Ralls County Historical Society Celebrates 50 Years with Successful Lasagna Supper & Birthday Bash

By Delores Woodhurst 

The Ralls County Historical Society (RCHS) celebrated a major milestone on Saturday, January 17, 2026, hosting its Lasagna Supper & 50th Birthday Bash at the Mark Twain Rural Development Corporation's Multipurpose Building in Perry. Community members from across the county, and beyond, turned out to enjoy an evening of food, fellowship, history, and celebration. 

The event featured a lasagna dinner, prepared and served by a dedicated team of volunteers, including Rachel Jones, Amy Riley, Sue Sharp, Rachel Gilmore, Kathleen Barnett, Michele Keil, Janine Stephenson, Gina Jameson, Linda Hodges, Angie Woodhurst, Cindy Lynn-Drainer, Cyndy Coleman, Mary Kay Weiss, Linda Woodhurst, Mary Wallace, Jane Hickman, Patty Tinsley, Karen Myers, Marie Lawrence, Dee Schlueter, Judy Couch, and Brad Stinson. 

Students from the Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team and RCHS Student Interns assisted in the evening's events, including welcoming guests, serving drinks, bussing tables, and assisting with the auction. Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team members assisting included Izzy Browning, Haven Elliott, Mallory Diffenderfer, Trinity Logan, Auburn Simmons, Sapphire Muehring, Blaire Gilmore, and Avery Jones, Jaelyn Wieczorek, and Jackson Keil, along with their advisors, Diana Duckworth and Julia Henderson. RCHS Student Interns assisting with the event included Landon Pease, Evie Bickel, Maeley Moss, and Alyvia Paxton. Having youth involved was a wonderful addition to the event. 

Jeanie Gay, Carolyn Trower, and Sarah Petersheim worked the main table, accepting memberships, selling calendars and books, and assisting with the auction. All paper products for the event were donated by Dennis and Debbie McMillen, owners of Center Locker. 

Presiding Commissioner John Lake and his wife, Sharon, and Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek and his wife, Carol, sold raffle tickets for a gun that was donated by all three commissioners, including Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring and his wife, Jenny. Proceeds from the gun raffle will benefit the Ralls County Historical Society. 
 
After enjoying the meal, Elementary Leadership Team members led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to kick off a brief program before the auction got underway. President Ron Leake thanked those in attendance for their continued support and encouraged volunteerism. Leake has been the president of RCHS since 2002 and continues to be an integral piece of the organization. Leake acknowledged and honored the men, women, and children who came together in 1976 to form an organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and honoring the history of Ralls County, several of whom were in attendance. When the Society was founded in 1976, there were approximately 130 members. While membership has surged and waned over the years, RCHS is proud to have 135 members today. 
In 2025, RCHS issued a call for submissions to design a new official seal for Ralls County Historical Society. Several thoughtful entries were received, and after review, RCHS unanimously selected Christina Strode's design. Vice President Delores Woodhurst asked Strode to come forward, and Strode was recognized and thanked, as her seal, which was on display for viewing at the event, became the official seal of the Ralls County Historical Society. The narrative that accompanied Strode's design is included below. 
 Creating the Ralls County Historical Society seal has been a fun experience for me, and one that truly means a lot. My husband Joseph's family roots run deep in the Ralls County dirt! My family lives on my husband's family farm, where his 3x Great Grandfather Hedgman Wilson lived. The Wilson family moved to Clay Township, near Spalding, in Ralls County, from Virginia in the mid-1800s. His 4x Great Grandfather Jeremiah Strode moved to Ralls County, where his family grew. Joseph's 3x Grandfather, Edward Strode, became a prominent doctor in New London, and there is even a street named after him. In an effort to create a unique design, I researched many seals from around the country for layout ideas. In the outer ring, 1820 represents the year Ralls County was formed. The central focus of the seal is our beautiful courthouse, with the year it was built, 1858, prominently displayed on the front. Around the courthouse are iconic symbols of our county. In the top right, you see the great Clarence Cannon Dam with the beautiful Mark Twain Lake behind it. To the right of the courthouse is a crappie, a fishing favorite on the lake. My son works at the marina, and the number one question he is asked daily is, "Are the crappie biting?" There are oak leaves and acorns to show homage to the abundant nature in our county. Near the bottom, corn represents our rich agricultural heritage. To the left of the courthouse is the iconic state animal, the Missouri Mule. On the top left, you see a handsome whitetail, representing the wildlife in our area. Separating the words in the outer ring are yellow cone flowers. These flowers are also known as the Ozark cone flower and can be found growing wild and free along many of our roads. The three main colors of the seal are red, white, and blue. They reflect the Missouri State flag, and, of course, our nation. The people of Ralls County are patriotic and deeply love our land! It was my pleasure to research and design a seal that will serve as a lasting visual representation of our great county. Thank you for considering my design for Ralls County Historical Society's official seal. 
John Wallace, assisted by his grandson and RCHS Student Intern Landon Pease, facilitated the auction of donated items. The auction served not only as entertainment but also as an important fundraiser supporting museum operations, preservation initiatives, and local history programming. The feature item of the auction was shared ownership in RCHS's copy of Ralls County Missouri by Goldena Howard. In 1980, Goldena Howard published Ralls County Missouri, known to many as "the green book," and the book remains the most comprehensive single history of Ralls County ever created. Mrs. Howard spent decades researching the people and places of Ralls County, personally funding the project and overseeing every detail. Nearly half the book is devoted to Ralls County families. Mrs. Howard believed it was important to document the people living here at the time, those whose stories were not yet recorded in history books. Her work was never about recognition or profit, but about preservation. Ralls County Missouri continues to be a treasured resource for families, researchers, and community members. As RCHS celebrates its 50th birthday, Mrs. Howard's work stands as a cornerstone of its mission to preserve, honor, and celebrate Ralls County. Individuals purchasing ownership in this book, which will continue to be housed at the Ralls County Historical Society's museum in Perry include Jon and Pam Barnes, Greg Sharpe for State Senate, Michele Keil, Wiley and Susan Hibbard, Ryan, Sarah, and Carter Petersheim, Brian and Linda Hodges, Brian and Delores Woodhurst, Ron and Sandy Myers, Cindy Lynn-Drainer, Chad and Meri Williams, Jim and Jeanie Gay, and Landon Pease. 
Numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations donated items for the auction, including Leanne Reed, Wiley Hibbard, Dustin Wasson of South Lake Design, Mary Kay Weiss, Michele Keil of Salt River Realty, Kerri Jo Reese of Crossroads Bar & Grill, Hannah Smith and Tessa Meranda of Polish & Glow, Dustin and Jan Garner of Lake Country Gardens, Delores Woodhurst, Cindy Lynn-Drainer of At-Home Realty, Brad Stinson, Tracy Mundell of Shaggy's Hair Salon, Lydia, Lola, and Randy McDonald of Meadows Campground & Coffeehouse, Brandon and Skylar Anderson of Anderson Auto Body & Detailing, John DiMaria of Perry Economic Development Group, Debbie Hodges, Brice & Ashley Harvey of Harvey's Floral Boutique and Premier Pest Solutions, Rachel Jones, Frances, Dean, Kris, Jason, and Kristie Yancey of Yancey Auto Sales, Ralls County Clerk Brandy Flynn, Ralls County Collector Tara Comer, Penny Cearley, Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek, Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring, Presiding Commissioner John Lake, and District 5 State Representative Louis Riggs. 

Ralls County Historical Society extends heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who made the evening possible. The Society also thanks everyone who attended, contributed, or supported the event in any way. As RCHS looks ahead to its next fifty years, the organization invites the community to stay engaged by becoming members, volunteering, or participating in upcoming events. For more information about the Ralls County Historical Society and its programs, please visit rallscohistoricalsociety.com or follow RCHS on Facebook. 

Pictures and captions: 

Current officers of Ralls County Historical Society are President Ron Leake, Vice President Delores Woodhurst, Secretary Caroyln Trower, and Treasurer Jeanie Gay. 

A few Ralls County Student Leadership Team members posed with the selfie frame. 

Sue Sharp and Amy Riley took a quick break in the kitchen to get in on the selfie frame tradition. 

Christina Strode stands beside her seal design, which is now the official seal of Ralls County Historical Society. 

A large crowd battled the cold temperatures to help the Ralls County Historical Society celebrate its 50th birthday. 

Ralls County Presiding Commissioner John Lake and his wife, Sharon, sold raffle tickets for a gun. Funds from the raffle sales will benefit Ralls County Historical Society. 

Ralls County Historical Society President Ron Leake welcomed guests to the event. Leake has been the president of RCHS since 2002 and is an integral part of the organization and the Ralls County community. 

Auctioneer John Wallace kept the celebration going, auctioning 37 items donated by individuals and businesses.