Published: June 16, 2008 12:01 am      

Living to Serve

Johnston honored for work with Cartmell Home

Walter Johnston has a special place in his heart for Palestine’s Cartmell Home for Aged.

In return, residents and administrators have a special place in their hearts for him, playing a role in having the long time Cartmell volunteer and board member win a special award for all his efforts.

During a May ceremony, Johnston was presented with the Texas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging’s prestigious Board Leadership Award. The annual awarded is given to “an individual who takes an active interest in the quality of care, the well-being of residents and the overall operations of a facility, which have led to the continued success of the organization,” according to TAHSA documents.

“Johnston’s work at Cartmell Home has been a perfect example of service to our community’s elderly for a number of years,” said Cartmell CEO Tim Kozik during a recent interview. “We are so proud that he received this award. He is very well deserving of it.”

Johnston has served as a volunteer and board member with Cartmell Home since 1987, just one year after the Palestine native returned to the area.

“I made my first contact with Cartmell just the after the big tornado hit my church,” Johnston recalled. “That whole end of town had blacked out and I had taken a short-wave radio to the facility and left it with then-nursing director Peggy Howland.

“When I walked in the doors, I expected to see chaos, but everything was calm and cool,” he explained. “I was impressed.”

Johnston’s relationship with Cartmell became more personal, as he housed and visited with his ailing parents there in the mid-1990s.

“My parents lived and died there,” Johnston said. “You see things from a different light when your own parents are there.”

Johnston had become so accustomed to visiting Cartmell when his parents were there, he decided to continue to volunteer. He served coffee and juice to residents and employees for breakfast for several years.

Just about 10 years ago, he was asked to serve on Cartmell’s Board of Directors.

“I started out as assistant secretary up until the corporate secretary’s term ended and I took her place,” he said. “That was about eight years ago.”

Throughout his time as a board member, Johnston has maintained his duties as a Cartmell volunteer. For many years, he and another local Palestine resident, taught a Sunday School Class for the residents.

“And after the Sarah Center opened I renewed by old role as a soda jerk at the center’s soda fountain and ice cream shop,” Johnston said. “I did that every Saturday for a while. It was a lot of fun.”

Today, Johnston still enjoys making the rounds at Cartmell, serving coffee and visiting with patients.

“I like everything about Cartmell Home — the residents, the staff and the board,” Johnston said. “To me, they are all the ‘cream of the crop’ of Palestine.”

Johnston was born and raised in Palestine, graduating from Palestine High School and leaving in 1944 to serve in the military. When he came back after the war, he married his sweetheart, Mary.

Johnston worked was a chemist in the oil industry for 30 years, spending most, if not all, of that time overseas. He retired from the oil business in June 1986.

The Johnstons, who will be married 59 years this November, have two grown children. In their free time, the couple volunteers at the Palestine YMCA and at Palestine Regional Medical Center. They are members of Southside Baptist Church.

-————

Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com.