St. Francis Maple River celebrates 100 years

June 24, 2004

MAPLE RIVER - St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Maple River will celebrate the 100 year centennial of their parish July 10 and 11.

Activities will kick-off on July 10 with a parade beginning at 1:30 p.m. Line up for the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Entries are expected to include floats, cars, equestrian, tractors, walking entries and more. Food will be available beginning at noon.

Following the parade and continuing throughout the evening there will be activities to please all ages. Kid's activities include games, air-jump ride, free kiddie train rides and wandering clowns making balloon animals. There will also be a pedal tractor pull for the younger crowd interested in a little competition. There will be a rock-climbing wall for the athletic, sponsored by the Army National Guard. The Midwest Iowa Old Iron Club will have their tractors on display as well as competitive antique tractor games will be held. Bingo, fancy work and games of chance along with food stands and a beer and mixed drink stand will run into the late evening.

Free entertainment will be held on two different stages as follows:

4 - 4:30 p.m. The Denison Happiness Express Barbershop Chorus

4:30 - 5:15 p.m. Nuns on the Run singers from the Danbury and Mapleton area

5:30 - 7 p.m. Bill Riley's Iowa State Fair Talent Search

7 - 8:30 p.m. JIP a group of Kuemper High School students

9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Salamagundi (live band)

There will be plenty of protection from the weather as a 60-by-120-foot tent will be up over the main stage and a 20-by-40-foot tent will be in the beer stand.

The parishioners are busy selling $25 raffle tickets for a cash drawing. Forty-seven prizes will be given away ranging from 2 $1000 top prizes down to $75 prizes at 10 p.m. on Saturday.

If you are into shopping, there will be a memorabilia stand that will have crocks, pitchers and bowls designed with the St. Francis Church in the foreground and a train in the background. Other memorabilia available for sale include a Centennial cookbook which includes recipes from a 1959 Ladies Guild Cookbook as well as recipes gathered from parishioners and friends. Commemorative afghans, parish directories, t-shirts, koozies, caps, playing cards, and train banks are also available.

Activities on July 11 will start with a Centennial Mass at 10:30 a.m. At noon a catered picnic and reunion will be held. Anyone who has ever been associated with St. Francis Parish is invited to attend including alumni, family and friends. Reservations for the Sunday picnic are required. The ladies guild has pieced and hand quilted an attractive quilt that will be raffled off Sunday during the reunion. Chances are $1 each or 6 chances for $5.

For more details and a schedule of events check out the following Web site at: www.myeventpages.net/maplerivercentennial or contact any of the Co-Chairs: Bill and Sue Schrad at (712) 792-4975, Jim and Jolene Thielen (712) 792-5448 or Ken and Carol Venner (712) 673-2592.