Kelley happy to be in Thermopolis

Among the regular faces at the Hot Springs County Senior Center is Mike Kelley, who not only stops by for lunch or to visit, but has helped in various capacities.

Kelley and his wife Joyce, who has passed away, moved to Thermopolis in 2001.

Kelley has worked for several phone companies including Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph, U.S. West and Qwest, retiring from the work in 1990. It was that work that brought him to Thermopolis.

As he explained, Kelley hired on in 1959 in Colorado, and was moved to Sheridan to work. In the early 1960s, he moved to Casper. From there he spent some time working in Basin as "the only telephone man in town," then moved back to Casper.

In 1989 he was transferred to Albuquerque, N.M., though still working for Mountain States before it became divested into other areas.

The move to Thermopolis wasn't the couple's first time in this area of the state. Michael was born in Basin, his wife in Lovell. The two attended school in Powell and enjoy Wyoming, "so we came back here, bought us a place down by the river."

He enjoys Thermopolis because of the hot springs and its closeness to family. He noted his middle daughter, Teresa Gilbert, and her family also live here. They also became active with the First Baptist Church.

Shortly after they moved to town, Kelley said, they became involved with the Hot Springs County Senior Center. They delivered meal on wheels, helped at the center, and were on the Golden Age Club for several years. Kelley said he was with the club 12 years. "It's something you shouldn't be on forever," he said of the club, "but it's something everybody should be a part of at one time or another, to see how the senior center generates its income, how it gets money from grants, the things that keep it going."

Of town, he said there are a lot of older people here, which he attributed to the climate and the services available to senior citizens. He added that the slow, easy mellowness of the town is enjoyable.