Covid has created a problem: attendance

Monday evening, September 22, 2025 was the yearly soup and dessert supper at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church rural Albert Lea. (Being of the old school, an octodenarian, I refer to the event as “Soup and Pie.”) 

 

Once again the soup and dessert committee of Gary Goette, Cathay Legried, Ole Olson and Connie Wiliams under the experienced talent of Mary Ann Atchison came through with a successful event.

 

It should be noted Covid has created a problem in attendance - even cancellation one year. The yearly event (after the cancellation) has been in the 400's attending. This year the attendance was 513!! To me, the attendance will continue to improve to prior Covid numbers above 600!!

 

Once again a great job by the parking lot attendants of No Accident, No Scratched cars. (Mr. Anderson, Mr. Indrelie, Mr. Moszer and Mr. Wangen were the great attendees.)

 

My job at the event was being greeter at the entrance along with Cheyenne Griggs collecting food items for the local food shelves. (134 lbs. were collected.) 

 

A person asked me “How did the soup and dessert event get started?” I thought that was a good question, so I'll try an answer. 

 

On the evening of November 2, 1996 because of faulty wiring, central Freeborn Lutheran Church caught fire and was a total loss. (A memory display in a cupboard can be seen in the church foyer.)

 

Members of Central Freeborn decided we would build a new church. The question was how to raise the money. A decision was made to have a huge benefit.

 

The then Union Center in Albert Lea donated the use of their facility free of charge. As an aid Association for Lutherans agent and Genie (my great spouse of 62 years the 28th of September, 2025), we agreed I would take care of the dollar for dollar raised at the benefit and Genie would take care of the staffing and food. 

 

After the benefit, the Central Freeborn Lutheran Church members at an annual church meeting voted unanimously to host a local benefit annually in return for the benefit held at the Union Center for their church.

 

And now you know the annual soup and dessert is history!!

 

Some interesting things at the benefit held at the Union Center April 20, 1997 for Central Freeborn Lutheran Church: 

 

The benefit was from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 1997. There was a line waiting to get in. The line was long - out the door and up the hill all morning until about 12 noon. 

 

The Union Center had plates for 800 servings. It was necessary to wash used plates (about 200). Thus, the count was about 1,000 people in total. 

 

Genie and Marry Ann Atchison, with the help of her employer, Church Offset, made buttons advertising the event (one blue and one pink). The buttons were about the size of a home-coming event. They were a big hit as people asked and received one to wear. This created word of mouth plus free advertising. 

 

The cost of the benefit was almost nothing. 

 

At that time it was the largest number of people to attend a benefit held in Albert Lea!!

 

 

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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.