Golden Age Club

Vincennes Sun Commercial July 13, 1962 Lawrenceville Golden Age Club on Two-Day Outing.

They were not moving so rapidly as teenagers and there was an absence of childish tittering, but nonetheless it was a youthful spirit which pervaded the Golden Age Club, a group of senior citizens whose ages range from 70-87 of Lawrenceville Thursday morning as they boarded a charter bus on their annual two-day outing. Each year the club, which boasts 80 members, takes a two day outing to points of interest. They have visited in the past the St. Louis zoo, the Illinois State fair, Shawnee town, and this year they are visiting Louisville, Lexington, Bardstown and points of interest in Kentucky. In route however they are stopping at points of historical interest along the way. Their first stop Thursday morning was the Clark Memorial. Their next scheduled stop was French Lick.

The club was formed on January 1, 1958 because of a Social Security representative's suggestion to Roscoe Cunningham, States Attorney of Lawrence County. “I just put an ad in the paper and the club was formed,” Cunningham said. Acting as sponsor of the group, Cunningham, although he attends the regular meetings every other Friday evening in the courthouse, said he has little to do with the planning of the activities. This, the group does through its officers and committees. The officers include Rose McCurdy, Pres., Anna B. Kimmell, Sec. and George Brown treasurer. Both the president and the secretary were with the group Thursday morning. Brown was unable to attend.

Cunningham claims over 50 members attend each meeting, and that the membership rolls have remained steady at about 80 since the first year of the club’s existence. "We lose three or four a year but there are others who fill the ranks,” Cunningham said. Although the members, at least a few, are reluctant to reveal their exact age, the oldest is admittedly 87 and the youngest is a young 70, making the average age somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s. Thirty- two members made the trip this year. Cunningham and his six-year-old son also accompanied the group.

The Golden Age Club of Lawrenceville standing on the steps of the Clark Memorial.

Front row left to right: Bill Johnson, bus driver, John Lewis, Atta Martin, Emma Burgart, Bessie Williams, Rose McCurdy, Mary Tiffney, Francis Wolf, Rusha Johnson, Pearl Christian, Alice Croutch, Ross C Oregon, and sponsor Roscoe Cunningham and son.

Second row: Jason Stiff, Elizabeth Lewis, Anna Jenkins, Irvin Tracey, Harrison Kimmell, Anna B Kimmell, Golda McCarty, Millie Childress, Bertha Engle, Addie Hornbuckle, Jess Malone;

Third row: Jesse Scaggs, Arthur Cantwell, Della Barnett, Effie Schucker, Luella Wilson, Ella Groff, Grace Walker, Mrs. Roy Clark, Roy Clark and Mrs. Cora Tanner.

( In 1962, when we were growing up, the age of the members of the Golden Age Club, (70-87 years) seemed REALLY old. Now it doesn't. In fact some of us would qualify to join---sigh...)