And cooking oysters. Every fall, some 15 volunteers come together to help Constance Christian pull off the feast. It's a busy, happy time, with church members well aware people anticipate their oysters. Sandwiches, bean soup and homemade pie also are on the menu. The stew recipe has been passed from one person to another for years.
Truth is, nobody needs to read it anymore.
Virgil Souder and Marvin Phelps will man the stirring spoons this year. They've been together a long time, this bunch. Every wedding, every funeral, every Sunday for church. They all know, for instance, how much Mrs. Kottmyer misses her husband, Rich, who died in 1998. He was the guiding force behind the church.