It was a night for fun, fellowship, good food and most importantly, it was about the mothers.
A memorial took place at the beginning of Thursday night’s annual Mother and Daughter Banquet at the Knights of Columbus in downtown Seymour. The event is sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
During the ceremony, a yellow rose was handed to Barb Grant to place into a vase in memory of her mother, Loretta Barnes, who passed away June 2021. Grant then was given a yellow rose she could keep.
The organization is a women’s auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus and they have not been able to hold their banquet since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, auxiliary member Jackie Sciarra said.
Father Dan Staublin of St. Ambrose, receives a yellow rose from Jackie Sciarra and Sue Fechter, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
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Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose auxiliary members from left, Kay Melton, Jackie Sciarra and Sue Fechter, at the mothers’ memorial table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Barb Grant prepares to place a rose in a vase in memory of her mother, Loretta Barnes, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose. Barnes passed away last year in June.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Carol Baldus receives a rose in honor of her mother, Mary Kellams, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose. Kellams passed away last September.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose auxiliary members from left, Jackie Sciarra and Sue Fechter, at the mothers’ memorial table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Mary Ellen Emch receives a rose in honor of her mother, Mary Dominik, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
LJackie Sciarra, left, and her granddaughter, Miranda Schultheis, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Marianne Willacker, left, with her friend Nancy Fleming at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Four generations were represented at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose. Seated from left is Charlotte East and Lacy Davidson, holding Ruby Davidson. Standing from left is Donna East, Dawn Branaman, Robin Davidson, Brooke Davidson and Mallory East.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Yellow roses on the memorial table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Elaina McKinney, 8, and her grandmother, Deb Bedwell, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose auxiliary members Kay Melton, left, and Jackie Sciarra with Sue Fechter in the background, at the mothers’ memorial table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
A wedding photo of Kay and Tom Melton, which they brought to the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose. Members were asked to bring wedding pictures to help decorate the banquet tables.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
A wedding photo of Mary and Joseph Dominik, parents of Mary Ellen Emch and Lygia Ford, was placed on a table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Michelle Stephens and her granddaughter, Emerson Johnson, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Sisters, Mary Ellen Emch, left, and Lygia Ford, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose. The wedding photo on their table is of their parents, Mary and Joseph Dominik.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Michelle Stephens, left, holds her granddaughter, Emerson Johnson. Seated next to Stephens is her mother, Sylviane Matzner. They were attending the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Submitted Photo
A hobo clown named Mulligan, also known as David Schill, entertained children at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
A hobo clown named Mulligan, also known as David Schill, entertained children at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Dessert table at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
High schoolers, Diliana Juan, left, and Maria Felipe, help serve at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour, sponsored by Daughters of Isabella of St. Ambrose.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
Daughters of Isabella Auxiliary member, Kitty Lewis, was handing out ‘Precious Ones,’ realistic models of the preborn baby in its 10th to 12th week of gestation, at the Mother and Daughter Banquet Thursday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Seymour.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
“We have lost a lot of people from the parish, and we have saved the obituaries of every lady from the parish who’s passed since 2019 and placed them in an album at the memorial table,” Sciarra said. “This is a way of remembering all of the 17 women who have passed so we can say goodbye since we were not able to before.”
Mary Ellen Emch participated in the memorial ceremony in remembrance of her mother, Mary Dominik, who passed away June of 2020. Emch and her sister, Lygia Ford, were both at the banquet and had a wedding photo of their parents, Mary and Joseph Dominik at their table. They normally attended the banquet with their mother.
Sciarra said members of the auxiliary were asked to bring wedding photos to place on the tables.
Marianne Willacker is the past regent for the circle, and is now Indiana vice-regent for the Daughters of Isabella.
“Our motto is unity, charity and friendship and what we do here in Seymour is we have fundraisers and then we contribute money to various organizations,” Willacker said. “Places like Anchor House, Provisions, Jackson County United Way and we support the parish by assisting parish members and hosting events like this.”
Willacker attended with her guest and friend, Nancy Fleming, former director of the AmeriCorps program at Jackson County United Way.
“I did that for a little over two years and Marianne was the secretary there, so we became friends,” Fleming said.
Angie Craig, current regent of the Auxiliary Circle 1079, said the circle takes care of funeral dinners for the families of parish members, too.
Deb Bedwell was at the event with her 8-year-old granddaughter, Elaina McKinney.
“Elaina attends (Margaret R.) Brown Elementary School and we’re in the process of getting her switched over to St. Ambrose for the coming year,” Bedwell said. “She’s been volunteering with me down at Anchor House since she was three so she’s a good partner to have.”
Bedwell said Elaina has been practicing math when making change, adding and subtracting while counting the desserts, then writing out the tags with the dessert names.
“Tonight she is glad to be out and having a chance to talk to people and she’s looking forward to the food,” she said.
Co-chairs and organizers of the banquet were Sue Fechter and Kay Melton. Committee members who helped put the evening together were Sciarra, Joy Beaty, Louise Schlatterer, Bev Kimbley, Sally Vogel and Phyllis Kleber.
A yellow theme was evident at the banquet, with yellow roses, yellow table covers and decorations and a sign behind the dessert table read, ‘Mom you are our sunshine.’ Bill Fechter, Sue’s husband, was on hand to take photos of the women and their family members or friends at a picture-taking station.
The last hour of the night, a hobo clown named Mulligan, also known as David Schill, was there to entertain the children with fun tricks, balloon animals and singing, with a Christian message tied in.
Schill has been clowning for about 22 years and started when he and his son, Adam, attended a Smiles Unlimited Universal Clown Ministry together to learn the craft.
Throughout the evening, auxiliary member Kitty Lewis was handing out ‘Precious Ones,’ which are realistic models of the preborn baby in its 10th to 12th week of gestation.
“There is a card that goes with it, describing what happens during each week of a baby’s life before it is born,” Lewis said. “The detail, softness and weight makes it very realistic and is a reminder of the sanctity of human life.”