After 13 years of service, Jackie Rudlaff will soon cook her last meal at the Independence Township Senior Center. This has caused disappointment for both the cook and the seniors she serves.
The change is due to a reshuffling by the Older Person Commission. With the OPC moving into a new building in Rochester, they felt is was more economically sound to do all the cooking on-site and send the meals to the seniors. With that being the case, Rudlaff will need to leave Independence Township and cook in Rochester.
It is a change she is not looking forward to.
“It is not about Rochester because it is a good place,” Rudlaff said. “It is about leaving here because this is home. It is about leaving the seniors and my co-workers. It is tough.”
Rudlaff has had an interest in cooking her entire life. After a stint as a hairdresser, Rudlaff took a position as a cook in the Clarkston school system before taking the position with the OPC.
After cooking for a month in Rochester, Rudlaff began working at the Independence Township Senior Center.
“This is home. I have a lot of history here,” Rudlaff said. “There have been a lot of co-workers, directors and volunteers that have come and gone.”
Rudlaff also leaves behind some disappointed seniors. When asked about her cooking, the seniors raved about her talent.
• “She means a heck of a lot to the senior center. She is a terrific cook and is going to be missed. It is something I always look forward to. When you have lunch you never needed to eat much for dinner. I have nothing but praise for her. I feel fortunate to have come here when she was the cook. She gave us healthy, well balanced meals,” senior Robert Porter said.
• “I am going to miss her terribly and wish she could stay. She is a great lady and a wonderful cook. She doesn’t cook anything I don’t like. She fixes great meals,” senior Lee Smith said.
• “I hate to see her leave. She is such a friendly person and a fantastic cook. There is not any food she cannot make. I am going to miss her something terrible,” senior and Rudlaff’s step-father Franklin Willard said.
Rudlaff also said she will miss working with her mother, Betty Willard, who she worked with at Independence Senior Center.
Senior Center Director Margaret Bartos had nothing but praise for the work Rudlaff has done.
“She had a knack for making the menu especially tasty. She always provided excellent meals,” Bartos said. “She has a great sense of humor and everybody likes her. Jackie was always a real up front person which I appreciated. The entire staff is going to miss her.”
Rudlaff’s last day will be September 30.
“I am going to miss my co-workers and the seniors terribly. This will be a big adjustment for the seniors. This is a nice group here and it has a great ‘at home’ feeling. But I must say it feels real good to be appreciated,” Rudlaff said. “Even though I am now working in Rochester I would take a cooking job in the Clarkston area because I really like it here.”
While the everyday meals will not be cooked in Independence Township anymore, the senior center will still use their kitchen for special events such as their Spaghetti Dinner Night.