BY MATT HERSH

As the grand reopening of Salemhaven’s new renovated facility nears, staff are having trouble remembering who built three of the four patient wings.

The nursing home opened nearly 30 years ago after dozens of local groups and organizations donated money to build it. Some donors contributed $20,000 each, the amount needed to construct an entire wing at the facility.

But now, as the facility prepares to celebrate their newly renovated building, the staff don’t know who to applaud for helping their facility take shape.

There are four resident wings at Salemhaven, each of which houses about 25 patients.  Stephanie Micklon, a volunteer director and community liaison at the nursing home, said that the records about who donated the money to construct the wings, plaques that were made to honor the donors and memory of those donors have disappeared.

Now the staff are searching for answers using any methods they can think of.

Micklon said she has made about a dozen phone calls, gone through old newspaper clippings, and conferred with past and current trustees.

So far, there has been little progress.  The only thing turned up was a plaque that honors the Lions Club for donating one of the four wings.

Bill Kimball, 79, Lions Club vice president, and his wife Lorna, 78, said they remember when the facility was in its infancy. Their donation, along with the three other wing donors, helped shape the nursing home.

“It’s gotten bigger and certainly better over the years,” Lorna said. “There’s got to be someone alive that remembers who (the donors) were. I really hope they find out.”

Lorna said the plaques aren’t easy to lose either. The large, heavy squares would be hard to misplace, she said.

Micklon said the plaques were taken down when the renovations began and might have been placed in a storage shed behind the property.

That shed was flooded during a heavy rainstorm and Micklon said there is a possibility that the plaques were thrown away with other destroyed goods.

“That’s my terrible fear,” she said. “Maybe someone didn’t take the time to look through the boxes that were thrown away.”

Micklon said she’s trying to plan a rededication ceremony but can’t hold it until the donors’ names are located.

“We don’t want to forget the people who helped build Salemhaven,” she said.  “We’re hoping that by getting the word out that maybe someone will remember who these donors are. We’re so grateful to all of those who donated.”

Salemhaven is asking anyone who has information about the donors to call 893-5586, ext. 127.