One thing you’re sure to find at the Elkmont Senior Center is good conversation.

Currently housed in the old train depot building, the center is waiting to move into the old town hall building next door in January. The building has been renovated to accommodate the center and its participants in this small Limestone County town of about 411 people.

Some say they’ll miss the old train depot building. The truth is, though, they don’t really care where they gather as long as they have a place to meet.

The center serves hot lunches and delivers meals to homebound as well. There’s exercise equipment, a pool table, games and puzzles. But a group of center regulars seem content to sit and visit with each other.

Early in the morning, Maxine Compton, 90, sits with Sheila Vickers, center manager and Becky Proctor, a center assistant, talking about dishes to be prepared for an upcoming holiday.

2025 will bring a new location

The move to the new center comes up and Maxine jokes — “I’m afraid I’ll die out before we get there,” and laughs saying the move has been discussed for a long time.

“She keeps saying she’s going to check out on us but she better not,” Sheila added.

Dates have been set. The center will close on Dec. 20 and reopen in the new location, where the old Town Hall was located, within walking distance of the current location.

Elkmont and the military

Maxine said she hopes to take a series of framed photos of community members who served in the military.

“This was a special project we did,” Maxine said. “It wasn’t tied to any special occasion, we just started asking people in the community to bring in photos of their family or friends from the town who served in the military.”

It took longer to get the pictures than it did to put them together, she said.

“Let me show you my husband,” as she points to Harold “Hoot” Compton in a Navy uniform. He was 17 at the time. She said he got his nickname as a small boy because he went around hooting like a hoot owl all the time.

Did he still do it as an adult?

“Until the day he died,” Maxine added with a smile. “No one knew his real name; everyone knew him as Hoot.”

“He lied about his age when he joined the Navy, and they were on a ship headed to Japan when they figured out, he was only 17,” Maxine recalled. “They were going to send him home, but he wouldn’t get on a plane, he just wouldn’t do it, so they ended up letting him stay.”

She said he never got on an airplane at any time during his life. The pair married 1953. He died in 2007.

Fun and Games

As more people arrived, Madison Herron from North Alabama Hospice is among them, ready to play games and give away prizes. The group discussion continued about popular places to shop and the differences between area stores.

Back to the new building, Sheila mentions they will be grateful for a new three compartment sink and new upgraded kitchen equipment, where 12 to 14 hot meals will be served in the center each weekday. Another 20-plus meals are delivered to homes thanks to volunteers who help.

As meals arrived for the day, the group disbursed as volunteers got busy finishing preparations for home delivered meals.

Volunteers deliver meals

Glenn Turner, who turns 76 in January, has been delivering meals for years.

“I just like to help people,” Glenn said.

His caregiver, Angie Holt, has been going with him for the past two years to help out. Bobby and Wanda Emerson also volunteer to deliver meals.

Why come to the Senior Center?

Jim Johnson, 79, said he’s been a regular at the Senior Center for the past 14 years after he retired as postmaster and school bus driver.

“All the people here are the reason I like to come,” Jim said. “It’s a nice bunch of folks.”

Born in Nebraska, Jim’s family moved to Elkmont when he was 13. When his dad was transferred back to Nebraska five years later, Jim decided to stay here. He eventually met and married his wife, Linda.

“She’s volunteering at the library today but normally she comes here when she’s not volunteering or we don’t have a doctor’s appointment,” Jim said.

Charles Christensen, is 86 but says his age “keeps changing every minute, every second really.” He and his wife, Peggy, who also owns a local antiques shop, have been coming to the center for 15 years “for the lunches and comradery.”

He also likes to use the exercise equipment.

“It’s good to have around because it encourages us as we get older to do something,” he said. “Taking trips as a group are also enjoyable.”

Charles brought up the bike and walking trail behind the old depot building. On what was once the train boarding area, a large Santa Claus and “the Elkmont Elk,” overlook the town’s Tinsel Trail set up for the Christmas holidays, right along the trail.

The biking and hiking trail winds from Veto through the heart of Elkmont to Mitchell-Coffman Park at Piney Chapel in Athens. It’s a little more than 10 miles and it used to be part of the old L&N railroad line.

Senior employment

Becky Proctor, 68, is part of a TARCOG senior employment program and works at the center to help clean up after lunch and willing to do anything else that’s needed.

“I did fall in love with this center,” Becky said. “I think everyone here is closer, it’s smaller and because we’re together most every day everyone is open.

Sharing and caring

“We all know everybody’s whole life,” Maxine added. It’s like a counseling center

“At the new center we may get a couch and let people take turns laying on it, Sheila joked.

“Or a recliner,” Charles added.

“Hey, what about a nap room?” Jim suggested.

Snakes and other critters

From there, the conversation turned to snakes, partly because of a recent episode of the popular TV series Yellowstone was discussed in which rattle snakes played a prominent role.

There was mention of rattlesnake rodeos held in Opp in south Alabama and Georgia

Charles talked about the generous population of rattlers near the Elk River in the western part of Limestone County.

“My wife and I taught our kids not to be scared of snakes,” he said. “We bought a book so they could learn the different types.

He recalls one day seeing his daughters walking around outside with speckled king snakes wrapped around their necks and handling them.

“They’re very docile snakes,” he said, “And they knew that from the book.”

Sheila said in her home, with four boys growing up, instead of flowers on her kitchen table she had snakes, frogs, turtles and lizards.

“One time we had a babysitter and when we got home, the boys had taken bullfrogs in the bath tub with them and then had a frog jumping contest down the stairs. The babysitter said they told her they did it all the time,” she recalled. “I told her, no, they don’t.”

Something for everyone

“Mr. Paul” Cluxton, 88, starting coming to the center when he moved in with his son several years ago.

“Nice people here,” he said. “They bring me coffee with salt, something I picked up going to school.”

He has a stack of word find books that he enjoys working on to keep his mind sharp.

“I got to coming here and started doing these (word find puzzles) and the more I do, the more they give me and now I have a pile of them, but it keeps me busy,” Mr. Paul said. “I do three or four a day.”

Larry Nichols, 74, is a fixer of small things like flashlights.

“This is a great place for company,” he said. “There’s good friendship here and everybody tries to help everybody.

Concern for friends

Conversation continued about people who weren’t there – with reports on who was at a doctor visit, with family or recovering from an illness or surgery.

Larry described Elkmont as friendly place filled with helpful people in general. He recalled giving directions to a man looking for the local pizza place.

“I told him to be careful that he could get killed around here – with kindness,” he added.

Sheila says anyone interested in visiting the center should stop by or give her a call at 256-732-4777.