The Dawson County Senior Center now is officially named for the woman who devoted so much time and energy to creating an enriching place for seniors to congregate.

On Thursday, the Senior Center was dedicated and renamed for its director of 30 years, Margie Weaver.

Weaver died in March, but her spirit still permeates the senior center, her friends say.

"She is the building, and she's always in this building," Senior Center Director Dawn Pruett said.

More than 150 people gathered at the center for the dedication.

"I don't think there's a person here today who hasn't been touched by her one way or another," Joe Gaines of Cornerstone Christian Church said. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here.

"Margie is more alive today than she's ever been in her entire life. I truly believe heaven is a little brighter place because of Margie."

Weaver began leading the senior program in 1984 after she was approached by then-county commissioner Joe Lane Cox.

She ran the program for 10 years in the tiny basement of Dr. Paul Behrmann's old office in downtown Dawsonville.

"We never knew how she got what she got into that building," Pruett said.

In 1992, Weaver and the senior center moved into the current building in Veteran's Memorial Park.

Weaver built a reputation of being a strong fundraiser, able to get an elavator installed and meals delivered, according to Chief Executive Officer Pat Freeman of Legacy Link, the company that provdes food for Meals on Wheels.

"How many of you came over and ate at the bean supper so you could help raise money to buy an elevator?" Freeman asked the crowd as a majority of hands went up.

Pruett echoed Freeman's comments.

"Her greatest accomplishment inmy eyes was her ability to raise funds for the seniors and their programs," Pruett said after the event. "She worked tirelessly to obtain funding through civic organizations and center fundraising to support home-delivered meals and to see an elevator installed in our center."

Weaver also was known for her positive attitude, her love for God and her love of Dawson County.

"Mama, she was just a wonderful person," her daughter, Sharon Reagan, said. "Mama loved her job, she was absolutely perfect for it and the job was perfect for her. There aren't many people in this life I think that get to do what they were meant to do, and Mama did. She just loved helping people. She just loved it."

Several of Weaver's 11 siblings also attended the ceremony.

"I think she got all the good parts of all of us," her brother, Tim Childers of Cumming, said. "She was a special person. We all miss her greatly."

Weaver also wasn't a person to get down about life's challenges. "Lordy do, tomorrow will be better," was a common phrase of Weaver's heard in the center's halls.

More about the senior center:

The center is open Monday through Friday at no cost to Dawson County residents 60 and older.

Seniors can get a hot meal at the center, or for those who qualify, a hot meal delivered to their home Monday through Friday.

Pruett said every there is plenty for seniors to do at the center. "We play bingo, Wii, puzzles each week, along with other fun things," she said.

Every other week, the seniors are taken shopping to Walmart, Dollar General and Ric Rack. Movies and monthly trips for pizza or Dairy Queen also are on the agenda.

A nurse comes to the center twice a month and offers foot care and blood pressure checks.

Amenities on site for seniors to enjoy include an exercise room, Silver Sneaker exercise classes, water aerobics, and tai chi. There's also a bocce ball court and a walking trail

Seniors over 60 who can't drive can take the Dawson County Transit to the center.

There is no charge for Dawson County seniors to participate in activities unless it is a special-occasion visit.

Volunteers are needed, Pruett said. "The senior center, she said, could not function today without our volunteers. We have numerous volunteers who teach classes, deliver meals, assist with daily activities at the center and many other things."

For information on volunteering or being part of the center, you may call (706) 344-3700.