Lustre News
There will be a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. at the Lustre EMB Church on April 3, with Pastor Frank Lenihan speaking. Each year the community churches gather for this special service, with the pastors trading the years they speak. It’s a solemn start to the very special Easter Sunday celebrations.
Friday was a beehive of activity in Lustre as LCHS hosted the 61st annual Schmeckfest. A total of 691 people were served by the time of the auction, which was emceed by Michael Brown and auctioneered by Robert Toavs. There was a silent auction, available on-line, as well as Lustre Sausage and a good bake sale on site. Thank you for the many donations to the bake sale and silent auction, and the tables where things on display by crafters could be purchased.
The seven live auction items included a gun safe donated by C & B Operations, a Redwood Sofa Table handcrafted by John Toews, the redwood donated by Dan Farmer. There was a beautiful queen-sized quilt donated and handcrafted by the EMB Church ladies titled “Paths of Blue” and a Mission Style Quarter Sawn Oak Sofa Table handcrafted by Keith Unger. This was donated by Brenda (Reddig) Boyum in memory of Bruce Boyum of Havre.
A lovely picture quilt handcrafted and donated by Carma Bartel and framed by Rod Bartel was in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, and titled “Happy Birthday USA”. “Nana Flower” was the title of a teal King-sized quilt, hand quilted and donated by the MB Church Ladies. The final item was “The Ol’ Homestead” hand-tooled leather picture with barnyard frame, handcrafted and donated by Dan Reddig. A separate hand tooled leather picture sold on the on-line auction, prepared by Dan Reddig.
A program was given after the meal and auction. Jerson Ayuno directed the third and fourth grade class in singing “One Day”, accompanying themselves on ukuleles. McKenna Bell, Bekah Miller, Piper Neufeld, Marlee Reddig, Millie Olfert, Audrey Zerbe, Marcus Nell, Oliver Mullet, Kade Livermore were the class.
The LCHS Worship team (Hannah Brown, Holly Hilkemann, Lauren Fast, Ashtyn Traeholt, TJ Cumpio, Andy Ponce-Curl, Diek Olfert and Nathan Fast) sang “Rejoice”. The EMB men’s quartet (Martin Fast, Chris Traeholt, Don Traeholt, Wayne Hathaway) sang “Just a Little Talk with Jesus”. Michael Brown gave six brave Lustre residents a quiz on LCHS history between program numbers, while Ken Zerbe and Ron Reddig worked with setup and sound for the groups.
Dorm parents Jones and Melissa Cumpio sang “Cherish the Legacy”, a beautiful duet that emphasized the heritage the students had been given and encouraged the younger generations to continue in the good work the founders of the school had begun and had been continued both in education and in passing along the Biblical faith. The song was written by Melissa Cumpio and backed up by “Filipino singers using western harmony style, but used the tribal languages of Jones and Melissa’s fathers to help emphasize that though we come from many different backgrounds, we have the Scriptures in common as a unifying purpose”. They sang Philippians 1, Hebrews 11:6 and II Timothy 4:7-8 about “Keeping the Faith” in the background music, in the Ilocano, Igorot and Nepalese languages.
The Cumpios sang entirely in English. What a treat full of meaning! The program finished with Dan and Meredith Reddig, Zach Brown, teacher Marshall Mullet, Kaitlyn Brown, Jared, Nathan and Lauren Fast playing and singing “Long Black Train”.
The 2026 steering committee consisted of Curt and Lisa Neufeld, Brant and Lynn Unrau, Bob and Yvonne Brown, Landon and Mindy Olfert. Curt said, “We could not have done it without the volunteers. Everyone knew their job and did them well. We are very happy with how many came. To God be the glory!”
It is always special to talk with people who come and learn why they come so far for this event. Dan and Carol Markwardt of near Branson, Mo., were excited to explain they were sophomore dorm students at their first Schmeckfest in 1976.They were celebrating their 50th anniversary of their first date, which was finding time to eat together after doing their service jobs as students in 1976.
Two couples came 39 years after attending LCHS, now that they are retired, travelling from North and South Dakota. Merrill and Sharon Kauffman of western Montana were dorm parents in the 80’s and came to see if any of their students could be found.
Grandparents came from a distance to hear their grandchildren in the program. Some of the LCHS alumni were home-grown farm-kids, who came back in time to help with food preparation and hoping to see their classmates and families.
Other folk were new to the event and were invited by friends. They came from Glasgow, Fort Peck, Sidney, Bloomfield, Scobey, Nashua, Wolf Point and farther off places like Billings, and Arizona, Minnesota – all 986 miles one way of the road for one LCHS alumni. Thank you one and all. Each year we pray the weather will be decent for travel and the time together a blessing.
Have a blessed Easter weekend with your families.
