Rock Around the Clock at Turner Community Building

About 6:00 pm on September 6, 2008, Lawrence and Richard Mirus pulled up their pick-ups out by the old see-saw racks behind the Turner School Building. One truck was pulling a barbeque smoker mounted on a trailer chassis and the other pick-up was loaded down with firewood and meats. The springs were groaning! Fire preparation in the smoker began quickly. Soon the oak and hickory wood fire was at about the right heat, and the guys began to lay the beef briskets on the pit to begin smoking.

If you know anything about brisket, you know that it can be the toughest and stringiest meat ever, if it is not cooked low and slow. Since this is the afternoon before the Turner Community Development Annual Barbeque Fundraiser, these guys just have one chance to get it right. They had determined that they were going to use a low wood fire for 24 hours to produce the flavor and tenderness they wanted. About 7:00 pm, other guys started to show up to check on the progress. About 8:00 there was a whole group assembled. Pete Watkins, Odell Brooks, Jim Parker, Don Wilkerson, Herschel Jones,. Chris Boerjan, Fred Peters and Glen Brandenburg all took their turns swapping stories and telling tales.
The tales got pretty entertaining. It seems that one time a Turner School kid got his britches taken off and thrown up into a tree where he couldn’t get them. The Principal was less than pleased! I wonder how that came out?

One by one the yarn tellers left to go home. Soon everyone had gone, except for Richard, Lawrence and Fred. Those guys stayed up all that cold night, talking and dozing and watching the fire under the meat. By 6:30 am the next morning, Lawrence began to cook breakfast. Rumor has it that they cooked and ate 4 pounds of bacon, a big black skillet full of scrambled eggs, and the better part of a large loaf of bread. It was told that Don Wilkinson ate smoked bologna until it nearly came out his ears.

By noon, samples were ready for the Turner School Alumni who poked their heads out back to see what was going on. At 1:00 pm about thirty school alumni dropped in to visit and enjoy being with their school mates of long ago. By 2:00 pm, the ladies of the community began to show up to organize the kitchen and food service for the barbeque. Pies, potato salad, deviled eggs, cakes and salads were only a small part of the delicious foods that were brought in to compliment the barbeque

About 100 people attended the barbeque which started at 4:00 pm. The barbeque was tender enough to cut with a fork, and had a glorious smoked flavor. By the time everyone had piled up their plates, board Chairman Mirus introduced Virgil Payne, a local candidate for JP, and Jason Watkins, a candidate for the Mountainburg School Board. Each gave a brief political speech, and asked for our votes.

Two plaques for Volunteer of the Year were presented to Jeanette Gibbs and Wesley Riggs. Turner Community owes them each a real debt of appreciation for the numerous hours of volunteer service they devote to us.

By 6:00 pm everyone had eaten all they could, were visiting with friends and having a good time. Just another 24 hours around the clock day of good fun and good friends!
Hey, just heard about the road crew starting to work on paving Mirus Hill. Too bad Jim didn't live to see the day. He would have organized a parade!!