Ramona
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
Only in Ramona would you need to add a caveat to the Spring Fling Tea Party invitation that instructed folks on an alternate route into town should the trains block the tracks entering Ramona!
Empty tables were especially visible Saturday when the two o'clock hour arrived, and ladies in dazzling hats, gloves, and jewelry started pouring into the Lutheran parish hall for the annual tea party my sister and I orchestrate.
Pat and I came out of the kitchen several times thinking we'd begin the festivities, but were puzzled by the mystery of several empty tables, when Sandra Svoboda informed me the train was blocking the tracks into town.
A few minutes later a caravan of cars arrived, and the parish hall was filled to overflowing. "Next year," I said to my sister, "I'm including the alternate routes into town on the tea party invitation."
Eighty-three ladies arrived in spectacular costumes and Pat and I shared New York cheesecakes, orange currant and mudpie scones, chocolate cups filled with strawberries and cream, mint cucumber and smoked chicken walnut sandwiches, an array of petit four cakes and cream puffs, and tea.
While this is an event for women only, there always are some men behind the scenes. John Holecek of McPherson has been to every tea party, bringing his aunt, Laura Kleiber Safford, who has been our oldest guest each year — she's 98 this year. David Judd of Topeka drove his wife, Faith, to the party.
Providing hot tea and delivering plates piled with goodies were Bryanna Svoboda, Makenzie Deines, Mikayala Antoszyk, and Emily Staatz. Cahn Antoszyk helped judge the fashion competition for the most stunning and funny hats and the most unusual gloves.
Winning the "funny glove" competition was Frances Buxman of Ramona, who attended the party with two of her daughters, Sandra Svoboda, also of Ramona, and Patty Radke of Salina. Frances wore a pair of her son's yellow work gloves.
Naomi Fike, who attended with her daughter-in-law, Janet, of Lawrence, won the prize for most unusual gloves — a pair of delicate "string" gloves given to her on her 15th birthday from Naomi's brother.
Marilyn Schmidt of Newton brought two of her friends and they won awards for their hats from the 1950s.
Marge Hanschu of Ramona made the tea party a moment for passing along a pair of heritage gloves to her granddaughter, Sarah Nixon who attended the party with her mother, Suzie.
Norma Hannaford's gloves won an award. Norma, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, couldn't attend the tea, but her gloves were there! They were worn by Helen Beckham of Marion County Lake.
Johanna Brunner Kaiser, 102, and another "grand dame" of Kansas, was part of the party also, even though she wasn't present. Johanna's fashions were used as part of the decorations.
Four generations of Fike women attended the tea: Paula, her daughter Linda Peterson of Burdick, Linda's daughter Susan Omli of Brookville, and her two daughters eight-year-old Sesely and four-year-old Sydney.
A finale to the tea was a gift from sisters Lizetta Stout of McPherson and Bernice Stout of Abilene. They presented a plate, cup and saucer, to be used as a place setting for future tea parties.
Being Mother's Day weekend there were lots of gatherings around Ramona. "We celebrated two days in a row," said Norma Bird. On Saturday daughters Julie, Cindy, and Fern gathered their children and had a barbecue.
Everyone except Cindy, who had to go to work, was back Sunday to celebrate again.
Frances Buxman's family celebrated Mother's Day with their annual barbecue. All of Frances's daughters were home for the barbecue — Linda, Patty, and Sandra — and brought their families.
Naomi Fike celebrated Mother's Day and birthday all on the same weekend. When the tea party ended Saturday, Joe and Janet whisked her away to the Brookville Hotel in Abilene where Naomi's children and grandkids celebrated her 85th birthday.
Saturday night she went home with her daughter, Virginia, and on Sunday morning, she attended a champagne brunch at the Wichita Hilton Hotel, honoring her grandson, Scott Bowyer, who's getting married June 5. Scott is the son of Mack and Virginia Bowyer.
Naomi's son, Steve and his wife Maureen, arrived Tuesday evening with pizza for Naomi's birthday finale.
Marge and Maurice Stroda had a house full on the weekend. Their son Tom from Texas was here for the weekend and he was joined by siblings, Bob and Elaine from Salina, Marilyn from Herington and of course, Jane who lives in Ramona.
Grandchildren who came to celebrate Mother's Day were Brian (Marilyn's son) and his family, and Stefanie and Jennifer (Jane's daughters) and their families.
The Strodas are playing what seems like "musical chairs" (but with houses) these days. Recently Stefanie and her husband and daughter moved from Ramona to Manhattan and vacated the trailer owned by the Strodas — which became convenient when the Strodas' home burned to the ground and they needed a place to stay. The trailer became their temporary home.
Then granddaughter Jennifer and her mate, Vinnie, who live on B Street in another Stroda home, decided to purchase the Mary Klenda house on the corner of 3rd and E. "We're moving into our own little house and then my grandparents can have a larger home to live in," said Jennifer.
On Sunday afternoon we saw the Strodas' granddaughter, Emily Staatz, walking down the street with her aunts and uncles. Seeing families strolling around town is a comforting sight and one of our favorites.
On Saturday afternoon, as Pat and I were cleaning the Trinity Lutheran parish hall after the tea, the Brunner family was performing the weekly ritual of mowing and trimming around the church property getting things ready for Sunday services. That's another familiar sight that makes me smile.
I had just seen Ann Brunner Koch wearing a pretty party hat just hours before when she attended the tea with her mother, Orvell, so I was startled when she came around the corner with a broom in her hand.
And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
