Residents of HallMar Village can participate in a woodworking workshop

Marion, Iowa – Residents of a Marion elderly facility attended a woodworking workshop.

Kirk Statler, the pastor at HallMar, said, “We thought it’d be neat for them to show a little bit of what they’ve done over the years. We have a lot of resident craftsmen and artisans here.”

Seniors living in Marion’s HallMar Village brought their friends and family together to celebrate a display of artisan carpentry.

Jim Colbert and other such artists are among them.

Since enrolling in a woodworking class during his high school years in 1952, he has been turning wood.

He had a table with only a few pieces from the last fifteen years of his labor.

“I enjoy discussing it. People are inquisitive. They’re curious as to how you accomplished it. That’s where I get my amusement out of it, wondering how that works “added Colbert.

Statler, who was displaying some of his efforts on a table, noted that, to many of the seasoned woodworkers in the room, sharing a small bit of their knowledge with others breathes new life into the trade.

Statler stated, “They’re all doing that; they’re trying to pass on some of what they have and inspire others by showing them what they can achieve even in later years of their lives.”

The goal of the workshop was not to sell any of these items.

Although most of these projects began with family in mind, the artists acknowledged that their work could fetch hundreds of dollars.

Colbert declared, “I give away almost everything I make.”

Retirement communities might occasionally feel isolating or lonely, but according to Statler, it’s never too late to get together and pick up new skills.