Moving in: County VFW members make old church their new home

• Moving In

Members of VFW Post 9060 of Pierce County have moved into and are now renovating the former Methodist Church on Ellsworth’s Plum Street. Pictured, left to right, are Glen Wakefield, Commander Bill Bowen and Walt Matzek. -- Photo by Judy Wiff

Talk about it

The Pierce County’s Veterans of Foreign Wars post has found a permanent home in Ellsworth, and although there’s still work to be done, things are coming along nicely.

VFW Post 9060, which has 160 members from around Pierce County, bought the former United Methodist Church on Plum Street last October and has been holding monthly and committee meetings there ever since.

“We haven’t had a permanent home since we sold the bar (building),” said Commander Bill Bowen.

About 20 years ago, the post sold the building it owned in Prescott. That building became Broad Street Bar, and the VFW was allowed to use its basement for monthly meetings for years.

But over time, as members aged, accessibility became a problem. The VFW, which has 160 members, moved its meetings to the American Legion in Ellsworth for about six months and then went back to Prescott until late last year.

“The opportunity came to buy this building, and we jumped on it,” said Walt Matzek.

Among the first jobs members tackled after taking possession of the old church was to install a privacy wall in the basement and renovate the two bathrooms, making them handicapped accessible.

“That was our first project,” said Matzek.

“It was quite a project doing the bathrooms,” added Bowen.

For more please read the May 25 print version of the Herald.

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