The 2010 Ottawa County Senior Hall of Fame Awards were presented to the awardees during the Spring Senior Day celebration at Camp Perry on May 12.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Run for the Roses,” recipients were honored for their winning service and giving to both senior services and the community at large. Each awardee received a plaque.

Honorees included Audrey Jack, representing the Elmore Golden Oldies Senior Center; Phyllis Emch, representing the Genoa Senior Center; Juanita “Liz” Zimmerman, representing the Oak Harbor “Harbor Lights” Senior Center; Martin Emmett Duffy, Sr. representing the Danbury Senior Center; Juanita Mills-Persely, representing the Port Clinton Senior Center; and Robert and Marylou Ramsbottom, representing the Put-in-Bay Senior Center.

Their bios tell the story of volunteerism, care and service.

• Audrey Jack is known for always being willing to help. She is described as a great ambassador for senior services, always telling people what is going on and getting them to participate in activities. She was very involved in the senior levy committee serving as official photographer.

For her living community, Elmore Retirement Village, she is enthusiastic and active, working in the kitchen doing what ever she can do to help, including selling tickets for festivals and village events. Her positive characteristics include her compassion and caring for her fellow seniors. Despite health issues, she has maintained a commitment to volunteerism and her care for others.

Jack currently serves as secretary of the Elmore Golden Oldies Site Council and is the official photographer for the Elmore Senior Center. However, perhaps her greatest feat and ongoing commitment is to her role as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

• Phyllis Emch, of Genoa, is known for her involvement in any event or fundraiser held by the Genoa Senior Center, however, she does not stop there. She has also been involved in many countywide events for the benefit of seniors.

She currently serves as treasurer for the Genoa Senior Center, is a member of the Senior Advisory Board and was involved with the successful senior levy campaign. She is also an active member of Solomon Lutheran Church in Woodville and a member of T.O.P.S.

Emch is often found helping with the bereavement dinner committee at the church and is a strong supporter and member of the Let’s Talk it OVAR and National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. She is willing to sew for anyone who may need a repair or new outfit.

Before retirement, she worked for Atlas, running the accounts payable division. The devoted mother, grandma and great-grandma is also an ovarian cancer survivor for 21 years.

• The late Juanita “Liz” Zimmerman has been described as a non-stop volunteer who goes in nearly every morning to make coffee, set the table and greet visitors.

She was also known as “the raffle ticket sales queen,” setting records for the most tickets sold for church dinners, cookbooks, or OSU raffle tickets.

The senior center was only one of her stops in her journey through life. She was an active volunteer for Farm Bureau activities and dinners, and for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Zimmerman is described as a quiet soul who did not hesitate to greet new people. Accepting her award was her longtime companion and friend Chuck Lenke.

This year’s Ottawa County Senior Hall of Fame awardees were recognized for their volunteerism and service at the Spring Senior Day celebration at Camp Perry on May 12.

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