As the season of church picnics draw to a close again with the ending of summer I would like for everyone to stop and remember the communities centered around these churches. All the communities within Perry County at one time or another boasted stores, schools, mills and proud residents. But the churches were and are the heartbeat of every community. It was because of the local church that neighbors could meet, socialize and bond into not only a family of faith but a town of support.

Every year the “church picnic” was no doubt the social event of the summer for each and every congregation. With a home cooked meal, music and games for the children the day was spent with family, friends and neighbors. Then there was the coveted make shift store commonly known as the “fancy stand.” Handmade linens, doilies, quilts, baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables, and assorted plants and flowers were proudly provided by the women to fetch the highest donations.

It appears that the picnic crowds are slowly dwindling as the years go by and that the once anticipated summer events are becoming extinct. When was the last time you attending and supported a church picnic?