Mendon May Day— 1951
Mendon Chooses Saturday For 90th Annual May Day Festival— Traditional May Day festival in Mendon will be conducted Saturday this weekend, and it appeared that good weather will smile on all events. Since 1861, this festival has been held in Mendon. Sponsored by the ward Sunday school, the celebration includes. 10:00 a.m.: Crowning of the May Queen, who is Glenda Longstroth, fourteen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Longstroth, Jr. Her attendants are Claudia Sorensen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Kay Sorensen; Barbara Olsen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Olsen, and Joan Stauffer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Stauffer. Byron Whitney, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orlynn Whitney, will place the crown. Consorts are Max Baker, Dean Larsen and Calvin Hiibner. Flower girl is Eva Longstroth, and crown-bearer is Neil Yonk. May songs will be presented, directed by T. Kay Sorensen. These ceremonies are all to be held on the chapel grounds lawn. The maypole dance, directed by Mozelle Sorensen, accompanied by Ruth Shelton and Hazel Sorensen, will include twenty little girls, all dressed in festive pink and blue. 11:00 a.m.: A May Day program in the chapel will be under direction of the Sunday school superintendency, Earl Buist, Rulen Ladle and William Longstroth, Jr. 2:00 p.m.: Children’s dance in the recreation hall. 2:30 p.m.: Girls softball game, Newton vs. Mendon. 3:00 p.m.: Races for all ages. 4:00 p.m.: Ball games. 9:00 p.m.: May Day ball in the recreation hall, to which the public is invited.
Mendon Children Celebrate Coming Of Spring— May Day in Mendon is a big time for everyone who lives anywhere near that bustling little community. But May Day this year looked rather stormy, so the big May dance and maypole were postponed to May 12th. And it rained and snowed, anyway! However, though the clouds were gray and the grass was wet, the people of the community had a lovely time. They just moved the maypole into the basement of the church and held their party there. First there was the crowning of the May Queen, Glenda Longstroth, by Byron Whitney. This royal pair was attended by Joan Stauffer, Barbara Olsen, Calvin Hiibner, Dean Larsen and Max Baker, with tiny Neil Yonk as crown bearer and Eva Longstroth as flower girl. Then the maypole was wound, with every little girl from the first through the sixth grade dancing. After this everyone went upstairs into the chapel where there was a nice program of singing and recitations. After lunch, there was a dance for the children in the afternoon and for the grown-ups in the evening. It was a big day, and everyone had a good time, notwithstanding the weather.
Text and pictures from a newspaper article— (1) Picture shows the young maypole dancers, this year in bonnets, in the basement of the old 1914 yellow brick church, this picture would latter be made into a postcard in 1956. (2) Picture shows the soon to be queen, Glenda Longstroth, being gently crowned with flowers by her consort Byron Whitney.