A long road to prom: Woman's dream comes true

DEXTER, Mo. -- A lifelong dream was fulfilled Monday for a local woman who felt she missed out on a special event in high school. Karen Oldham attended a prom specially arranged in her honor.

"I told my sister I have never had a prom, and I wanted to have one," said Oldham who graduated from Dexter High School in the late 1960s.

"Well, let's have one," her sister responded.

Oldham picked "Under the Tuscan Sun" for the theme.

Tony Rushin, general manager at Dhafer's Mediterranean Steakhouse, began talking with Oldham while she was at the restaurant, and he decided to help make her dream come true by hosting the right of passage. Dhafer's provided dinner, and local duo Barnett and Gurley provided music.

Oldham was one of six children -- three girls and three boys -- in the Burnett family. The family lived modestly.

"Mom took in ironing so that I could buy a class ring," Oldham said. "She charged 10 cents a piece for ironing, regardless of what it was."

The class ring cost $38, a considerable amount of money at the time.

After she graduated, Oldham began her own career.

She was called to preach and has pastored several churches. Her first church met in a small building behind the Christian Dowdy Lumber Co. There were five regular members. Later a building was donated to the church in Bloomfield, Mo. After they moved there, the congregation began to grow.

According to Oldham, God has taken care of her throughout her life.

Once during a 16-day revival in the dead of summer, she worried the utility bill would be more than the church could afford. She found out later that the energy company changed the meter during that revival, and the bill was only $28.

"The Bible says the Lord will provide and will give you your heart's desire," she said.

The building in Bloomfield began to deteriorate, so they moved to a small building across from West Park in Dexter. Later, the small building on One Mile Road across from the school and two lots were donated to the church, called Faith Fellowship Bible Way Assembly. Oldham said she has just recently decided to step down as pastor of that church.

It's been a long road for Oldham.

"A year ago I was homeless and had no place to go," she said. "I left with my Bible, two sets of clothes and my dog."

A friend took her in until she could get back on her feet.

"God has blessed me so much," she said.

Oldham hoped a lot of her friends and those that may have missed their prom for any reason would join her.

"It can be as much fun for them as for me," she said.

Thanks to friends, she had a prom dress from the Bunny Patch in Dexter and Lucas Florist prepared balloons and an area for making prom pictures.