Batavia’s Sturdy Shelter Brewing to hold third Oktoberfest

A verse that resonates in the hearts of newly engaged couples is often a lock to be included in the wedding — either inscribed on invitations or pamphlets or spoken during the service.

Other times, a meaningful and compelling phrase can become a core value in your life or work.

In rare instances, it can serve both purposes — for wedding bliss and a standard to live by.

Frank and Diane Mercadante know all about this, having spent most of their lives in Christian ministry at schools and churches — but also as owners of Sturdy Shelter Brewing, an independent craft brewery in Batavia.

A proverb from Sirach, used on their wedding invitation 45 years ago and as part of the marketing materials for the brewery, states: “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter … whoever finds one, finds a treasure.”

This popular location at 10 S. Shumway is about to celebrate its third anniversary in what essentially has been the Mercadantes’ hobby turned into a retirement business.

And what a great idea to use a meaningful proverb from their wedding to eventually become the name of their brewery, right? Well, not really. But it’s close.

Turns out, after deciding to use that proverb as the name for their business, Diane was later rummaging through photo albums and other coveted items in their St. Charles home and found her wedding invitation.

“It was a funny thing that when we obtained the property and were in the building phase for the brewery already, I came across our old wedding invitation — and we used that verse on our wedding invitation. We had totally forgotten about that,” she said.

In that regard, Diane saw it as “a serendipitous moment in which we came full circle because that is where we started, and here we are now.”

Where they are now, in operating a brew pub with numerous craft beer offerings in a friendly place that features various events, is far different from where the couple with six children were before. But there are similarities.

“We come out of a ministry background; Frank and I worked in settings of community gatherings for many years,” Diane said. “That has been our life’s work. We have a lot of years in gathering people together.”

Diane recently retired from her work at St. Francis High School in Wheaton, while Frank had been training and consulting in Catholic ministry in many places for more than 35 years, starting at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles.

Because they both had a fondness for beer during their leisure time, Diane bought her husband a brewing kit 26 years ago when he turned 40.

“He loved the different beer flavors and such, but we had a lot of little kids and it was hard to start brewing,” she said. “When our kids got older and could actually drink beer, they became a part of this, and their friends or our friends would come over and taste the beer.”

The homemade brew was getting rave reviews, which encouraged Frank to enter contests, and he ended up winning some.

“So, it was fun to have people come over and share a meal or share a beer, and brewing became something to do while we were talking with friends,” Diane added.

As time went on, the kids encouraged their parents to open a brewery.

“But we never knew if they were serious,” she laughed. “Was the beer really that good, or did they like it because it was free beer?”

The couple began dreaming about something bigger.

“People are looking for places to gather, wanting to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and they need a place to go, maybe just to hang out,” she reasoned.

But there’s no preaching or religious teachings at Sturdy Shelter. It is what it is: A place with good beer, friends and fun.

“This not a Catholic or Christian brewery,” Diane notes. “Ministry is just where we come from, that’s our background.”

When fellow brewer Oliver Bulley agreed to join their team as a general manager, the idea and its business plan were set.

“Frank and I both spent a lot of time having wonderful conversations in bars, just by hanging out,” Diane added. “We are mission-driven on a spirit of hospitality in saying, ‘You are here and you are welcome here.’”

Sturdy Shelter Brewing is preparing to host its third Oktoberfest from Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 14.

Oktoberfest is a favorite among patrons each year, featuring food trucks, Bavarian music and dancing, as well as a stein holding contest. Oktoberfest starts at noon Friday and Sunday, with an earlier start at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. More information is available on the pub’s website at sturdyshelterbrewing.com.

“I am very proud of the team we have built here,” Diane said. “We are all very welcoming of people who come in the door.”

Goodbye to Lassies hero

It was sad to learn of the passing of Helen Biddle of Elburn at age 75 last week.

We had a connection the first year I was a sports editor in the Tri-Cities in 1978: We both loved softball.

I played on some competitive teams in the area for several years, but none reached the mountaintop that Helen and her teammates achieved as the Fox Valley Lassies.

That team won so many slowpitch softball tournaments, it was hard to keep track. But one was easy to note. The Fox Valley Lassies won the ASA National Title in 1977, with Biddle playing a big role as a consistent hitter and excellent first baseman.

A couple of years later, the team finished second in the USSSA World Tournament.

This was heady stuff for a group of young women who bonded over their extraordinary skill on a softball field. And it left many impressed, as it was not uncommon to see plenty of fans at their home games at Langum Park in St. Charles, and busloads of followers when the team traveled across the country to compete at the highest level.

But more than being a great softball player, Helen Biddle was a great person. She made me feel welcome when I first began covering the Lassies games and she appreciated my comments around 1980 in which I described her as being like vintage wine — just getting better as she got older.

I last spoke to Helen when the Lassies were inducted into the Illinois Softball Hall of Fame in 2003, and a few years later when the players got together for their own reunion.

I told her before that watching the Lassies play softball was a great joy. What I may not have said is that her kind words and smile every time I showed up at a game made it that much more enjoyable.

She was a big part of the Lassies, and the Lassies became a big part of me during a few summers of softball bliss.

Magician left his mark

After working with Barbara England of Geneva for nearly three years on the St. Charles Country Club’s 100th anniversary history book project, it does not surprise me she can often make a connection with the country club on any number of items she spots in the newspaper.

When reading my column in the Daily Herald last week, she also noticed a story about the Batavia Public Library naming Ken and Terri Mate as this year’s recipients of the Library Leader award.

“I kept looking at the picture of Ken, trying to visualize him as a much younger man,” said England, who oversaw membership services and wrote newsletters for the country club for nearly three decades before retiring in 2013.

“Maybe 30 or so years ago, Ken was a frequent performer at the country club,” England added. “As a talented magician, he captivated his audience and was requested time and time again by the club members.”

As a magician, it likely helped Ken put together an Inclusion Game Night for the library, working with wife Terri, who is a special-education teacher with Mid-Valley Special Education Cooperative.

The Game Night was the first of its kind in the area when launched in 2014, according to the library. The Mates were recognized for that effort as well as other contributions at the library.

These boots are full

Each year, this church fundraiser strikes me as different — even unique.

When the St. Charles Episcopal Church promotes its annual Car Boot and Bake Sale, one facet makes sense. People put a lot of stuff in their car trunks, and that’s the premise behind the “boot” or car trunk.

The church will host the event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, in the church parking lot at 994 N. Fifth Ave. in St. Charles.

That’s where plenty of open boots, or car trunks, will be filled with various items — housewares, clothing, antiques, books and toys — for sale.

Toss in a bake sale and music from one-man-band Paul Jazz, as well as a barbecue lunch, and you have a fun time in raising money for the church ministries.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net