A good guy

Instead of driving hundreds of youngsters to and from school each day, Gooler has taken on the role as a driver delivering Meals on Wheels to home-bound older adults – many of whom are younger than Gooler.

“I’m going to keep doing this as long as I am able to,” Gooler said of delivering meals.

Gooler volunteers at the Koochiching County Senior Center and Donna Whitbeck, site manager, said Gooler is just as dependable today as he was when he began delivering meals almost 16 years ago.

“He is a good guy,” Whitbeck said of Gooler Dec. 7. In fact, just that morning, she said she called Gooler at the last minute to see if he would be able to deliver meals in place of another driver. Of course, Whitbeck said, he complied without hesitation.

“He really comes through for me when we need him,” she said. “We’re lucky to have Lester.”

Volunteer service

Gooler began delivering for meals on wheels on Feb. 11, 1997. He started the volunteer service for the Good Samaritan Center – International Falls when his late wife, Lily, was a resident of the facility.

“It was good to get out,” he said of why he started. “I enjoy the people.”

After his wife died, Gooler began delivering for the senior center and hasn’t missed many shifts since.

“I always get the meals out, too,” he added. “If I didn’t, I’d have a van full of food.”

Gooler uses his own vehicle to make about 18 stops on each day he delivers. He said the route takes him about 40 minutes and he volunteers Monday through Friday every other week.

Whitbeck said there has been many times Gooler hasn’t received a mileage check for his deliveries, but that hasn’t slowed him down.

More than 3,300 volunteer hours since he started delivering the meals, Gooler says he still enjoys what he does and appreciates the help he has.

By his side since he began his Meals on Wheels endeavor with the senior center has been Lolly Hopki – someone Gooler said he has considered his friend for 25-30 years.

“She’s my partner in crime,” he said with a laugh.

Hopki said she enjoys her friendship with Gooler and believes the two make a good team.

“We both live alone, and it is nice to have each other to look after the other,” she said.

It was Hopki that six years ago didn’t hear from Gooler all day and found him in his home in such pain he was unable to call for help.

The pain was a result of a brain tumor that caused doctors to remove half Gooler’s brain to save his life.

“Now, I’m only running on half a brain,” Gooler joked.

The pair agree they’ve been through a lot together and enjoy the company delivering meals on wheels brings. Gooler dubbed himself “pretty quiet with not much to say,” but Hopki disagrees.

“You should see when he goes grocery shopping,” she said with a smile. “That is when he really gets wild.”

The two have their routine down, and as Gooler said, they will continue to help the community as long as they’re able to.

“We really enjoy it,” Hopki said. “And the people really enjoy it, which is what matters the most.”

After recalling the years and hours Gooler has put in to help make the Meals on Wheels program a success, he glanced at Whitbeck with a smirk and said, “I guess I should be getting a raise pretty soon, shouldn’t I?”