The tradition continued this year as Ellsworth Elementary School 4th grade students and their teachers served a Thanksgiving feast that started more than 30 years ago.

Teachers and all 56 of their students prepared and served their family and friends beef stew, corn bread, fruit salad, and pumpkin pie.

The basement of Ellsworth’s First Presbyterian Church was filled Tuesday, Nov. 26, with students, teachers, and parent volunteers as they set tables, cut slices of pumpkin pie, and prepared for their guests to enjoy the feast.

Thirty-five parent volunteers helped as all the students rotated at different stations to help prepare the meal. Station jobs included everything from cutting fruit for fruit salad, baking pumpkin pies and filling plates and bowls. Students also colored three Christmas cards each to send to local veterans this holiday season.

The parent volunteers helped wash dishes, carry out trash, and supervise the coloring of the Christmas cards.

The Thanksgiving feast tradition started with the fifth grade class and was originally conducted at the Catholic church.

Leslie Brooks, a retired teacher who lives in Ellsworth and helped with the Thanksgiving feast for many years said,“I enjoyed it. We had several activities and stations for the kids.”

At one point the largest class of 5th graders had 72 students.

“It’s tradition; it’s a good thing.” Brooks said. “It taught the kids how to make homemade pie crust.

“Everyone who worked for the school or was on the school board was invited to join in on the feast if they were available. We had a lot of good help.”

The tradition moved down to fourth graders several years ago.