About 260 Goshen community members were treated to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner Thursday by members of a Sunday School class and other volunteers at the First United Methodist Church.
Charlie Payne, who started the event 18 years ago, and a crew of eight started at 4 a.m. Thursday by placing 18 turkeys in ovens at the church and then peeling 200 pounds of potatoes that were whipped up before being covered in gravy.
Desserts were provided by church members and other friends.
Dina Payne said the event comes together with the help of about 60 volunteers.
“We get to the point where we get so many people calling, we turn them down,” Dina said. She said that 355 people were fed one year ago.
Charlie said Dina and her sister, Diane Bailey, do the footwork and order the food and the other volunteers do the rest. Dina explained that the group would deliver to shut-ins, too, replacing their Meals on Wheels dinner that is not available on the holiday.
Stan Cobbum, who is 91, and his wife, Emma, have enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast at the church in the past and this year brought their son Gary Yoder, grandson Gerald Yoder, and their daughter Helen and her husband Farish Howard.
Cobbum, who retired from the Goshen street department in 1982, said he enjoys the feast every year, but his wife says it has been fewer years than that.
Cobbum added that at Christmas they enjoy the dinner hosted at the First Presbyterian Church.
Bill Brailler and his wife, Iva, enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinner for the first time.
“We usually have family get together for the holiday but it didn’t work out this year,” Brailler explained. “We belong to the Presbyterian church and that Christmas dinner is so nice, we thought we’d come here today.”
Marilyn Robbins, who recently moved to Greencroft at Middlebury, has attended the Thanksgiving dinner in recent years, as her son, Greg and his wife, Pat, volunteer to serve the food.
“They go to work and I eat,” she said. She said they might all be together later in the day.
Daniel Morrow, who recently moved from Elkhart to Goshen, was enjoying the meal for the first time Thursday. He explained he has relatives in Kosciusko County, but his wife is in jail. He said he went to the church for the fellowship there.
Bill Sheley, Goshen, said that Thursday was his third year of enjoying Thanksgiving at the Methodist Church. He was there with his sister, Bonnie Yoder.
“I’m short on income, I’m on disability and I had a stroke in 2004,” Sheley explained.
Bonnie said, “I’m his driver. It beats cooking and cleaning. Our family is out of town, so I said ‘Why not?’”
Donald LeBeau, Goshen, said it was the second year for his family to enjoy the feast.
“My wife, Ruth, has to go to work at 2 p.m. at Greencroft, and doesn’t have time to cook. We always enjoy the hospitality,” LeBeau said. “I think there are a lot of people who could be here, but their pride prevents it.”
He adds that his son is in the Boy Scout Troup 5 sponsored by the church, so he is at the church weekly.
Treva Reed, who is retired but volunteers daily at The Window, said Thursday was her first time to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast at First United Methodist.
“I’ve never been before. It’s terrific. I’m going to be here next year,” said Reed, who also took three meals to deliver to friends. “I help people,” she added.
“I didn’t have any place to go, so I came here. This is nice,” Reed declared.
She said that she cleans tables at lunchtime at The Window, as she is a friend of the cook there. She said more than 80 people a day are fed there and that may be the only meal some of them receive a day.
