Ena Stoesser, a beloved figure in the Dayton community, sat near the entrance of the Dayton Community Center on Thursday, Aug. 8, with a warm smile, welcoming teachers to the 49th annual Dayton ISD taco salad luncheon hosted by First Methodist Church of Dayton.
Stoesser, now 90, has been a cornerstone of this event since its inception nearly five decades ago. She explained that the luncheon began 49 years ago when she, then president of the Methodist Women, was inspired by Homer Smith, a junior high principal and church pianist, to do something special for the teachers.
“Homer told me it would be nice to do something for the teachers — a lunch of some sort. I shared the idea with the adult women in our group, and they thought it was a good idea,” Stoesser recalled.
The meal that first year consisted of chicken chartreuse and two vegetables, with fewer than 50 attendees in the church fellowship hall. Over the years, the menu has evolved from various salads to the now-popular taco salad.
The event also has grown to welcome nearly 800 school employees and can only be held locally at the community center as it is the only facility big enough to handle the large crowd.
Teachers arrived by bus or personal vehicles to enjoy the luncheon. As they filed into the building, most dropped non-perishable food items on tables by the front doors and then filed past the various vendor booths that were handing out freebies and promotional materials. By the end of the event, two truckloads of food had been collected, highlighting the generosity and community spirit of all involved.
An army of volunteers worked diligently to ensure the event ran smoothly, showcasing the strong support from the entire church membership and the broader community.
In recent years, the event has been overseen by Cindy Brawley, who continues to uphold the tradition and spirit of the luncheon.
Sponsors for the luncheon were Alan D. Conner and Mary Ellen Conner of AConner Realty, Andy Conner of Merrill Lynch, Chambers Health, Dusty Gatlin of Edward Jones Investments, Festus Plumbing, First Liberty Bank, Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, Hitchin Post Event Center, Kelsey Conner of JLA Realty, Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, Lamar University College of Education, Leslie Herndon of Edward Jones Investments, Liberty-Dayton Regional Medical Center, Mainframe Wrecker Service, Meadow Noyer Allstate Insurance, Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, Pappy’s Bar-B-Que and Catering, PHYSIO, Prosperity Bank, Randel Arnold State Farm, Rave Financial, Sherri Schmidt of Texas Diamond Realty, Stellar Bank, Total Graphics and Western Auto.
