TEXARKANA — In 1996, several St. Edward Church parishioners started a fellowship group of older adults. Today it is still going strong.
Lifetime parishioner Rosie Sanderson said, “I saw what a good program the Methodist Church had, and I wanted to start a similar group at St. Edward.”
Sanderson asked several parishioners to help her. They agreed. “About six of us met with our pastor, and he gave us his support,” she said.
Sanderson and her friends decided the group should meet once a month in the parish hall, on Thursdays after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. They would play games together and eat lunch together. They held a contest for a name for the group. The late Blanche Pecorella won with the name Silver Circle.
Liz Templeton was one of the people Sanderson asked to help get the group started. Templeton quickly saw the need for a fellowship group of older adults. She said she would see people at church but would not get to visit with them; everyone went home after church. She welcomed an opportunity to have fellowship with others on a regular basis.
Once Silver Circle was established, Templeton recalled, “It was wonderful to get together with everyone. It was great to have a place to fellowship. We laughed a lot. And we would get caught up on who was sick and might have a need.”
Templeton said Sanderson soon became famous at Silver Circle for her delicious soups. Usually soup, sandwiches, salad and dessert were served. Templeton provided sandwiches, always making sure the meat was cut thick enough to please the men. Mary Ellen Forte, the late Catherine Thomas and Morse also helped prepare lunch. The leaders charged $2 for a meal — enough to fund the next month’s meals. Real dishes were used instead of throw-away ones. Templeton’s late husband Dub, along with Italo Forte and Chris Thomas, would wash the dishes.
“Usually the priest would come, say the blessing and have lunch with us,” Templeton added. “Occasionally a group would come and sing, or we would have a special speaker. Several times at Christmas we would get names of children who needed things for Christmas, and provide them.”
She said two nurses from Christus St. Michael Health System came almost every month to check the blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels of anyone who wanted that service. Bingo and card games were always popular at Silver Circle.
When the first leaders grew weary after years of service to Silver Circle, others willingly took on leadership roles. Today’s Silver Circle leaders accomplished a smooth transition.
“We didn’t want it to die,” said Barbara Schlonga, one of the present leaders. “We called a meeting and worked out something.”
Now Schlonga, Bobbie and Al Andres, Theresa Culling and Delores Sax provide a good meal, with contributions from others. The cost of the meal is now $2.50.
Al Andres, whose mother Helen is a Silver Circle member, smiled as he explained why he got involved, “It is a natural progression. Bobbie and I helped with the youth group when we were younger. Now we are too old for the youth group so we moved to the senior group. I am comfortable here, and everyone seems to appreciate the little I do.”
Bobbie and Al, along with Schlonga and a few others, come to Silver Circle early in order to serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bagels or loaf cake to those who do not go to 9:30 a.m. Mass. At noon they serve the soup, sandwiches, salad and dessert they’ve prepared.
Some in Silver Circle sit around and talk with each other, while others play bingo or cards. Nurses from Christus St. Michael Health System still come to offer their services.
Jewel Carter has been a Silver Circle member since it started. “I used to help Rosie with the games,” she recalled. “I loved it.”
She said softly, “This is the only time I get to be around church friends.”
