Sociable co-chairs collecting mementos of Grantsville’s past, involving newcomers

The Grantsville Old Folks Sociable has been a part of Dave Jefferies and Denise Fawson's lives for as long as they can remember.

Both were raised in Grantsville and involved in the sociable from an early age. And now, as this year's co-chairs, they have an opportunity to leave their own mark on Grantsville's social event of the year.

The 124th Grantsville Old Folks Sociable will be held Saturday, March 29, at Grantsville High School. While the event is meant to honor current and former Grantsville residents age 75 and older, anyone over 18 is invited to attend.

The event began in 1884 when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged towns to hold celebrations honoring the elderly. Since that time, Grantsville's sociable has only been canceled twice -- once in 1901 when there was an epidemic of smallpox, and again in 1919 because of an influenza outbreak.

The sociable is believed to be the longest running event of its kind in the United States.

Jefferies, 58, who was born and raised in Grantsville, is the owner of Soelberg's Market, a business his family has run in Grantsville for 101 years. His first exposure to the sociable was through his grandparents and parents.

"They just loved the sociable and it was always such a big event in their lives," he said. "They just waited for it every year."

Since that time, he has served on several sociable committees. Organizers are exempt from doing the job again after doing it once.

Fawson, 47, a secretary at Willow Elementary School, has lived in Grantsville her whole life. Until she attended the sociable, she remembers thinking it wasn't something a younger person could enjoy.

"I remember thinking when I was a young married person it was for older people," she said. "But it was so much fun."

Her dad, Jack Brown, who just turned 90 and now lives in Idaho, loves the sociable. He and Fawson's mom, Donna, even drive 450 miles every year to come back to the sociable and visit with old friends.

Fawson has also served on other committees for the sociable, but this is her first time as an organizer.

The theme for this year's sociable is "Take me there," which Jefferies said comes from a Rascal Flats song.

"It kind of fit with the whole theme of the sociable, that through the years people come back to the old hometown," he said. "We liked the song and the message, and thought it'd tie in well with the purpose of the sociable."

The events on Saturday will begin with a car show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The honored guest reception -- for those 75 or older -- will be at noon, followed by the honored guest dinner at 1 p.m. Entertainment programs will be held at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m., with dancing from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. A 5k run, which Fawson said has grown in popularity, will be at 10 a.m.

Jefferies said the entertainment program will be held at three different times to better accommodate those attending.

The sociable committee has been asking for photos of people from Grantsville who have served in the military. At the end of the program, a power point presentation with these photos will be shown.

The committee has also been on the hunt for antique items from Grantsville to bring back memories for the older participants of the sociable.

"We wanted artifacts or items from that era that would bring back memories for our honored guests," Jefferies said. "Many of them were young at that time."

Fawson added, "This memorabilia will bring back memories for them [older people], and plus I think it's good for the younger generation to see. We have so many new things that they don't realize what was here back then."

Throughout the day, a variety of performances will be going on, including two live bands. There will be a scrapbook hall, which will have memorabilia from previous sociables so people can come and take a walk down memory lane. There will also be an area for arts and crafts, consisting of quilts, wood items, metal items, paintings and other various items those in the community have made. There will be a hospitality room where attendees can look at photographs and socialize while enjoying light refreshments.

With so many new people moving to Grantsville, Fawson said they've advertised in the newspaper and gone to City Hall to get a list of new residents, and sent out letters inviting them to the sociable.

Fawson said as she was making phone calls to newcomers she discovered many of them had no idea what the sociable was.

"Most were willing to get involved and be a part of that, so we put them on the committees so they'll really find out what it's like and what it's for," she said. "Even if they haven't lived here very long, it makes them feel like a part of the town."

Jefferies added they have made a special effort to find out if anyone has turned 75 or anyone who has moved in is 75 or older.

Guests over age 75 should have received free tickets, and other tickets can be purchased at many Grantsville businesses, as well as at the Transcript-Bulletin. Tickets purchased in advance are $15 or $17 at the door.

The co-chairs and committees, with roughly 24 committee chairmen, have been meeting monthly since October to get ready for the sociable. In addition, about 250 volunteers have been helping put things together.

"It takes that many to run it and make it happen," Fawson said, adding they're planning on feeding about 1,700 people.

The sociable costs thousands of dollars to put on, and Fawson said because people, with the exception of the honored guests, buy their tickets, they pretty much break even.

On Thursday, March 27, the children's sociable will be held, also at the high school. Children tried out and some were selected to perform at the program, which will be shown to the community at 7 p.m.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com