An Edmond Town Hall Theatre Seat—

A Daughter Finds The ‘Perfect’ Memorial For Her Dad

By Kaaren Valenta

When Alfred W. Nelson died in 1993, his daughter, Beverly Nelson Dahlstrom, could not think of what to do as a fitting memorial to his life. But when she saw that the Newtown Lions Club had launched a project to replace the seats in the theater of Edmond Town Hall, she knew.

“This is the perfect cause,” she said. “My dad and Mr Canfield and their crew repainted the [Edmond Town Hall] theater I believe in the late 50s or 60s. My dad also could be seen painting the exterior and interior of the then Congregational Church [now the Meeting House] and I believe, the flagpole once. He also did the interior painting of the Trinity Church when it was refurbished in the early 60s.”

The Nelson family moved to Newtown 60 years ago to what was known as the Old Kline House on Botsford Lane, which was then a dirt road.

“My dad loved this town,” Mrs Dahlstrom said. “He was active in the Congregation Church, serving on the Sunday School committee for years, and he helped to build the old Church House that was recently torn down [for an addition to Newtown Savings Bank].

“I was always proud of his new paint jobs,” she said. “He even had the privilege of regilding the rooster on the [Meeting House] once in a repainting of the exterior.”

Christened Alfred Richard William Nelson, he was known as Bill until he moved to Newtown, where he began to go by the name of Al. “You could tell when he became friends with someone by the name that they used,” Mrs Dahlstrom said.

She recalls growing up on Botsford Lane, where her family raised chickens and had what would now be called an organic garden.

“I had to wash the eggs. If I didn’t get my job done, I couldn’t go out for the next installment of the movie at Edmond Town Hall,” she said. “We never had a double feature here, although they were popular at the time. You had to go to Bridgeport for that.

“After youth group meetings when I was in high school, we would walk over to the movie. The rule was no eating in the theater. And [former longtime building manager] Francis Hidu would watch to make sure there was no ‘making out’ in the back rows. The high school kids always took over those seats.”

In the 1950s, teacher William Jones used to stage talent shows in the theater.

“He brought this town its first music show — orchestra and band — followed by a talent show,” she said. “And we had graduation there with old Mrs Goodsill on the organ playing ‘Pomp & Circumstance.’ I was a graduate of Newtown High School, Class of 1959. What a wonderful idea June M. Hanna had to commemorate our class [by buying a theater seat recently].”

“I also took dance classes [at Edmond Town Hall] but I was such a klutz,” Mrs Dahlstrom said. “I remember receptions in the Alexandria Room when it cost $25 to rent, $30 if you wanted to rent the kitchen, too.”

Mrs Dahlstrom said that since she has purchased a $300 seat in memory of her father, “I feel I have done something for him.”

The seat will feature an inscription plaque on the back with the name of Alfred W. Nelson. So far, slightly over 100 of the 411 downstairs seats have been sold in this renovation project. In addition to buying a seat, monetary donations in any amount may be made by making a check payable to the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers with a notation in the memo line of “Newtown Seats program.” The tax deductible donations should be sent to Newtown Lions Club, Attn Gordon Williams, PO Box 218, Newtown 06470. Or call Mr Williams at 426-6443.