Exeter-Milligan
senior Claire White shares a special moment at the Senior to Senior Breakfast
with her grandmother Bonnie Cudaback .
The Exeter Senior
Center was full of grandparents and special guests for the Senior to Senior
Breakfast.
It’s a tradition now, the Exeter-Milligan seniors are
invited to the Exeter Senior Center for breakfast before graduation but they
also get to share the time with special seniors in their own lives, their
grandparents.
For eleven years the members of the Exeter Senior Center
have baked breakfast casseroles and muffins, decorated the Senior Center and
honored both sets of seniors.
The project started when then board member Elva McBride
recalled the special breakfast her own school had and wanted to duplicate that
in her adopted community of Exeter. The Senior Center recognized Elva for this
contribution with a bouquet of flowers.
Fillmore County Senior Services advisor Brenda Motis noted
that the idea met with some resistance “as all new ideas do,” but after a few
years it became a popular event. It gives the graduating class a few extra
moments with their grandparents without parents around.
After the meal was served Motis took the opportunity to talk
to the group. She reminded the seniors that "No matter what, always
remember you'll always have a link to the Exeter and Milligan communities and
family and friends and neighbors like us who are thinking of you and supporting
you all the way. We take the time to acknowledge the time and effort your
grandparents and special friends have put into your lives.”
When the group had finished eating, the graduating seniors
were asked to introduce themselves, tell the audience about their future plans
and introduce their grandparents and guests.
In addition to serving the breakfast the Senior Center also held a drawing for Casey's gift certificates. The female gift went to Brittni Kotas and the male gift went to Brady Bristol. They also drew names for all of the balloon bouquets that were used as decorations.
The volunteers who made the event possible were Elva Mc Bride, Evelyn Elznic, Bonnie Cudaback, Evelyn Michl, Doris Hall, Roma Rhodes, Elaine Krejci, Marion Geiger, LaVonne Guthrie, and Frances Pracheil