An invitation Mary Zinn (left) and Janet McIlrath, on behalf of the Bringhurst and Flora United Methodist Churches, invite their communities to a free Christmas Day dinner at the Flora church from noon to 2 p.m. The two ladies have been in charge of the meal for 19 years. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald Flora and Bringhurst United Methodist Churches have a warm Christmas tradition that serves the community.

For the 19th year, they will offer a free Christmas Day dinner for anyone in the FloraBringhurst area who wants to come. The meal is at the Flora church.

They especially welcome those who have no family or will not be with family on Christmas Day, and those who would otherwise not have a bountiful meal celebrate the birth of Christ. But the invitation is extended to all.

They make deliveries to shutins, and they also offer carryouts.

The two ladies who have been in charge every year are Mary Zinn of the Bringhurst church and Janet McIlrath of the Flora church.

Larry DeVos pastors both congregations. He said he came to the Flora community in 1983, and the Christmas dinner began few years later, in 1986.

“In visiting with people, I was surprised to find out that a lot of people didn’t have anybody to be with on Christmas,” he said.

Mary recalls the board meeting when Pastor DeVos brought up the idea of a community Christmas dinner.

The meeting was the first of December. Mary said the board members thought it was a good idea, but didn’t think it could be organized for that year.

Mary thought it could be done, so she was made chairman.

Over the years, she and Janet have worked out a system for handling the dinner.

Mary fixes the turkey breasts (45-50 pounds) and takes care of the dining room and planning the deliveries. Janet cooks in the church kitchen, preparing ham (24 pounds), chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and rolls. They also have pork loin, provided by the pastor.

That part of the meal they’re sure of. The rest is left up to faith.

They depend on church members and others to bring in the salads and desserts.

“I tell people if they’re making a family Christmas dinner, just make a little extra for the church dinner,” Janet said.

“I always ask them to let me know what they’re bringing, but they never do,” Mary added.

She laughed and said she didn’t even know what she was bringing herself.

Somehow, everything works out and they have plenty.

Except for one year. About 10 or 12 years ago, Mary said they could see they were running out of food. Both she and the DeVoses were having their own family dinners that night so they went home and brought their family’s food to the church. Everyone was fed.

Another year Mary fixed the turkey breasts the day before and had them in two large roasters.

“They wouldn’t fit in my refrigerator, so I put them in the garage where I knew they would stay cold,” she said. “When I got ready to take them, the turkey was frozen.” Alittle oven time corrected the problem.

They never know who’s coming to dinner or how many. Mary decorates the tables and sets places for around 80. Another 20-30 are served through deliveries and carryouts.

“We ask for those wanting deliveries and carry-outs to call ahead and order them,” Mary said.

Sometimes the day before the dinner, she has had only two or three calls.

“That’s when I go to my list and start calling,” she said. Sometimes people hesitate to call and ask for a dinner, Mary said. But when she calls, they say, “I wondered if you were going to call.”

“I try to think of people who are alone or need the food. I know we’re not reaching everyone,” she said.

Jack and JoAnn Smith have come to the dinner when they’re not going to be with family on Christmas Day. They said they want to be with others on such a special day.

“I think it’s wonderful that they offer this,” JoAnn said.

High McKinley said he comes because the food is good and he likes to be with friendly church people on Christmas.

Dale Burnworth is one of the regulars at delivering the Christmas dinners.

“People are really appreciative,” he said.

He has taken the meals to several older ladies who live alone.

“They want to pay you,” he said. “You say it’s free, and sometimes they start crying. If they insist, it goes into the basket to buy food for next year.”

Burnworth’s son, Jeff, also helps deliver the meals.

“My wife has helped and my sisters, too,” Burnworth said. “My grandkids come, and we all eat there. It’s just something we do as a family.”

“We don’t really ask people to come and help,” Janet said. “They just show up.”

For the Zinns and the McIlraths, there is liable to be three generations of their families helping that day.

Greg and Teresa Zinn help every year, along with their sons, Andy and Alan. The Zinns’ friends, Dale and Renee McIlrath, also are sure to be there, as well as Janet’s husband, Bud. Mary’s husband, Ralph (now deceased), helped in the early years.

Greg volunteers for delivery detail. Like the mail carriers, he makes his appointed rounds no matter what the weather is like.

“I’ve scooped people’s sidewalks to get to their door,” he said.

The dinner is always on Christmas Day, even if Christmas is on Sunday, like this year. It will just begin a little later at 12 noon.

Pastor DeVos credits Mary and Janet with carrying on the Christmas dinner tradition no matter what the circumstances.

Teresa Zinn is Mary’s daughterin law, and Renee McIlrath is Janet’s daughter-in-law.

The younger two know that the Christmas dinner is not only a church tradition, but a family tradition.

“Renee commented one year that if she and I do this someday, we’ll have to have hot dogs on the grill,” Teresa said.