It All Began on Azalea ByShannonFinley
Haveyoueverwonderedaboutthe wasprovidedtoDeBaryHallforthe pioneeringresidentsofJohnKnoxVillage noondaymealsponsoredbytheCouncil thatmadeupourcommunity'soriginal onAging.MealsonWheelswasalso residents? availablewhennecessary.
Itishardtobelieve,butthefirstresident, Intheearlyyears,modifiedcottageson Mrs.EdnaWillett,movedintohernew AzaleaDrivehousedadministrationa homeonAzaleaLaneonOctober3, maintenance.HousesonJonquilCourt 1972,intheoriginalcommunitynamed housedservicespertainingtorelig Aldersgate.Other andsociallife. residentsfollowedsoon after. Itwasnotlong beforespecial Theoriginalresidents interestgroups trulycanbeconsidered wereformedfor pioneers.Accordingto activitiesand diariesleftbehind,besides crafts.S&Hgreen Azalea“Lane,”otherbuildingswereup,stampsandcouponswerecollectedto butnothingwasfinishedonthesouth silverfortheproposedmedicalcente sideofthelake.Thecommunityalso includedmobilehomesinthelocationof whatisbecomingValenciaLanding. Justlikeinmanysouthernsmall towns,Sundaywasadayofrestand noactivitieswereallowedbutchurch services,notevenuseofthelaundromat! Journalsofthetimechroniclehow OrangeCitywas"verysmall,ando-•ered verylittle-noI.G.A…;onlyonesmall grocerystore,nexttotelephonebuilding." FormerresidentMaggieDeLong stateditwasnotevenpossibletoget ahamburger…fastfoodchainswere notavailableeveninnearbyDeLand. Duringtheearlyyears,therewasnofood serviceintheVillage,buttransportation
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Village Life Magazine - March/April 2022
