you would like to volunteer for a brief Thursday shift, please contact Linda Schuster at 701-653-6028 to sign up.

Thanksgiving Dinner, featuring turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings, will be served at noon on Thursday, Nov. 25 at Calvary Baptist Church, 725 Main Street in Carrington.

Everyone is welcome at the table. The meal is free, but a free-will offering will be accepted to offset expenses and continue this friendly community custom.

It is important to remember that attendance at any public event carries health risks. If you do not feel well, please stay home - and call for delivery.

If you would like a ride or meals delivered on Thanksgiving Day, please contact Betty Montgomery at 701-652-3302 or 701-652-5034 (leave a message) by Nov. 24. Call Betty or the Calvary Baptist Church building at 701-652-2261 on Nov. 24 and Thanksgiving Day.

Any questions about Carrington's Community Thanksgiving Dinner can be directed to Linda Schuster at 701-653-6028.

Come and eat!