Mendon May Day— 1972
Mendon Plans May Day Event— Not long after the town of Mendon was settled in 1860, the citizens began the tradition of a May Day celebration with the crowning of a queen and the dancing of the maypole. Many of the people who first came to Mendon to make their homes were from Denmark or England, both countries where May Day festivals have been held for centuries. The first Saturday in May finds all the people of Mendon and many of those who have lived there at one time, together with family and friends, gathered on the square for a ceremony that most of them participated in when they were young. There are the music and songs that were written in the late 19th century by Isaac Sorensen. He led the singing for years, and then his son William I. Sorensen took over, and now it is his grandson T. Kay Sorensen who leads in the singing of While “Straying and Maying” and “Queen of May.” The Sunday school superintendency of Mendon ward is in charge of the celebration. Merlin Yonk is superintendent and his assistants are Lemuel Earl, Sr. and Wayne Hiibner. Those who have trained the maypole dancers are Margene Willie, June Bowen and Carolyn Baker. Mozelle Sorensen will again be accompanist, something she has done for more than thirty-five years. All of the ninth grade girls in the town are members of the May Queen’s court and one of them is selected by a committee to be May Queen. Each of the girls chooses a young man from the same age group for her escort. This year’s queen is Linda Sorensen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Sorensen. Her consort is Rick Shelton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Shelton. Her maids are Kathy Maurer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D ean Maurer; Debbie Porath, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones; LuAnn Baker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Baker; Barbara DeBruin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adrian DeBruin, and Carol Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Reid. Their escorts are Mike Bird, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Bird; Neil Sorensen, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Kay Sorensen; Thayne Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Justin Anderson; Michael Barrett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanton Barrett, and David Willie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mervyn Willie. Monica Muir, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Muir is the flower girl and Kent Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Baker, is the crown bearer, carrying the wreath of flowers with which the queen is crowned. The processional will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. After the crowning of the queen and the dancing of the maypole, a program will he held in the Mendon ward chapel. During the afternoon there will be sports and games, and refreshments will be for sale. The Toolson Orchestra will play for the dance which beings at 9:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to join in Mendon’s May Day. Picture Caption: Braiding the maypole is a tradition of more that 100 years standing at Mendon where May Day will be celebrated this year on Saturday. At 10:30 a.m. the May Queen will be crowned and the sixteen little girls who are practicing above, will dance the maypole. There will be an afternoon of sports and games and a dance in the evening in the cultural hall.
Picture Caption: Mendon’s May Queen and her court are shown above. In front are little Monica Muir, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Muir, flower girl, and Kent Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Baker, crown bearer. From the left are Kathy Maurer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Maurer; Debbie Porath, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones; LuAnn Baker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Baker; Queen Linda Sorensen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Sorensen; Barbara DeBruin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adrian DeBruin, and Carol Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Reid. At back are Mike Bird son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Bird; Neil Sorensen, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Kay Sorensen; Thayne Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Justin Anderson; Rick Shelton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Shelton; Michael Barrett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanton Barrett, and David Willie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mervyn Willie. The queen will be crowned Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the lawn near the Mendon ward church. There will be an afternoon of sports and games.
Picture Caption: Braiding the May Pole is a tradition of more than 100 years standing at Mendon where May Day will be celebrated this year on Saturday. At 10:30 a.m. the May Queen will be crowned and the sixteen little girls who are practicing above, will dance the May Pole. There will be an afternoon of sports and games and a dance in the evening in the cultural hall.
Printed May Day Program: Mendon May Day, May 6th, 1972, 10:30 a.m. Queen’s Court: May Queen, Linda Sorensen; Consort, Ricky Shelton. Maids of Honor with Partners: Barbara DeBruin with Michael Barrett; Carol Reid with David Willie; Debbie Porath with Neil Sorensen; Kathy Maurer with Mike Bird; LuAnn Baker with Thayne Anderson. Flower Girl, Monica Muir; Crown Bearer, Kent Baker. Dance Directors: Margene Willie, June Bowen and Carolyn Baker. Dance Assistants: Karla James, Doreen Sorensen and LuAnn Baker. Maypole Dance Accompanist: Mozelle Sorensen. May Day Dresses: Nan Earl and Blanche Yonk. May Day Chorister: T. Kay Sorensen. The 24 Maypole Dancers for 1972—
| Annette Yonk | Stephanie Muir | Nicole Bowen | Paula Anderson |
| Mary Jean Barrett | Michelle Bird | Sherry Porath | Cindy Kidman |
| Tresa Quinlan | Marciea Barrett | Lisa Bird | Kim Gibbs |
| ReNae Anderson | Peggy Reid | Lana Richards | Joan Brown |
| Jolene Bodily | Michelle Taylor | Suzette Quinlan | Kim Kidman |
| Deanne Richards | LaNa Bodily | Audrey Anderson | Lisa Jackson |
Afternoon Events: Races, ball games, evening dance. Following the program and throughout the afternoon there will be home made cooked foods for sale. Bar-Ba-Que, Hot Dogs, Pronto Pups, Pie, Cake, Candy, Pop. We sincerely thank all who helped in any way to make this a successful day. Merlin Yonk, Lemuel Earl, Sr. and Wayne Hiibner.