WORLAND – Worland resident Vera Eckhardt turns 90 on Monday. She is the only child of Glenn W. and Dorothy Kinsley Hinkle. She was born at home on South Flat Road and has lived on South Flat road her entire life. When she was born she was laid in a Victrola lid that weighed four pounds, which would be her first bed.

Over the years Vera has seen a lot of changes in Worland. "I attended the Emmett and Watson elementary schools. The Emmett school was where Jon's (Reese and Ray's) is and the Watson school was where Pepsi is now," Vera said. "I went on to Worland High School, which was located where the older part of the Worland Community Center Complex is now, and participated in chorus, cheerleading and band. When Grace Street was opened up we would practice marching up and down Grace because there was no traffic," she added.

Music was important part of Vera's life and she loved to play long play records and dance around the house. At ten years old she received her first pair of tap shoes. In high school she played the flute in the marching band.

The town of Worland was hopping when Vera was growing up. "There were more businesses in Worland when I was a kid, than there are now. There were 21 filling stations and lots of clothing stores, furniture stores, penny stores and dime stores," she said.

"Hotel Washakie was the center of things and now it's Ranchito. Everyone went to Hotel Washakie," Vera's daughter Valerie Vail added.

Saturday night was the night that everyone looked forward to. "Saturday night was the go to town night. We kids would go to the movies, at the old Kirby movie theater, for 10 cents and if you brought in a Merz Bakery wrapper, it was cheaper. After the movie we would go to Reed's Drug store for ice cream sodas. My daddy and the men would go to John Browns Pool Hall and the women would gossip," Vera said.

4-H

An important part of Vera's entire life has been 4-H. "My mother was a 4-H sewing leader. I competed at the state fair in sewing and won a trip to Chicago. I was too young to go to Chicago, so I was sent to Denver to compete with my clothing and record books," Vera said.

As an adult she was a 4-H leader for over 50 years. Together her and her mother had over 125 years of 4-H leadership. As a 4-H leader, Vera received many awards. She received the State 4-H Alumni Award from the State 4-H Council in 1967, the Outstanding Leader award in 1974 and was grand marshal for the fair parade twice, to name a few.

On June 29, 1943, Vera married her high school sweetheart Elmer Eckhardt. Together they raised their four daughters, Glendine, Diana, Tamira and Valerie on the farm that they purchased from Glenn Hinkle, Leo Hinkle and Robert Hinkle Co.

Vera sold her flute and bicycle to pay for her first child. "I don't remember how much my first child cost, but I do remember that my second child cost us $15," she said.

She lost Elmer in 2003, just short of their 60th wedding anniversary. Together they have 17 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

There will be an open house for Vera at the Green Hills Golf Course Country Club at 1455 Airport Rd on Saturday to honor Vera. The country club holds a special place in her heart as her husband helped build the golf course. There are 62 family members flying in from all over the country to attend.