by John Mark Shaver FAIRMONT NEWS EDITOR
Jul 14, 2025
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WV News) — The Marion County Senior Center in Fairmont received a new stairwell mural this summer courtesy of Fairmont State University and Fairmont Senior High School students, a piece of art that center Executive Director Leisha Elliott said signals a transformation of services to the county’s elderly population.
Elliott said the center partnered with Fairmont State University Department of Architecture Art & Design Chair Joel Dugan and Fairmont Senior High School art teacher Jennifer Staud for the design, which was completed by students earlier this year and installed in the Fairmont center’s stairwell.
“The mural makes this a more welcoming place for the seniors, the staff and anyone who comes to the center for whatever reason,” Elliott said. “We wanted to make it a multi-generational project.”
The mural is the most recent change Elliott has made to the senior center since taking over as its executive director in July 2024. In the past year, the organization’s website has received a major facelift to improve user friendliness, and she recently hired Angie Retton as the center’s new activities and wellness coordinator.
“One of the main things we wanted to offer was more activities at all three of our centers,” Elliott said. “This month, we kicked off a lot of great activities, and we have more coming every month. … COVID proved how important it is to have interactions with other people in your community and not feel isolated. A lot of times, seniors feels isolated because they maybe don’t get out of the house as often or family lives far away. They just don’t have the interaction.”
The new slate of activities includes self-defense classes, exercise classes, movie nights, bingo nights and more as a way to not only engage the seniors’ bodies, but their brains. Elliott and Retton said they surveyed the seniors themselves to see what their client base most wanted to engage with, which has led to the new schedule.
Retton said this new approach to engaging the seniors will hopefully inspire them to be more present in the community.
“As you get older, you get into a routine,” Retton said. “The seniors have the routine of coming here, eating lunch and then going home, so we’re trying to change the culture a little bit. Connection and community are two of the most important things.”
Elliott said that Marion County seniors who are interested in participating in the center’s new activities can find a full schedule of upcoming events in Fairmont, Fairview and Mannington at www.marionseniors.org.
Fairmont News Editor John Mark Shaver can be reached at 304-844-8485 or jshaver@theet.com.
