Cheryl Eggleston enjoys being Newcastle’s SOTM for August
Cheryl Eggleston is the Newcastle Senior Center’s Senior of the Month for August. She seems to be the youthful spark that the center enjoys having around.
Eggleston, 60, has lived in Newcastle for about 20 years. She isn’t married although she used to be. What brought her to Newcastle were the schools. She moved here from Oklahoma City.
She had two children – Mathew and Adam. Mathew passed away in December of 2016. But, Adam is 30 and lives nearby. Her grandsons are Merrick (who will be 11 in November) and her step-grandson Beckham (8) ›.
“What brought me to Newcastle was the schools,” Eggleston said. “One of my grandsons goes to Newcastle and the other to Blanchard. I used to live in Oklahoma City but I didn’t care for their schools. I’ve lived here about 20 years. I moved out here to help get my sons into the schools.”
Eggleston really enjoys attending the Newcastle Senior Center. From the people she has met to the food that is served for the lunches, she loves everything about the place.
“I enjoy the people at the senior center,” Eggleston said. “They are very nice and caring. They are concerned about everyone. They are great people. Their food is great and it’s actually more than I can eat. You can get soup, salad, and dessert along with your entrée and a drink. It’s all just four dollars and you can’t beat that.”
If you don’t particularly care for the day’s menu, Eggleston said you can still bring your own lunch and enjoy the camaraderie.
“They give you a menu and if you don’t care for what they are serving,” Eggleston said, “they don’t mind if you bring your own lunch. You can still have fellowship with the other people.”
Eggleston is younger than most everyone at the senior center. She’s only been going for six months. Eggleston used to work in finance in Oklahoma City.
“I am younger than most of the people,” Eggleston said. “We celebrated an 88-year-old’s birthday today so I guess I am a lot younger. There is a life cycle and nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. There are people who fall or get sick. You keep them in our hearts during that time.
“I worked in finance but currently I’m not working. I’m living off of my savings. If I wanted to go back to work, I could. But, since I’ve only been at the senior center for six months, it would take time for me to learn all the names again. I still don’t know all the names and they are great people.”
Eggleston brags about the senior center’s supporters – mainly Spencer’s Grocery in Blanchard.
“On Mondays, they have what they call a ‘free’ grocery store,” she said. “Sometimes there’s a bunch and sometimes not so much. It depends on the expiration date and such. But, Spencer’s is just wonderful for doing that. The senior center spends money to buy the lunches from them. But, Spencer’s then donates a lot of stuff in addition to that. It’s really great and I enjoy it.”
The Newcastle Senior Center is a popular place. Besides the delicious food and the friendships, there’s also fun – like playing bingo and dominoes.
“Some people go every day of the week,” Eggleston said. “I just go a couple of days a week – Mondays and Thursdays. But, there’s always a crowd. I have gone a few more times this past month. That’s because when you are senior of the month, you get to go through the food line first! That’s a perk!
“A couple of weeks ago, a group of men were surprised when I wanted to play dominoes. I said that I love to play dominoes. They welcomed me with open arms. You can always give me a game because I like to be challenged. It’s just a great place. I wish even more people would attend.”