Jerry Marsengill Masonic Christmas Day Dinner

The 25th Annual Jerry Marsengill Masonic Christmas Day Dinner will be tomorrow from 11 am til 2 pm. All are Welcome.

I remember Jerry Marsenfill and Al Hadley, who started this dinner 25 years ago. Those first few years we fed approximately 1,000 people each year. It was the idea of S.K. Al Hadley who was building manager at the Masonic Temple at 10th and Locust. At that time no other groups, churches or restaurants were serving Christmas Day Dinner. It was decided that would be a project for the Mason's of central Iowa. Al and Jerry got donations from the local Masonic lodges and bodies, and other donations. Dahl's grocery stores have always donated the hams. And Stew Hansen Dodge and Bill Jensen Crescent Chevy (now closed) donate vans to pick people up and make deliveries. In reviewing the past 25 years I would estimate that we have feed 13,000 people.

This years dinner is being headed up by myself and Brother Darrell Fremont and his wife Ann. Bud Erickson and his wife Kris took over after Jerry Marsengill's death in 1991 and I have assisted them since then. Bud and Kris always did a great job, but are now enjoying their retirement. I am so happy to have help with this. We usually have 80 or so volunteers. They range in age from 5 to 95 and help cook, set tables, drive vans, man the phone, clean up, serve people dinner, etc. It is wonderful to see those who are willing to take time out of their busy lives at Christmas time and share with others.

The main reason for the dinner is to bring some Christmas cheer in to people's life. To give them a traditional meal of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. But more than that to let them be served by others, to be treated like a guest in someone's home. Volunteers socialize with them, talk with them, and maybe even Santa will come by and wish them a Merry Christmas.