The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Community Service

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  • Waukomis resident Laroy Goodpasture was a member of Oklahoma Silver-Haired Legislature for 12 years and a board member for that organization for 10 years. In between volunteering and speaking out on senior issues, he has time to garden 100 tomato plants and 500 beans at his home. (Staff Photo by ROBERT BARRON)

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April 24, 2010

No. 1 priority

Area man loves helping others

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Laroy Goodpasture can’t help doing things for elderly people.

The 86-year-old Waukomis resident was a member of Oklahoma Silver-Haired Legislature for 12 years and a board member for that organization for 10 years. Each session they would gather on the floor of the state Legislature and discuss senior issues they attempted to have put into legislation. Each committee met concerning various senior issues and spent time working through them to find a possible solution, which they recommended to the Legislature.

“Every two years we had the Capitol to ourselves for a two-day session,” he said.

The legislation concerned nursing homes, grandparents raising grandchildren and nutrition. When Waukomis’ Wheatheart Nutrition Center faced budget cuts, he brought the issue forward for an audit, which eventually was handled by a private company that found inefficiencies in DHS, he said.

Goodpasture said he received 84 percent of the votes the first time he ran for Silver-Haired Legislature, 86 percent the second time and was unopposed his third term.

He led the way on another project in Waukomis when the local Lions Club disbanded. The club owned a building, and Goodpasture led the group that attempted to obtain the building as a senior center. Rain had destroyed the roof, and Goodpasture had it repaired and paid the bill himself, only to find the town board would  not repay him.

“It’s all for senior citizens. That’s my number one priority.”

Among the issues he addressed through SHL were helping those not yet retired who lost jobs and insurance. He also dealt with problems people had with Social Security and Medicare.

“Some of them are living by themselves with no family around. There are people who take advantage of elderly people, and they need some personal assistance,” he said.

He currently is site manager for Wheatheart Nutrition in Waukomis.

Goodpasture moved back to his hometown of Waukomis in 1972, retired from Safeway in 1986 and quickly became involved.

“If you volunteer for something, the first thing you know you get lots of offers for volunteer work, and it takes time,” he said.

In between volunteering and speaking out on senior issues, he has time to garden 100 tomato plants and 500 beans at his home.

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