INNISFAIL – The newly renamed Innisfail Seniors Drop-In Centre recently held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the change in honour of a cherished local couple.
Family, friends and members of the Innisfail Seniors Drop-In Centre, now the Lundgren Centre, gathered for the special event on Sept. 23.
“It’s a very proud (moment) for our family,” said Brad Lundgren, grandson of Oscar and Mabel Lundgren, who the centre is named for. “It’s an incredible honour that they’re recognized, and leave a legacy behind for the community and (the) tireless work that they and many others of their generation did.”
The event included speeches from invited guests and dignitaries, Lundgren family memories, a pictorial history of the centre, entertainment, a luncheon, a toast and an official unveiling of the new Lundgren Centre sign.
The Lundgrens were very active and involved in their community, he said, noting their involvement in the founding group for the seniors drop-in centre in Innisfail in 1974.
Oscar Lundgren was also a former mayor of Innisfail.
“He was a councillor for many, many years. He was the president of the Lions Club and he was one of the founding charter members of the Lions Club (from 1938),” said Lundgren.
Close to 25 Lundgren family members, from great-grandchildren to daughters-in-law, from across Canada and some from the United States, came together to share in this special day on Sept. 23.
Gail Tetzlaff, president of the drop-In centre, was thrilled to share the day with members of the Lundgren family.
“It is such an honour to rename our centre the Lundgren Centre,” said Tetzlaff. “We have around 100 people here today. It’s a full house.
“There were so many steps to get to this stage,” she added. “It was probably a couple of years in the making.”
Brad Lundgren and his family currently live in Red Deer while other family members are from Calgary, Kelowna and Victoria, B.C.
He and others grew up in Innisfail and have fond memories of their time here with his grandparents.
"They never had a down moment. Every spare moment was filled with the United Church or the drop-in centre, or Meals on Wheels, service clubs and before that minor hockey,” he said. “It was a life of community involvement and service.”
Innisfail is a special place for them, said Lundgren .
“This is ground zero for our family; it’s where we’re from,” he said. “My dad and his brothers were born and raised and schooled here, my family was and my sisters and I.
“Innisfail will always be home,” Lundgren concluded.
