Dance Opportunity

Our group is invited to attend a special Shriner’s event to be held on Friday, November 5, at the Zuhrah Shrine facility on 25^th Street and Park Avenue. A dance lesson will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 with hors d’oeuvres served from 7:00 to 7:30. Ballroom dancing will be held from 7:30 to 11:00 PM. From 9:30 to 10:00 dessert and coffee will be served. The cost is approximately $15 per person and includes refreshments. The Chris Kalogerson group will provide the music. For further information, call Wally or Pat Jansen at 763-420-3355.

October Dance

For those of you not attending the October dance, once again the committee manifested some imaginative entertainment. Out of the pervasive fog, an electronic bat emerged and circled the punch bowl with occasional forays into the hair of some of the taller dancers. The spooky menu included deviled eggs topped with spiders fashioned from black olives. (These proved to be a bit more palatable than the actual insects ingested on the Travel Channel by St. Paul native Andrew Zimmern.) Music was provided by the Rod Cerar Band. Lloyd Otte and Mary Olberding sponsored both guest couples. The guest couples were Paul and Claire Harding and Martin Mikus and Karen Boileau. Thanks to the committee which consisted of Dan and Ann Gifford, Tom and Kellie Hurwitz, Brian Stormquist and Joni Blomquist, Lloyd Otte and Mary Olberding.

December Dance

The next dance will be held on December 4. It’s a great time to introduce friends to the club and get an early start on the festive holiday season. Lots of folks like to dress up and step out at this time of year so invite your guests.

In Memoriam

Our hearts go out to the family of member The Reverend Charles Nelson on his passing. Services will be held on Saturday, November 6, at the Portland Avenue United Methodist Church, 8000 Portland Avenue South in Bloomington, with visitation for one hour prior to services. After serving congregations in Massachusetts, Farmington, Faribault, St. Anthony Park and Worthington, he served in chaplaincy at the Minnesota Masonic Home. Chuck’s outgoing personality as well as his stature were impressive. Chuck and Mary were always a warm and welcoming presence in the club.

Perusing the Past

Bob Munson, an honorary member, provided us with several historical anecdotes from his family’ long-term tenure in LHDC. Bob and his wife Mary Jane joined the club in l964 preceded as members by Mary Jane’s parents when she was a young child. Bob stated that her parents were among the first to “invade” the Linden Hills area from St. Paul. The dances were held at the fire hall at 43^rd and Upton, a three-story building with a kitchen and dining hall on the second floor and a meeting room/dance hall on the third. This building currently houses Café 28 which is next door to the Wild Rumpus Bookstore. The move to the Masonic Temple at 44^th and France was disappointing because a promised parquet floor did not materialize. LHUMC, our current site, became the next ongoing venue. Munson’s active years in the club included two stints as chaircouple and acting as sponsors for numerous guest couples. Bob particularly enjoyed the committee work in advance of preparing and serving the meal. Often his committee would meet at the Minneapolis Athletic Club for breakfast to decide on a theme and tentative menu. They subsequently met several times to experiment with recipes and finalize plans. Cleanup the night of the dance usually ended well after 1:00 AM. Occasionally the men on the committee would wear tails and serve with white gloves and towels over their arms. Early on, Bob worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority followed by a professorship at the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. Mary Jane currently resides at a care facility in St. Anthony Park. Thanks to this gracious couple for their longtime contributions to our club.

Our Website

The LHDC website can be accessed at Lindenhillsdancingclub.org. The Member Directory section is password protected for security. Contact a member or Executive Committee member for password information. We appreciate the dedication and talents of Michael and Laura McClanahan who serve as webmasters independent from the Executive Committee.

SEE YOU AT THE DECEMBER 4 DANCE!