Posted: 9/6/06
Keeping seniors busy is Wheatley's task
Abby Nadeau
Staff Writer
After retirement some people choose to spend their time with family and friends, close to home.
Others choose to do all of the things theyíve wanted to do, but never had the time or the means to do so.
For both types of retirees there is Pastor Ed Wheatley of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stacy.
Wheatley motivates local ìseniorsî to get out of their homes and have some fun.
And for the 11th year in a row, Wheatley took a group of people 55 and older to the Minnesota State Fair.
Forty-two people boarded the coach bus throughout the morning in various cities like Pine City, Rush City, North Branch, Forest Lake and others to spend a day at the great Minnesota get together.
ófrom Page 1
While some rented a scooter and drove around the fair all day long sampling food and looking through the various buildings, others kept close to one area like Machinery Hill.
Wheatley works with the Vermillion River Christian Camp to take local seniors on various trips around the United States and the world.
The Vermillion River Christian Camp, located in northern Minnesota, helps support the trips through the usage of their large coach buses, among other items.
The group has gone on several different day trips like taking in a play at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, a tour of the Krispy Creme donut company, a Lutefisk festival and the St. Paul gangster tour.
However, they have also taken larger trips to the Hawaiian islands and the group currently has plans for a trip to Germany, the South Padre Island and a 13-day tour of the East Coast.
Each trip can be adjusted to the type of group going. Some people may choose to be more adventurous than others.
Although, Wheatley said, all of the ideas for trips have come from the people on the trip.
ìSomeone will say ëIíd like to go there,íî Wheatley said, ìand by golly, we go.î
Usually the group will take a trip once or twice a month, Wheatley said.
To learn more about day or week long trips the group has coming up, Wheatley said a quarterly newsletter is printed.
To get on the list to receive a newsletter, interested participants can call 651-462-7729.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605