REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--PAYSON SENIOR CITIZENS

REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, October 2,  2008
Kenna Holm
  
PAYSON SENIOR CITIZENS

    This is one of those weeks I have had to scratch my head to decide what to write about. I've really had a brain freeze.  I just couldn't seem to get inspired. Then I was talking to my friend JoAnn Stevenson and she was telling me about the fun trip the Senior Citizens just took and the light went on. The Senior Citizens, that's a good subject.
    I remember back when they used to be called "The Old Folks". Remember when they had "theOld Folk's Day" at the park? I'm not sure if they had regular meetings or not but Ido remember they had a nice dinner for "Old Folks Day".
     Now they have a more dignified name, "Payson Senior Citizens". (and here I am one of them). Senior just doesn't sound as old as OLD. Right?

    I believe the Official Seniors group was started in 1966 with Stan Wilson (for whom the Gladstan Golf Course is named) was the director and Elmer Jones was the assistant director. Stan held that position for 9 years..
 

  They held their first meetings in a small building next to the pool hall on Utah Avenue. They held their meeting bi-weekly and had 1 art class and 1 travel log. At that time they had about 30 to 40 attend.
    In 1964 the new Stake Center on 800 West and 500 South was built and the Nebo Tabernacle was no longer needed. It stood vacant long enough for vandals to destroy many things and broke many of the windows.

   The  city entered  into  a  long-term agreement lease of one dollar per year with the LDS church who still owned the building and Wilson and a group of men and I'm sure wives were right there with them, polished and repaired everything in that old building so they could have their activities there. They also beautified  the  grounds.  They had  various crafts  that  were  taught  for  both  men  and women and they served lunches at noon for the cost of 50 cents per person.
    In 1977 the building was sold and they had to find a new place to have their luncheons and activities. The building was sold to Central Bank and Trust for a new building to be built there.
    It was a sad day for the Seniors but they then moved down to the old Nephi Stewart home (on 393 West Utah Ave) which the city owned and held their meetings there until the new City Center which had just been converted from use as a hospital was ready. This was in 1982 that they moved into the new center.
 

  They had lots of room there and were able to put in a pool table, game tables for cards and such, they had the lovely kitchen to cook in and plenty of space to do whatever they wanted.
    In 1978 theygot their first 32 seat 'fun'bus that they took various trips in. The trips were usually just day trips.
    At that time Elmer Jones was the director. He held that position until 1997 when he retired. He had held that position for 27 years and did a marvelous job.
    After Jones retired, he was replaced by Becky Jackson who held the position of Director for one year. Sally Phouts Peay  then took the helm and directed until May of 2005.
    Judy Reynolds is now the director and has been for 3 years. She has worked hard to make the organization the very best. They take a trip over the canyon loop every year plus two or three other trips a year. They just returned from the Tuachan. They have entertainment come in, birthday parties once a month, woodcarving, oil painting, exercise classes, crocheting, tole painting, ceramics, pottery, Swedish weaving, computer and many more things. They now average from 55 to 80 people a day attending the center.
    Things have changed since the "Old Folks Days" hasn't it? Isn't it fun to stop and remember when...