Those attending the Ronan Community Thanksgiving Dinner last week were greeted at the door by a smiling Diane and Phil Grant, wishing them “Happy Thanksgiving.”

The scents of a traditional Thanksgiving feast drew people to the kitchen, where volunteers were dishing up plates full of turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberries, and other fixin’s.

With their plates full, guests drifted into the dining area and found a place to sit, maybe with old friends, relatives or newcomers. With some lowkey dinner music and bright autumn artwork created by Ronan schoolchildren, the room was bright and filled with a mix of laughter, chatting, the clinking of silverware as diners dug into loaded plates. A few were chatting over homemade pie with whipped cream and a fresh cup of coffee.

One couple was sitting with some folks new to the Ronan area and talking about the weather and the price of hay. Another diner said his wife was on duty at the local hospital so he decided to come eat with the Thanksgiving crowd. A couple said they came because it was lonely at their house since none of their grown children had made the trek home. Everybody commented on the good food.

A long table full of homemade pies and bowls of whipped cream occupied the west end of the community center, and it was popular, with some making two trips.

The Ronan Chamber of Commerce organizes the dinner. Chamber member Jamie Buhr said they roasted 20 turkeys, many cooked in ovens around the community.

“People brought in pies and rolls, too,” Buhr said.

He was in the kitchen, where volunteers were stirring gravy, refilling pans of stuffing, cutting pies, and washing pots, just like a family Thanksgiving, only considerably larger.

Traditionally, bankers like Buhr come in the night before and peel potatoes, donated by Lake Farms. They’re stored in huge pots of cold water so they’re ready to be cooked on Thanksgiving morning. Volunteers come in early to put tablecloths on the tables, spread out chairs, and begin last-minute food preparations.

“It’s really a community dinner,” Buhr said. He even roped his father-in-law, Daren Gunlock, into working on the serving line.

The dinner is free, although many people donate if they can to help keep the tradition going so everyone has a place to eat a great Thanksgiving dinner and celebrate the holiday.

    Community stalwarts Diane and Phil Grant greeted community members as they arrived at the Ronan Community Thanksgiving Dinner. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)