Westminster Cares - Aged in Vermont

Westminster Cares honored the town’s 90-plus-year-old residents at its annual meeting November 4, 2012 at the Westminster Central Fire Station. There are currently seventeen Westminster people who are 90 or older-- eight of them attended the event, along with many family members and town residents. They enjoyed talking with townspeople, and were served lunch and cake to celebrate their birthdays.

Emcee Pete Harrison, Westminster Cares’ treasurer, related some information about each honoree, accompanied by a slideshow of photographs from the lives of many of them created by board member Don Dawson. Some were photos of their early years; many were photos of the houses in Westminster where they lived or live now.

Pete had many anecdotes to share. Here’s one, told to him by Artie Aiken: Artie borrowed a block and tackle from a neighbor, who told him, “Just bring it back when you are going by sometime.” Artie said he was very busy working on the railroad in those days and time got away from him. “Next thing I knew,” said Artie, “the local sheriff appeared in my yard and asked me about the tools I had borrowed.”

The sheriff at the time was George Woods. “Let me see that block and tackle,” George said. After looking it over, George told Artie: “You can keep it. The person you borrowed it from borrowed it from my father three years ago and never returned it.”

The photo of Evelyn Rhoades’ house, on Route 5 on the flats, was shown twice. Why? Evelyn Aubuchont lived there before she sold it to the Rhoadeses in 1976. Coincidentally, the two Evelyns both had maiden names of Evelyn Adams.

Here are the 90-plus-year-olds, and their dates of birth. There are two couples in the group: 
     Jack Keil 12/30/22 
     Dennis Payne 12/25/22 
     Betty Holton 2/2/22 
     Evelyn Aubuchont 11/26/21 
     Russell Blodgett 5/30/21 
     Barbara Keil 4/19/21 [Jack Keil’s wife] 
     Amelia Zezima 3/24/21 
     Doc Buck 2/23/21
     Arlene Reed 12/22/20 
     Arlene Bates 12/19/19 
     Evelyn Rhoades 4/26/19 
     Ralph Atkins 10/12/18 
     Everett Reed 7/20/16 [Arlene’s husband] 
     Margaret DiFredo 1/12/16 
     Everett Garland 9/5/14 
     Artie Aiken 6/10/13 
     Louise Morse 5/20/13 
     Dick Morse 3/31/13

These honored guests were able to attend: Dennis Payne, Dr. Ralph Buck, Arlene Reed, Arlene Bates, Evelyn Rhoades, Everett Reed, Artie Aiken, and Dick Morse.

When Westminster Cares celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013, there will be three residents turning 100 years of age. Stay tuned for a big celebration! Meanwhile, the organization is in the midst of its annual appeal, and if it meets its goal of raising $12,000, the Thomas Thompson Trust will give an extra $10,000.

The Thompson Trust gives money to charitable organizations that provide health care and other social services in Windham County, Vermont. Any contribution can be designated as a memorial donation. For more information, you can call the Westminster Cares office at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net. For more information about Westminster Cares, visit the website at www.westminstercares.org.