Dining Hall 50-Year Award Volunteers
1988* to present day
1988
Ardith Force
Hildegarde Cheatham
Clyde Manchester
Helen Jaeger
Dewey Force
1989
Scott Johnson
1990
Dorothy Demaree
Jean Frank
Marie Paulson
1992
Laura Johnston
1994
Wally Bakken
Helen Bakken
1998
The Davis Family
2007
Diane Milbrandt
Betty Ward
Aileene Vanderbilt
Elaine Christiansen
Kay Keenan
Bonnie Iverson
2015
Dennis Boom
Virginia Anderson
Jane McEvoy
Pam Christopherson
Penny Sandahl
2017
Judy Hartman
Dennis Abbott
Jan Bajuniemi
Tom Beach
* These are the names taken from State Fair records of competitions and awards. As you review the listing and note any omission, please let us know.
Another resource of dining hall earliest volunteers are those named in Hildegarde Cheatham’s recollections from 1897 to 1989. She names over 100 volunteers in her story. They include Kay Shaw, Gil Ward, Mel and Aileen (Jack) Vanderbilt. Angela Greiling, Maren Sand, Lisa Gruetzmacher, Katy and Karen Kellet, Brenda Hoffman, Dan Milbrandt, Kevin Abbott, Dave and Sharon Huggett, Kay Sach, Nancy Lorey, David and Alice Meppen, Pastor Rick Ireland, Pastor Betty Schilling, Phyllis Wilcox, Neil Dotson, Sally and Irwin Nelson, Kim Greutzmacher, Esther Tessman, Merrill Robinson, Gladys Helling, Dick Hesselgrave, Erwin and Choral Brinkman, George and Ardis Harrison and Carol, J. Russell Sweitzer, Dick Hesselgrave, Bob Brokopp, Elaine Anunson, Dorothy Fair Snyder, Buzzy Cheatham, Claude Ludwig, Lloyd and Ruby Bailey, Pastor Leslie Drake, Joe and Grace Jack, Ron Hillstrom. Olive Cummings, Magda Goran, Marion Klug, Louella Murray, Irene Abbott, Ruth Olander, Delores Jenkins, Lloyd Simmons, Roy Irons, Jean and Burt Frank, Harvey and Virginia Dartt and four daughters, Stella Lloyd, Joe and Myrtle Malmstrom, George and Mildred Springborg, Clara Barnum, Pastor Bruce Buller, Pastor Ernie Lowe, Alice and Almond Colbiornsen, Clyde and Faith Manchester, Dr. C.P. Montgomery, Helen and Leonard Jaeger, Dora Hendrickson, Blanche Hoke, Mrs. Williams, Ken Fuelner, Verle Horton, Dorothy and John Demaree, Mrs. Jewell, Mrs. T. Kay, Bert and Frances Merk Wallace, Esther Merk, Wesley Nelson, Alma Gasslander, Mrs. and Pastor R.N. Avison, Alberta and Arthur Lunsted, Henry Mattson - who represent the hundreds of volunteers through the years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s this all about?
Hamline Church Dining Hall is the oldest continuous concession at the Minnesota State Fair. 2022 marks our 125th anniversary. The Dining Hall is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the 12 days of the Fair. The Dining Hall is staffed almost entirely by volunteers, whose generous support is crucial to our success. Our volunteers come from our own church family and friends and from our neighbors in the community.
What do I get for volunteering?
If you volunteer, we provide a free ticket into the Fair and a free meal during you shift. But that’s just for starters. You also get to experience the great fellowship and fun that comes with working alongside other volunteers of all ages. You also get the chance to be the face of Hamline Church, offering our radical hospitality to our guests.
What position should I sign up for?
If you are new to the Dining Hall, volunteering to be a Dining Room Attendant is a great introduction to the operation. You’re primarily responsible for busing tables, serving coffee and ice water, and generally assisting customers. But there are lots of other opportunities—Serving Line, Food Prep, Dishroom, Cashier, Ice Cream Scooper, etc.—and several shifts to choose from: Breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: Lunch from 10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; and Dinner from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can view all the positions (with brief descriptions) by going online (hamlinechurch.org, click on Sign Up Central, and then click on the volunteer button—this will take you to the SignUpGenius platform). Some positions have age restrictions.
How do I sign up to volunteer?
Visit hamlinechurch.org/sign-up-central and click on the "Volunteer at the Dining Hall" button. This will open our sign up page. Scroll through the sign up listings and select a day, a shift, and a position and submit your selection. You’ll need to establish an account to sign up, but it is just your email address and a password.
What should I wear?
It can get very warm in the Dining Hall in late August, so you’ll want to dress in cool, comfortable clothing. If you’re working around food, you’ll need a hair covering. (We have ball caps and kerchiefs available.). For safety reasons, you must wear close-toed shoes.
How do I get there?
Finding a parking spot is always an issue, so if you’re driving be sure to give yourself extra time. You can also use the shuttle buses from the various Park ‘n Ride locations, but these too can fill up. Volunteers are welcome to park in the Hamline Church parking lot and take the Metro transit A Line bus that runs along Snelling Avenue about every 10 minutes and will stop at Snelling Avenue and Midway Parkway—just across from the main entrance to the Fairgrounds. The south-bound A-line buses stop at Como Avenue and Snelling Avenue, across the street from the southeast entrance to the Fairgrounds.