A FAMILY PICNIC: PARISHIONERS RECALL BEST OF ANNUAL CHURCH EVENT

PERRYVILLE -- Things can change in 99 years.

When Beretta Lankford first started working in the kitchen preparing the mounds of food for the annual Seminary Picnic, nobody dreamed of using plastic.

"When I started everything was glass," she said, "and we had to wash it all."

Now the meal has progressed from being served family-style to a buffet. Proceeds from the buffet dinner and picnic benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic parish and its school.

Randy Dickmann and the kitchen crew began showing up at 3 a.m. Sunday to start preparing the food. Dickmann, who has been kitchen chairman for the past four years, said the Saturday crowd was down a little because of the weather.

But few people missed the event, which draws crowds of 25,000 to the grounds at St. Mary's of the Barrens Seminary.

Lankford has been working at the picnic since she was 11 years old and has only missed one year in the 53 she's been working.

"I missed one year because my baby came at that time," she said. That baby was one of the workers at this year's picnic.

Working at the picnic, or even attending it, seems to be a family affair for the people in Perry County. Children, parents and grandparents work side-by-side to make this once-a-year event a success.

Skip Lottes, 59, said, "I can't ever remember not being here."

But in the years since he's been coming, Lottes admitted things have gotten more sophisticated. Computers keep track of the supplies now.

Keeping track of supplies is especially important in the kitchen, where everything has to run smoothly.

Every volunteer is given a specific job and the kitchen area is divided into sections to make cooking easier.

Workers chop 20 boxes of cabbage for slaw while others stirred the 30-gallon pots of chicken and dumplings. Chickens were being floured for deep frying and pies and cakes were cut into individual servings.

Doris Eddleman was busy selling bingo sheets for the quilt bingo, a popular event at the picnic. About 250 quilts, provided by the parishioners were given away.

Vivian Ernst has been trying for years to win a quilt. "I played Saturday but didn't win," she said. "A woman sat down in front of me and won a quilt on her first game."

Buddy Winkler has been calling bingo at the picnic for three years. "We cut cards if there's a tie," he said. The loser gets $10.

For many, the picnic has kept its original intent over the years. It's still a homecoming.

Glenda O'Farrell came from Doe Run to attend the picnic. She purchased a commemorative ornament to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul, where she had once been a student.

The biggest draw at the picnic, however, is still the carousel. It has been around as long as anyone can remember.

Jim Sutterer watched his grandchildren ride Sunday. "I can remember when the carousel was powered by a steam engine," he said.

No one seems to know the exact age of the carousel and its wooden horses, but it is estimated to have been made in the late 1800s.

Mike Blair knows quite a bit about this revolving piece of history. He's been running the carousel for 17 years. Of course, he remembers riding it as a kid too.

"I think we rode it for a nickel," he said.

Blair and others are in the process of restoring the horses. Ten had been refurbished for this year's event. After the picnic, the horses are removed and stored to keep them from being damaged.