Madison couple to be honored

A Madison couple will be honored next week with a plaque recognizing their decades of service to the Madison Home Place.

Hilda Westbrook and her late husband, Alton, will be recognized for their contributions during a ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25, at the gazebo at the Montgomery House in Madison.

“We honor the Westbrook family for the impact they have on our community and the dedication that has inspired us all,” said Paula Jackson, a longtime board member of the Home Place. “We thank them for the positive difference made by them in the lives of others.”

Jackson said the Westbrooks were a driving force behind the retirement home on Old Canton Road, helping with everything from acquiring kitchen appliances to planning events. Hilda Westbrook’s research skills were particularly instrumental about five years ago when the Home Place was sold to a new management company.

“She can get things done that most people can’t,” Jackson said. “I want to be Hilda Westbrook when I grow up.”

Westbrook, 88, said she was delighted to be recognized. Her involvement dates back to 1957 when she began visiting a home for elderly women in Jackson. That facility later merged with a home for men on Old Canton Road to become the Home Place.

“I just dig until I get all of the information I want,” Westbrook said, skills she honed during a long career at the Secretary of State’s office.

In addition to the plaque presentation, the event will also feature the unveiling of original paintings of the gazebo and Montgomery House grounds by Madison artist Mary Buckley.