‘This one was something special that won’t happen ever again’

KEOSAUQUA - Taryn Scheuermann had the dress, shoes and date but with her senior prom at Van Buren High School postponed, she had nowhere to go.

With the help of her sister Kaitlyn and parents Ro and Troy, Taryn and a few friends were able to enjoy prom just the way they would have wanted with an in-home dance.

'They said they were going to reschedule it, but they didn't give us a day or when it would be,” she said about the school-sanctioned event which was postponed due to COVID-19. 'I was looking forward to prom because it's my senior year, but at the same time it was OK either way.”

Knowing her daughter was looking forward to her high school dance, Ro joked they could host a prom of their own in the gym the family had built in their backyard. After giving it a little more thought, they realized their solution could come to fruition quite easily.

'It was kind of one of those things that popped into my head,” she said.

When Ro first got the idea, social gathering sizes were limited to 50, she said. However, restrictions tightened and only gatherings of 10 or less were allowed. Still, the Scheuermann family decided to give it a shot.

Taryn and her younger sister Kaitlyn set to work looking for decorations in their 'party drawer” and decorated their home gym to the best of their ability. Kaitlyn took on a variety of roles that night, Ro said, as she was decorator, hair stylist, makeup artist and photographer.

The big night arrived last Saturday, April 18, and a few friends were able to attend. Including her sister and her parents as chaperones, they were able to keep the prom under 10 people and stay within social distancing guidelines, she said.

Having attended prom the year before, Taryn said this one was different, but in a very good way.

'You had to dance or else the party would die so I would say we danced a lot more than in other years,” she said with a laugh.

Although the prom has now officially been rescheduled for July 18, assuming it is allowable under state guidelines, Taryn said this one contained memories she would never forget.

'I loved prom at school but this one was something special that won't happen ever again,” she said.

Generally, not big party goers, Taryn said it was a big deal for her parents to throw this prom for her and her friends. They went to great lengths to ensure they could all have a meal together before and that she would have an experience that would make lemonade out of lemons.

'It's not normal because maybe they throw one big birthday party or something so it was sort of crazy that they would go to that extent to help me with it but I appreciate all that they did,” she said.