Media

Larry Lemmond’s current project is to bring back to life the rusty six-horse engine of a 1920 cordwood saw. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Southland Flywheelers member Bill Friday, right, works to fix his antique tractor’s engine that moves the belts of an 1881 cotton gin. His friend Harley Marsh helps him. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Larry Lemmond gives Wade Stinson a ride in his 1918 Waterloo Boy during the Alabama Jubilee festival at Point Mallard Park. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Larry Lemmond works in his home’s shop. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Larry Lemmond finds a part as he works in his home’s shop. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Sylvia Miller, not pictured, has led hand-knitting classes at Decatur Baptist, Warehouse Coffee, High Point Market, the Priceville Event Center and the First Priority Building in Decatur. [COURTESY PHOTO]
In June, Sylvia Miller gifted 30 blankets to families of NICU patients at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Inspired by her grandson, Sylvia Miller founded Elijah's Blanket, which gifts families in the NICU with hand-knitted blankets. [COURTESY PHOTO/JODI HYDE PHOTOGRAPHY]
Elijah's Blanket has donated more than 200 blankets to Madison Hospital and Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Brick Church in Mooresville
First Baptist Church's Stephenson Chapel in Decatur
St. John's Episcopal in Decatur
Hartselle Tabernacle
First Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur
Blake McAnally, left, with Roy Johnson, executive director of Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes, at the Nashville convention. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Blake McAnally, left, with his daughter Cara Elliott, son-in-law Charles Elliott, and granddaughters at the Nashville convention. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Blake McAnally oversees the national convention Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes in Nashville. [JERONIMO NISA]

Melissa Penley, left, Jamie Hicks, center, and Carlyn Wyers pack individual weekend rations for the backpack program at Central United Methodist Church. [JERONIMO NISA]
Melissa Penley started the backpack program for Decatur City Schools students, providing them with food for the weekend. [JERONIMO NISA]
Volunteers pack food for the backpack program at Central United Methodist Church.[JERONIMO NISA]
Melissa Penley, left, Jamie Hicks, center, and Carlyn Wyers share a laugh as they pack individual weekend rations for the backpack program at Central United Methodist Church.[JERONIMO NISA]
Jay Clark in character. [JERONIMO NISA]
Jay Clark helped build Nightmare on Moulton Street, which raised funds for the American Cancer Society. [JERONIMO NISA]
Jay Clark in the bedroom at Nightmare on Moulton Street. "My wife asks if this is a hobby I can give up. She can’t decide which is worse, people paying money to be scared or people enjoying scaring other people. And I do both." [JERONIMO NISA]
Pulled teeth in the doctor's room at the Nightmare on Moulton Street. [JERONIMO NISA]
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge's wheelchair-accessible Wildlife Observation Trail ends at the observation building. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Tate Farms [COURTESY IMAGE]
The 11-mile wheelchair-accessible Richard Martin Rails-to-Trails in Limestone County passes by covered bridges, a refurbished railcar, waterways, wetlands and a Civil War battle site. [LIVING 50 PLUS FILE]
North Alabama Railroad Museum will offer fall color rides. [COURTESY IMAGE]
Huntsville Botanical Garden will feature a scarecrow trail.[COURTESY IMAGE]
Guillon Farm [COURTESY IMAGE]
DeAnn Meely, right, with her daughter Julianna and husband Michael in Alaska. [COURTESY PHOTO]
DeAnn Meely is painting bear scenes that she photographed in Alaska. One of the photographs she took appears on top of two of her paintings. [JERONIMO NISA]
DeAnn Meely painted this landscape after a trip to Alaska. [JERONIMO NISA]
DeAnn Meely works in her Bank Street studio on some of the pieces inspired by a recent trip to Alaska. [JERONIMO NISA]
DeAnn Meely works in her Bank Street studio on some of the pieces inspired by a recent trip to Alaska. [JERONIMO NISA]
DeAnn Meely works in her Bank Street studio on some of the pieces inspired by a recent trip to Alaska. [JERONIMO NISA]

The Birmingham Zoo is home to 550 animals, including giraffes. [BIRMINGHAM ZOO]
Mary Ellen Edwards and her grandson, Chip Edwards, visit the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge visitors center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Decatur Public Library provides story time for preschoolers on Tuesdays and for babies and toddlers on Wednesdays. Sandra and Ray Cain participate with their grandchildren, June, left, and Mack Ford, in the Book Babies program. [JERONIMO NISA]
Point Mallard's splash pad and duck pond caters to the park's youngest visitors. [JERONIMO NISA]
Chattanooga's Create Discovery Museum provides interactive play for children and adults. [CREATE DISCOVERY MUSEUM]
The Cook Museum contains attractions for all ages. [JERONIMO NISA]
View from the gully during a descent from Mount Terror in Idaho in July 2023. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Victor Fentanes on top of Mount Terror in Idaho in July 2023. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Victor Fentanes-Orozco walks on a trail at Hurricane Creek Park. Since he’s training for a big hike he goes to Hurricane Creek at least three times a week. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Victor Fentanes and his son in the North Cascades National Park's Boston Basin in June 2022. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Victor Fentanes in front of Sharkfin Notch in the North Cascades National Park. {COURTESY PHOTO}
To create the overalls for Nemo, right, Karen Stacy cut apart women's size 24 orange jeans. [JERONIMO NISA]
Karen Stacy created the costume for Buddy the elf in "ELF." [JERONIMO NISA]
One of Karen Stacy's favorite shows was "Cinderella," which featured a tear-away dress. [JERONIMO NISA]
Karen Stacy started creating costumes for Dream Weavers in 2020. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Parts of Dolly Levi's costumes in "Hello Dolly" included curtain valences and dust ruffles. [JERONIMO NISA]
Jim Norris envisioned the model railroad layout that reflects Decatur's trains and buildings at the Historic Union Depot. [FILE PHOTO]
Bud Brueggeman, left, and Jim Norris, right, helped create the model railroad, which took more than 5,000 hours to complete. [FILE PHOTO]
Bill Koval became interested in model railroads after retiring. "I came and watched them lay tracks and do the wiring and I got hooked," Koval said." [FILE PHOTO]
The model railroad at the Historic Union Depot features the CSX yard, the Norfolk Southern yard and the interchange yard. [FILE PHOTO]

Caroline Swope will lead a walking tour on Old Decatur's architecture on April 22. [JERONIMO NISA]
Wilson Morgan Park in Southwest Decatur features a 1.6-mile walking trail. [JERONIMO NISA]
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge's Atkeson Cypress Trail is one of the wheelchair-accessible paths on the refuge. [JERONIMO NISA]
Vicki Morese and David Norwood in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. [COURTESY IMAGE]
Last summer, Vicki Morese hiked the Grand Canyon from rim to rim while David Norwood waited in Flagstaff, Arizona. "We play to our strengths," David Norwood said. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Vicki Morese, at the age of 61, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2019. [COURTESY IMAGE]
Vicki Morese and David Norwood at the Temple of Horus in Egypt. [COURTESY IMAGE]
David Norwood and Vicki Morese started traveling together almost 20 years ago. Their adventures have taken them to New York City, Bermuda, Hawaii, Istanbul, Turkey, Paris, London, Egypt, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Italy. [COURTESY IMAGE]
Deborah Armstrong sings during “A Slave’s Dream.” She was the famour gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the play.[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Linda Dugger, left, who played a slave owner, and Deborah Strong, who played the famous gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, sign autographs after performing in “A Slave’s Dream,” at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Actors sign autographs after “A Slave’s Dream,” a play performed at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Shawney Bowynn plays James Brown in “A Slave’s Dream,” a play performed at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Georgia Rogers plays Rosa Parks in “A Slave’s Dream,” a play performed at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Actors sing “We Shall Overcome” along with spectators at the end of “A Slave’s Dream,” a play performed at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Gloria Gilchrist Davis, left, plays the role of a slave and Essie Love plays Harriet Tubman in “A Slave’s Dream,” a play performed at Turner-Surles Senior Center on Thursday, the last day of Black History Month. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
From left, Mitch Blackwood, Buddy Roper and Bill Thrasher play pool at Decatur Morgan County Senior Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
97-year-old Mitch Blackwood usually sits down when it’s another player’s turn. [JERONIMO NISA]
Bill Thrasher plays pool at Decatur Morgan County Senior Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Many of the pool players have their photo on the wall at Decatur Morgan County Senior Center’s pool hall. The ones with a flag on it have already passed away. [JERONIMO NISA]
Buddy Roper talks to the ball while playing pool at Decatur Morgan County Senior Center. [JERONIMO NISA]

Stan Hyde started photographing wildlife [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
A belted female kingfisher looks at the water just before diving for a snack. [STAN HIDE]
A great egret flies over Flint Creek’s backwaters. [STAN HIDE]
A large flock of sandhill cranes takes off take flight suddenly after being startled. [STAN HIDE]
A Halloween pennant female dragonfly. [STAN HIDE]
A white tail buck splashes among egrets at sunset in Limestone Bay. [STAN HIDE]
American white pelicans stand by tan island in Flint Creek. [STAN HIDE]
An Indian Pink wildflower. [STAN HIDE]
A blue-winged teal flies over the waters of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. [STAN HIDE]
Wildlife photographer Stan Hyde at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. [JERONIMO NISA]
A rare sighting of a painted bunting, photographed in 2021 at Swann Creek Wildlife Management Area in Limestone County. The painted bunting is not common to this area and has not been seen here since the summer of 2021. [STAN HIDE]
A rare sighting of a painted bunting, photographed in 2021 at Swann Creek Wildlife Management Area in Limestone County. The painted bunting is not common to this area and has not been seen here since the summer of 2021. [STAN HIDE]
A bald eagle chases a one-legged sandhill crane. [STAN HIDE]
Venessa Edmonds at Banks-Caddell Elementary School.
Venessa Edmonds at Banks-Caddell Elementary School. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Venessa Edmonds volunteers at the Community Free Clinic. Among other things, she helps patients with their prescriptions. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Venessa Edmonds volunteers at the Community Free Clinic. Among other things, she helps patients with their prescriptions. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Jo Ann Gentry hastouched hundredsof lives through hervolunteer work withEast Acres, FirstBaptist Church andbeyond. [CATHERINEGODBEY]
Jo Ann Gentry, center in the yellow hat,oversees the back-to-school supply giveawayat East Acres. [COURTESY IMAGE]
During the Christmas partiesat East Acres, Gentry andother volunteers handed outpresents to the children.[COURTESY IMAGE]
At its peak, the East Acres outreach ministryreached more than 150 children and adults.[COURTESY IMAGE]
First Missionary Baptist
Morgan County Archives
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Scottsboro Boys exhibit

Lauren and Randy Riehl’s holiday decorations were inspired by their trip to Paris in 2022. [JERONIMO NISA]
Christmas decorations in Lauren and Randy Riehl’s dining room. [JERONIMO NISA]
Lauren and Randy Riehl’s dining room table is ready for a holiday meal. [JERONIMO NISA]
Lauren and Randy Riehl’s dining room. [JERONIMO NISA]
Lauren and Randy Riehl’s living room. [JERONIMO NISA]
Randy Riehl hangs a bow at the top of the Christmas tree. [JERONIMO NISA]
Gina Lance, right, and April Shirley go over her workout at Golden Ape CrossFit. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Tom Ress stands in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge’s observation building. He often guides bird walks. [JERONIMO NISA]
Tom Ress has been a volunteer at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge for over 16 years. [JERONIMO NISA]
Tom Ress, left, said winter is the prime time for birdwatching in north Alabama. [TRISTAN HOLMES]
Elder Law Attorney Connie Glass spoke about the necessity of estate planning, from creating living wills to naming a power of attorney. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Dozens of people attended the Summit Senior EXPO at Turner-Surles Resource Center to learn about estate planning, veteran's benefits, finding the right assisted living facility and more. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Tori Vaughan, right, with her late mother Toni Roberts. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Since Tommy and Gina Lance started working out, Tommy has lost 46 pounds and Gina has lost 67 pounds. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Tommy Lance performs kettlebell deadlifts at Golden Ape CrossFit. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Gina Lance cheers on Tommy Lance as he finishes a CrossFit workout at Golden Ape in Trinity. [CATHERINE GODBEY]

Since 1985, Dr. Roger Moss has provided care for the people of the community. At one time he had almost 8,000 patients. [JERONIMO NISA]
The silent auction at the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation's gala will feature art, jewelry and more. [DECATUR DAILY]
During Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation's annual gala, the recipients of the Caddell-Grisham Award will be honored. Gala 39 will take place Dec. 8 at Ingalls Harbor. [DECATUR DAILY]
Clint Shelton
Clint Shelton, left, and Jack Stone remove trash from the Tennessee River's bank in 2018. One of Shelton's focuses in cleaning up Decatur's streets and waterways. [LIVING 50 PLUS FILE]
As Alabama Center for the Arts Foundation chairman in 2019, Clint Shelton spoke during the Alabama Arts Hall of Fame 2019 induction ceremony. [LIVING 50 PLUS FILE]
Clint Shelton speaks to the crowd during a cleanup event at Wilson Morgan Park. [LIVING 50 PLUS FILE]
The community altar at Decatur's Dia de los Muertos included photos of the dead, flowers, candles, food and drinks. [JERONIMO NISA]
Maria Gonzalez, who moved from Mexico to Decatur in 2002, participated in the city's inaugural Dia de los Muertos celebration last year. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Decatur's inaugural Dia de los Muertos event attracted 3,500 people to downtown last year. “It was beautiful to see a part of my culture brought into the city where I call home. Every culture and every race was there. For the entire community to come and celebrate, it brought tears of joy to me that day," Maria Gonzalez said. [JERONIMO NISA]
The sight of people dressed in traditional Mexican outfits and with their faces painted like calaveras at Decatur's Dia de los Muertos event reminded Maria Gonzalez of her home in Mexico. [JERONIMO NISA]
When Wade Weaver moved to Decatur in 1985, he joined the Rotary Club and, eventually, served as president then handed off the gavel to Ellen Didier. [DECATUR DAILY]
Wade Weaver, as general manager of Valley Budweiser, has sponsored all 20 of the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation's golf tournaments and all 10 of the foundation's dragon boat races. [JERONIMO NISA]
Wade Weaver's community involvement includes serving as the public policy chairman for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. [DECATUR DAILY]

Joyce Webster's horse, Heir To Radiance, licks her face. Webster spends more than 12 hours a day at B&W Stables in Hartselle, taking care of the horses and instructing riders. [JERONIMO NISA]
Novice rider Lisa Greene, left, and Joyce Webster check on Rocky at the end of a riding class at B&W Stables in Hartselle. [JERONIMO NISA]
Joyce Webster, right, talks to Lisa Greene as she conducts a riding class at B&W Stables in Hartselle. [JERONIMO NISA]
Joyce Webster conducts a class at B&W Stables in Hartselle. Patton sits beside her. [JERONIMO NISA]
Earnest Lee still competes in three-on-three basketball and free-throw shooting competitions at age 85. [TRISTAN HOLMES]
Earnest Lee practices his cornhole toss at the Somerville Senior Center, where he is a frequent presence. [TRISTAN HOLMES]
Earnest Lee slides a shuffleboard disc across the shuffleboard pad at the Somerville Senior Center on Thursday. [TRISTAN HOLMES]
Earnest Lee holds some of the sporting equipment he uses in senior competitions. He also competes in Rook and singles and doubles dominoes. [TRISTAN HOLMES]
When turning a bowl, the piece of wood is split down the middle with the heart of the tree becoming the base of the bowl. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
A fascination with the grain of the wood caused Linton Barron to pick up bowl turning. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Linton Barron began turning bowls after retiring in 2020. He has created pieces out of a variety of trees, including dogwood, pictured above. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
“What makes these so pretty is not my bowl-turning skills. It’s the good Lord. He made this wood. I just feel very blessed that the Lord gave me the talent to work with wood,” Linton Barron said. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Linton Barron turns a bowl on his lathe. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Linton Barron has made 123 bowls since he started the hobby in 2021. [CATHERINE GODBEY]
Detective Michael Ferguson

When he can’t walk outside, Bill Cassidy walks a 75-foot loop inside his house. When he walks it 70½ times, he has gone a mile. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Mike Ward, front row, second from right, and the Lynn Layton Cruzers represented the United States at the Shanghai International Suzhou Creek Dragon Boat Invitational. [COURTESY PHOTO]
The Lynn Layton Cruzers, captained by Mike Ward, won the 2022 Dragon Boat Festival. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Mike Ward, center, started coaching with Dynamic Dragon Boat Racing eight years ago. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Mike Ward captained the Lynn Layton Cruzers, a perennial favorite at the Dragon Boat Festival. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Pilot Laura Stewart gets Dreamweaver ready to take off during the 2022 Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic at Point Mallard Park. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Pilot Laura Stewart of Decatur takes off aboard Dreamweaver during the 2022 Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic at Point Mallard Park. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Jack Nagel swims laps at the Aquadome pool. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Jack Nagel alternates freestyle and breaststroke during his morning workout. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Jack Nagel, 91, finishes a lap during his morning workout. The Southwest Decatur resident usually swims five days a week for 30 minutes each session. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Jack Nagel takes a few seconds to rest between laps. He has been swimming regularly for the past 30 years. [JERONIMO NISA]
Jack Nagel starts swimming before sunrise at the Aquadome Recreation Center pool. He gets up at 5:30 a.m., does about 30 minutes of exercises and then heads to the pool to get in the water before 7 a.m. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Bill Cassidy's 2022 calendar shows he accumulated 1,192 miles walking during the year. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Bill Cassidy, 88, of Decatur uses a calendar to keep track of the days he walks and the distance he covers each time. Each X represents a mile, and dots indicate the mile was outdoors. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]
Bill Cassidy takes a walk by Delano Park. He has a 1-mile course from his home that loops around the park's eastern end. [PHOTO BY JERONIMO NISA]

Margaret Wenzler at her crowning as Carnegie Carnival queen in 2012. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Margaret Wenzler's love of the arts spurred her to join the Carnegie Visual Arts Center and participate in Carnegie Carnival. This year's parade was scheduled for Feb. 18. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Margaret Wenzler is a founding member of Joe Cain's Merry Widows and Mistresses of Decatur. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Margaret Wenzler served as the first queen of Carnegie Carnival. [FILE PHOTO]
A. Chavez
La Estrella is one of five businesses Alfredo Chavez owns in Southwest Decatur. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Alfredo Chavez works in his grocery store, La Estrella. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Alfredo Chavez helps a customer who wants to send money home at La Estrella, his grocery store. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The Rev. Wylheme Ragland is shown practicing at King's Memorial United Methodist Church, where he served as minister from 1977-2009. [DECATUR DAILY FILE PHOTO]
The Rev. Wylheme Ragland stands in 2018 at the grave of World War I soldier Isaac Wohl in the Jewish section of Decatur City Cemetery. [JOHN GODBEY/FILE PHOTO]
Wylheme Ragland with Etta Freeman during an unveiling in 2020 of a historic marker at the Carver Elementary School building on Church Street in Decatur. [DEANGELO MCDANIEL/FILE PHOTO]
The Celebrating Early Old Town in Art hopes to transform this home in Northwest Decatur where the Rev. Wylheme Ragland is standing into a museum. It would tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys and Decatur's role in a precedent-setting trial in the case. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The Rev. Wylheme Ragland's efforts to record the community's history led to him serving on the Celebrating Early Old Town with Art board, which hopes to create a Scottsboro Boys museum in Northwest Decatur. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The Rev. Wylheme Ragland has helped preserve Decatur's history, contributing facts and documents to the Morgan County Archives, where he is shown. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Healy
Vicki Adams says mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom should select dresses that satisfy the wedding couple but also make "you feel beautiful, too.” [JERONIMO NISA]
Vicki Adams shows a dress at The Something Blue Shoppe in Hartselle that a parent or grandparent of the bride or groom might wear to the wedding. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Vicki Bramlett Adams shows the dress she used at her son’s wedding. Adams, 54, a bridal consultant at The Something Blue Shoppe dress shop in Hartselle, said simply talking to the bride and groom about planned colors and themes can create a conflict-free way to complement the couple’s wedding looks and match outfits for photos. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Margaret Wenzler, bottom right, with the other Joe Cain's Merry Widows and Mistresses Carnegie Carnival Queens: Ginger Vandiver, bottom left, Ginny Vinson, top left, and Shelia Motley, top right. [COURTESY PHOTO]

Dena Stephenson enjoys decorating the family's two-story historic colonial home in Hartselle for Christmas. [JERONIMO NISA]
Three decorated mantles and 15 Christmas trees transform the home of George and Dena Stephenson during the holidays. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Dena Stephenson says decorating her home for Christmas requires "a lot of work, but it makes me so happy, because of the warmth and love the decorations bring.” [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Christmas decorations in the Stephensons' home in Hartselle. [JERONIMO NISA]
The Christmas tree in the "Auburn room." George Stephenson played football for Auburn from 1976-80. [JERONIMO NISA]
The Christmas tree in the "Auburn room." George Stephenson played football for Auburn from 1976-80. [JERONIMO NISA]
A Christmas tree lights up a bedroom in the Stephenson home. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Will Stephenson relaxes with his cat, Weagle, next to the Santa Claus-themed tree. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
An elf-themed tree, left, and Santa Claus tree, right, decorate one room. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Gold is the theme for this tree in the Stephenson home. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Each of the Stephensons' 15 trees has a theme. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The theme is clear for the tree in the "Auburn room." George Stephenson played football for Auburn from 1976-80. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Photos are the theme at the stairwell bannister in the Stephenson home in Hartselle. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Martha Newman uses hot glue as she works on a jewelry tree at her home in Decatur. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Donated jewelry fills trays in Martha Newman’s house. Newman's husband, Tommy Newman, removes the backs from earrings, broaches and pins. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Some of Martha Newman’s finished jewelry trees. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Martha Newman works on a jewelry tree at her home in Decatur. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Dorothy Woodruff's holiday cooking tradition involves making the same Christmas dinner that her mother made, including multiple meats and cakes. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Charlotte Wilson makes the same Coca-Cola Cake that her grandmother cooked for the holidays. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Sweet Mexican empanadas by Maria Lomeli. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Line judge Erick Pratt takes note of the time of a score at Finley Stadium in a game between Chattanooga and visiting Mercer in October. [MATT HAMILTON/CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS]
Line judge Erick Pratt awaits a kickoff during a Southern Conference game between the University of Chattanooga and Mercer University on Oct. 22 at Finley Stadium. [MATT HAMILTON/CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS]
Line judge Erick Pratt of Decatur explains a situation to Mercer coaches during their Oct. 22 game at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. [MATT HAMILTON/CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS]
Erick Pratt keeps in shape for football officiating by taking a training run in his Southwest Decatur neighborhood this fall. [BRUCE MCLELLAN/LIVING 50 PLUS

Bracelets created by Leigh Ann Hurst. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bracelets and earrings created by Leigh Ann Hurst. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Necklaces created by Leigh Ann Hurst. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Leigh Ann Hurst polishes an earring to give it a matte finish. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Leigh Ann Hurst uses a rolling mill to create a pattern on a piece of silver. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Earrings created by Leigh Ann Hurst. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Leigh Ann Hurst uses different materials to imprint patterns on metal. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Leigh Ann Hurst works in her studio as Sofia keeps her company. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Stewart Roby is the Value Stream leader for Line 2 and has worked 45 years in the GE Appliances Decatur refrigeration plant. [COURTESY PHOTO/DUSTIN STRUPP]
Mike Seal works with the coordinate measuring machine (CMM), which ensures refrigerators made in Decatur meet specifications. [COURTESY PHOTO/DUSTIN STRUPP]
Mike Seal programs the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) where he measures refrigerators to ensure they meet specifications. [COURTESY PHOTO/DUSTIN STRUPP]
Dale Higdon, senior manager of supplier quality for GE Appliances in Decatur, was 18 when he was hired at the plant in 1977. [COURTESY PHOTO/DUSTIN STRUPP]
From left, Jimmy Dobbs, Stewart Roby, Mike Seal and Dale Higdon have worked at GE Appliances’ Decatur plant since it opened in August 1977. They’re standing with the first refrigerator model made at the company’s top-freezer refrigerator plant in Decatur. The four just celebrated their 45th anniversary with the company. [COURTESY PHOTO/DUSTIN STRUPP]
Mindy Padgett, left, helps Tom Cruse at the Morgan County Revenue Office in September. Residents turning 65 or homeowners who moved into the county when already at least 65 can apply at the office for homestead exemptions available to seniors. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Nancy Fortune's mountain dulcimer features a pouch to hold her picks. [CATHERINE GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Janis Johnson, a new member to the dulcimer group, is learning how to play the hammer dulcimer. [CATHERINE GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Nancy McCarthy, or "Red Nancy," as she is known at the Decatur-Morgan County Senior Center, plays "Old Joe Clark." [CATHERINE GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Alece Alexander, 76, started playing the mountain dulcimer at 61. [CATHERINE GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Alece Alexander, left, and Nancy Fortune, or "Regular Nancy," play "Oh, Susannah" on their mountain dulcimers. [CATHERINE GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]

Bob Cameron bought and began restoring his 1948 Cadillac convertible 21 years ago. It wasn't in one piece when he bought it and didn't have a left door or top. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The chrome spears on the back quarter panels of Bob Cameron's 1948 Cadillac convertible were custom made after he was on a waiting list for more than a year. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
A sign hanging in Bob Cameron's garage/workshop lists many of the more than two dozen classic and muscle cars he has owned. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
The 1934 Buick was used in the wedding of Bob Cameron’s son, Zach, and daughter-in-law, Candice. [COURTESY PHOTO]
The 1934 Buick was used in the wedding of Bob Cameron’s son, Zach, and daughter-in-law, Candice. [COURTESY PHOTO]
The 1934 Buick was used in the wedding of Bob Cameron’s son, Zach, and daughter-in-law, Candice. [COURTESY PHOTO]
The right fender on Bob Cameron's 1934 Buick. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bob Cameron's youngest son and daughter-in-law, Zach and Candice, left their wedding in his 1934 Buick 67 series. As a 67 series auto, it didn’t have a built-in trunk like a regular car. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail walks with his dog, Chloe, through some of the features that he built in his backyard from scratch. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail stands on a deck he built behind his house. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail collected the stones for his Stonehenge replica from Swan Creek in Tanner, Seven Mile Post Road in Athens and Indian Creek near Lookout Mountain. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail built a pergola and several water features in his backyard with materials he either traded for or found. “I didn’t buy anything,” he says. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail built a Stonehenge replica on his Harrison Street Southeast house’s front yard in Decatur. He said the miniature of the famous prehistoric monument in England took him almost two years to complete and it’s not only built to scale, but also has the exact same geographical orientation as the original. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Bill Trail has used many rocks with fossils like this one to build some of the features in his backyard. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Kurtistyne White has worked with children at Decatur Youth Services for the past 18 years. She says it's her calling. [JOHN GODBEY/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Kurtistyne White serves dinner to guests during Operation Thank You at Ingalls Harbor in 2017. The event was an effort by Decatur Youth Services and the Decatur Police Department to give back and thank the community for supporting officers. [FILE PHOTO]
Decatur Youth Services' Kurtistyne White, left, and Kesia Benford put school supplies into backpacks in 2020 as they prepare for the organization's annual Back 2 School Jam. [JERONIMO NISA/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Kurtistyne White's community involvement has included coaching a youth basketball team. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Kenneth Stuart has worked in the jewelry business since the late 1950s. [MICHAEL WETZEL/LIVING 50 PLUS]
Kenneth Stuart, 81, sizes a ring in his Priceville store. He advises other seniors to stay active. "Do something instead of sitting there and watching the box," he says. [MICHAEL WETZEL/LIVING 50 PLUS]

American Legion honor guard members — from left, James Larsen, Charles Anglin, Bob Train, George Marsh and Bill Cole — practice before performing at a veteran's funeral in Courtland in May. [MICHAEL WETZEL]
The honor guard prepares to leave the American Legion Post 15 building on U.S. 31 South in Decatur on its way to a funeral in May. [MICHAEL WETZEL]
Belletete
Cole
American Legion Post 15 in Decatur. [MICHAEL WETZEL]
An M-50 tank sits in front of the American Legion Post 15 building on U.S. 31 South in Decatur. [MICHAEL WETZEL]
Carol Shaw helps Raiden Sivley during a math class at Frances Nungester Elementary School. Sivley's grandmother Laura Graham says of Shaw: "Her patience with children is just phenomenal." [JERONIMO NISA]
Carol Shaw uses a camera and a projector in her math class at Frances Nungester Elementary School. [JERONIMO NISA]
Carol Shaw teaches a math class last month at Frances Nungester Elementary School. Shaw, 63, announced she was retiring at the end of May after working for Decatur schools for 39 years. [JERONIMO NISA]
Betty Koval began taking classes in UAH's OLLI program in 2016. She now leads a course and serves as the institute's travel chair. [CATHERINE GODBEY/DECATUR DAILY]
Betty and Bill Koval at Mount Rushmore. The OLLI program at UAH offered a trip to visit northern national parks in 2019, and the Kovals joined the group. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Bill and Betty Koval traveled with OLLI at UAH to Grand Teton National Park in 2019. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Haruki Yokochi started swimming competitively after recovering from cancer. [JERONIMO NISA]
Haruki Yokochi trains at the Aquadome pool. He spends much of his training time at the Dublin Park pool in Madison where he works out with the Madison Titans. [JERONIMO NISA]
Haruki Yokochi swims laps in freestyle at the Aquadome pool. He is a two-time cancer survivor. [JERONIMO NISA]
Haruki Yokochi, right, stands with Madison Titans coach Roger von Jouanne at the Southeastern Zone Masters Championships in Auburn. Yokochi finished second in his age group at the meet, and the Titans were the team runner-up. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Haruki Yokochi trains at the Aquadome Recreation Center pool. The 70-year-old typically swims 10 to 15 hours a week. [JERONIMO NISA]

Rico Pickett chats with spectators during Decatur Youth Services' playoff games at the Aquadome Recreation Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Two teams battle it out during Decatur Youth Services' playoff games at the Aquadome Recreation Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
On the cover: Rico Pickett surrounded by the members of one of the Decatur Youth Services' basketball teams. Front, from left, Camoris Hullett, Jaquan Sweeney and JuJu Long. Back, Antonio McCall and Trent Harris. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rico Pickett jokes with volunteer referee Ricky Barrett during halftime of one of Decatur Youth Services' playoff basketball games. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rico Pickett and Estella Davis operate the scorer's table during Decatur Youth Services' playoff basketball games at the Aquadome Recreation Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rico Pickett chats with spectators during Decatur Youth Services' playoff games at the Aquadome Recreation Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Balloonist Brian Dial. [JERONIMO NISA]
Susan Hines slides a pizza in a box for a customer. [JERONIMO NISA]
Susan Hines adds a piece of wood into the oven. [JERONIMO NISA]
Elvis Presley tribute artist Bobby Hollis performs in the Hartselle High gym during halftime of a game between the home team and Decatur High. Hartselle High Principal Brad Cooper said his school's students love watching Hollis perform and will even go on stage to dance with him. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rico Pickett chats with spectators during Decatur Youth Services' playoff basketball games at the Aquadome Recreation Center. Pickett spends much of his life helping those much younger as Youth Services' sports coordinator. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rico Pickett's son, Rico Pickett II, right, volunteers to referee Decatur Youth Services' basketball games. "I teach him to give back," the senior Pickett says. [JERONIMO NISA]

Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat participates in the 2016 Carnegie Carnival parade. [FILE PHOTO]
Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat participated in the 2015 Carnegie Carnival parade. [FILE PHOTO]
Kathy Manning walks with Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat during the 2018 Carnegie Carnival parade. [FILE PHOTO]
Kathy Manning and Michael Manley work on Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat’s pirate ship. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Kathy Manning and Michael Manley install the steel frame for Crewe O’ Ye Crooked Goat’s pirate ship. The crewe rebuilt the ship last year. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Ronnie Dukes, 73, estimates he’s run between 44,000 and 48,000 miles since taking up the sport in 1979. [JERONIMO NISA]
Ronnie Dukes believes running benefits him physically, mentally and spiritually. [JERONIMO NISA]
Ronnie Dukes stretches before his morning run at Point Mallard. [JERONIMO NISA]
Ronnie Dukes says he’s learned to appreciate the beauty of nature on his runs. [JERONIMO NISA]
Carol Rea, right, and Kathy Helton prepare food for homebound seniors at Turner-Surles Community Center. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
NARCOG bus driver Claude Stevenson loads meals onto his bus at Turner-Surles Community Center. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Rick Henry’s paintings fill the walls and the ceiling of his home studio. [JERONIMO NISA
Rick Henry’s paintings fill the walls and the ceiling of his home studio. [JERONIMO NISA]
Two paintings by Rick Henry hang in the home of Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling. One is of the city’s historic railroad depot (top) before its renovation, and the other (left) shows a portion of Bank Street that still has rails and bricks in the roadway. [COURTESY PHOTO]
When Rick Henry paints in his home studio, he always sits on a chair that belonged to his great-grandmother. The table on the left is where his grandchildren paint. “I use that space to encourage them to paint and to appreciate art,” he says. [JERONIMO NISA]
Rick Henry painted this view of Paris’ roofs from his hotel window during a vacation in the French capital. [JERONIMO NISA]

Wayne Holliday wraps up in his Polar Bear Plunge quilt, made out of T-shirts from past plunges. [JERONIMO NISA]
Wayne Holliday at the very first Polar Bear Plunge in Decatur 36 years ago. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Polar Bear Plunge veteran Wayne Holliday participated in the 2019 event. "It’s like taking a cold shower in the wintertime outside," Holliday said. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY FILE]
Wayne Holliday participated in the 2011 Polar Bear Plunge in the Tennessee River. [DECATUR DAILY FILE]
Linda Miller started decorating for Christmas when she moved into her Sherman Street home in Decatur in the 1990s. [JERONIMO NISA]
Linda Miller won first place in 2020 in Albany's Christmas With a Twist category for her Reindeer Games. [COURTESY PHOTO]
To create her tape people, Linda Miller wrapped individuals in clear packing tape, cut them out and arranged the models like they were decorating the home. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Linda Miller's Reindeer Games decorations featured reindeer skiing, sumo wrestling, playing beach volleyball, weight lifting and doing synchronized swimming. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Pat Price of Decatur provides her family with holiday memories through her baking. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Pat Price. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Pat Price's Caramel butter pecan Bundt cake. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Two Bundt cakes made by Pat Price: chocolate chip mint ice cream cake, top, and caramel butter pecan cake, bottom. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Cheese and sausage balls made with Tabasco sauce. [JERONIMO NISA]
The Festive Cheese Ball includes raisins, dates and pecans. [JERONIMO NISA]
The lines in Tiger Butter, by Christy Jordan, can be drawn with a toothpick or knife. [COURTESY PHOTO]
Mint hot chocolate truffles, by Ashley Smith, can be used for holiday gifts. [CATHERINE GODBEY/DECATUR DAILY]
Filling for the cherry blintzes, by Paula Laurita, includes sour cream and cherry pie filling. [DECATUR DAILY FILE]

With the profiles of four U.S. presidents, Mount Rushmore has become a symbol of patriotism. [CAMERON REEDER PHOTO]
The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, has a Moorish Revival facade with corncob veneer and murals formed from corn colors. [CAMERON REEDER PHOTO]

Edith Garner helps sisters Lenyx, left, and Seara Smith with their math homework at the Maxine Ellison Decatur Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Edith Garner teaches a child to read at the Maxine Ellison Decatur Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JOHN GODBEY]
Maxine Ellison uses flash cards to help Sweyne Womack, 5, with his reading skills at the Decatur Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JOHN GODBEY]
Maxine Ellison works with Sweyne Womack, 5, at the Maxine Ellison Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Stella Marshall helps Chloe Bumpus at the Maxine Ellison Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JERONIMO NISA]
Stella Marshall works with Chloe Bumpus, 7, at the Maxine Ellison Youth Enrichment Learning Center. [JERONIMO NISA]

Conley Brannon. Cover photo for issue #2 of Living 50+ Magazine. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]

Philda Starks works in the greenhouse at her home's garden in Decatur. [JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Philda Starks pots some of the first flowers of the season at her home's garden in Decatur.[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Philda Starks plants a bulb in her home's garden in Decatur.[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Philda Starks plants a bulb in her home's garden in Decatur.[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]
Philda Starks plants a bulb in her home's garden in Decatur.[JERONIMO NISA/DECATUR DAILY]