Homecoming Queen

Mother and I were not able to attend the Metzner Family Reunion in Bakersfield, California this weekend, as we had planned, due to my ill health again. I was really disappointed as I haven't seen some of my cousins in over 45 years, and so wanted to compare family stories with them all, as well as meet their children and grandchildren. In a later posting I will share some photos and info that my cousin, Jeanne, got in May on her trip to Vienna, Austria.


But the assisted living center that Mom lives in had it's 84th Annual Homecoming today; when it was started it was a home for orphaned children of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, and known as the Odd Fellows Home. It has been run as an assisted care center for seniors for many years and after the recent renovation the name was changed to the Friendship House (of course, we all still call it the Odd Fellows Home). As you can see in the photos, the grounds of the Odd Fellows complex are like a lovely landscaped park, with a nice picnic area near the Home. The high rise in the back is a senior citizens apartment building, endearingly known in the area as "The High Rise". Canon City has no other high rises. This is another of the five buildings in the complex, which is near the hospital. Before my retirement I managed the other senior apartment building (only three stories, not a high rise). There is also a new assisted living home and a nursing home.


Mother was chosen to be the Homecoming Queen, and although I was unable to attend, Joe went and took some great photos and enjoyed the picnic with Mom.


This is her Garden Party hat that we got her to wear when she rode on the float at Blossom Festival.





Here she is in her crown. One of the gentlemen who lives in the Home asked her when he was supposed to start treating her as a queen, and I told her to tell him "You should always treat me as a queen." The gentleman bowed to her twice and kissed her hand. Her family sure thinks of her as Queen Evy.

Here are King Jim and Queen Evelyn. As you can see, in Colorado, every event has to have some Broncos involvement.