Bio: Schaefer Family Enjoys 37th Progressive Dinner (2020)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Schaefer, Luchterhand, Verschay, Lulloff, Kusiak

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 1/29/2020

Schaefer Family Enjoys 37th Progressive Dinner (2020)

A tradition 37 years in the making came to life again as the heirs of Werner and Christine Schaefer recently participated in their family’s annual progressive dinner.

“There just were not enough days for family members to visit each other’s homes during the holidays. So, in 1982, they decided to dedicate a single day for visiting, inspecting Santa’s gifts and getting caught up on the family news,” wrote Bryce Luchterhand.

The relatives agreed that each family would be limited to serving a single food category beginning with breakfast and continuing through the day. Each family embellished its specific category.

“The day was such a success it has continued every year since then,” Bryce Luchterhand wrote.

This year, 63 family members joined for at least a portion of the day with most participating in the full event.

“Seven families created culinary delights in their assigned category and participants were cautioned to resist overindulgence to allow full gastronomic gratification of the day’s gourmet creations,” Bryce Luchterhand added.

The Dec. 28 event started at 9 a.m. with the rain and ice in the forecast, at the rural Neillsville home of Le and Karen Luchterhand. The menu included three kinds of miniature quiche, four varieties of mini muffins, milk, chocolate milk, orange juice and lemonade. Tours of the new barn were available on request before heading for the day’s second stop.

Rich and Karen Verschay were hosts for stop two at their home south of Greenwood. Lettuce salad with tomatoes, shredded carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds and cottage cheese highlighted this stop. The salads were completed with smoked oysters, herring, venison sausage, coffee, tea and lemonade.

Next, the traveling troupe of food connoisseurs stopped at the Withee home of Mike and Jo Lulloff. Jo fulfilled her category of fruit with apples and homemade caramel dip, banana bread and clementine’s served with a side dish of white and chocolate fudge and augmented with fruit punch, sherbet and coffee.

“Jo’s famous individually wrapped homemade caramels are not to be missed at this stop,” Bryce Luchterhand wrote.

The next stop for sustenance was the rural Unity home of Bryce and Maxine Luchterhand where steaming bowls of chicken dumpling soup and chili were served with venison sticks, three kinds of cheese and crackers. Drink choices consisted of hot or cold apple cider and Maxine’s famous punch.

“Rain had begun to fall, but it didn’t keep the intrepid band of roving relatives from continuing their trek eastward, stopping next at the rural Stratford home of Jon Schaefer,” Bryce Luchterhand wrote. “Platters of ‘pink squirrel’ and egg salad sandwiches served with cowboy taco dip, chips, sausage and cookies temporarily placated palates. Jon also served soft drinks and several flavors of homemade wine.”

The seemingly insatiable itinerants moved on to Fenwood and the home of Kimberly and Dennis Kusiak as the afternoon waned. They were treated to nachos, guacamole, salsa dip, cheese, sausage and several flavors of punch.

The travelers headed to their final destination as night fell and the rain continued.

“The day culminated at the Wausau home of Jamie and Diane Schaefer where everyone was treated to a variety of pizza complemented by Diane’s homemade cookies and candy, “ Bryce wrote. “Beverages included soft drinks punch, beer and coffee. People headed home with outside temperatures still above freezing and rain still falling, but not before hugs all around and a promise to do it all again next year.”