MCC SALE VOLUNTEER EFFORT SPANS GENERATIONS
From 101-year-old Alice Graber to preteen brothers Simon and Emmitt Ortman, it takes all walks of life to help make sale a success
BY CAROL J. EISENBEIS – FOR THE SD MCC RELIEF SALE
Eighty years.
That’s not Alice Graber’s age. That’s how long this Freeman resident has held an active nursing license. And it’s also about as long as she’s been making poppyseed rolls.
At the age of 101-and-a-half, Graber volunteers two days a week at the Et Cetera Shoppe in Freeman and is continually baking up delicacies that she gives away to family, friends and causes that matter most to her. Reflecting on her baking, Graber says, “It’s one way I can help others.”
Graber’s poppyseed rolls will be among the items available for purchase at the South Dakota Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Relief Sale taking place on the campus of Freeman Academy on Saturday, July 20. Made from a sweet bread dough wrapped around a rich poppyseed filling, the rolls are a traditional pastry that found its way to the Midwest by way of the Mennonites settling here 150 years ago.
Before meeting her husband-to-be, Wilbert “Jim” Graber, in Nebraska while she attended nursing school, the former Alice Rulla had never heard of poppyseed rolls or even Mennonites for that matter. Her familiarity, however, quickly grew after marrying into a family whose hospitality and generosity included Saturdays filled with baking and a Sunday tradition of hosting dinner guests.
“She could “roll ‘em out fast,” says Graber when reflecting on the ability of her mother-in-law, Louise Miller Graber, to make poppyseed rolls. This endeavor, however, is not for those looking to prepare a quick and easy dessert. The investment of time involved is evident as Graber describes the lengthy process she follows while using variations of recipes from the “Seasoned with Love” cookbook published by the Freeman Academy Auxiliary in 1996.
It all begins with Graber purchasing five pounds of poppyseed in bulk at a local grocery store. Next, she soaks the seeds in basins, allowing her to skim off any bitter or immature seeds. Following an oven-drying process, three cups of seeds are ground with an electric coffee grinder before the filling is mixed and spread on six canvases of homemade sweet dough.
After forming the rolls, Graber places each in a metal ice cube tray. That’s right. While these vintage trays can be hard to come by, they happen to be the perfect size for baking poppyseed rolls and Graber has six on hand that she uses repeatedly over the course of the year. The rolls freeze well and – in addition to making plenty of poppyseed rolls, kuchen and peppernuts for family reunions and holidays – she generously donates scores of poppyseed rolls for Freeman’s Schmeckfest celebration and MCC Sale every year.
Even with all her experience, Graber is humble, taking on the attitude of a lifelong learner. “Dough can be tricky,” she says and while she’d rather not have any poppyseed filling seep through the sides of her rolls, it’s a sign that they contain a generous amount of poppyseed.
Coins add up, make a difference
Simon Ortman and his brother Emmit are also among those whose volunteer efforts help to make a positive difference for others. At the ages of almost 12 and 10, respectively, the sons of Paul and Charity Ortman have been in the habit of collecting coins in advance of the annual MCC Sale for several years now after first hearing about the opportunity during a children’s story at their church.
“My Coins Count” is a child-friendly giving project that’s managed to raise approximately $600,000 annually for MCC. The funds are used to support a variety of worldwide projects typically associated with water. This year’s coin project helps to provide pure drinking water to homes in Bolivia where water shortages pose a serious health threat.
In today’s world where people tend to use plastic — rather than bills and coins — for their purchases, it can be a challenge to find loose change, but the Ortman brothers still manage to round up coins in a variety of ways. They’ve discovered coins on the ground, contribute their own allowance money and gladly accept contributions from family members who know they’re collecting for a worthy cause. Their mom Charity notes that collecting coins for MCC has been a collaborative experience for her boys, rather than a competition, which is nice.
How much have they collected so far this year? They don’t know. An elephant bank that you can’t see into is what Simon’s using to collect his coins this year. The boys tend to use different types of collection containers each year. And like Graber, they know that their efforts matter, adding that “MCC helps a lot of people.”
On the day of the sale, Simon and Emmit have fun pouring their coins into a specially designed contraption and watching them cycle through. Listening to the auctioneers is another highlight mentioned by Simon. But both boys are in full agreement that eating cheese pockets is their absolute favorite part of the day. In fact, they helped make those, too, during a recent session headed up by Lacey Friesen at Salem-Zion Mennonite Church.
This year’s sale details
Saturday, July 20 is the day set for this year’s SD MCC Relief Sale, with all events taking place in the lower level of Pioneer Hall on the campus of Freeman Academy. The food court and other booths will open at 11 a.m. Silent auction bids and “My Coins Count” contributions will be accepted starting at 11 a.m., as well, with the live auction to follow at 1 p.m. Freewill donations will be received for food court and booth purchases, with all proceeds benefitting Mennonite Central Committee.
Carol J. Eisenbeis is a member of Salem-Zion (North) Church of rural Freeman. While she’s never tried making poppyseed rolls, they’re a treat she’s enjoyed since childhood. She also recalls her own kids collecting coins for MCC and contributing them at the annual sale when they were young.
