The extensive remodel of the Old Stake Building (the church across the street from Malad Elementary School) was completed so that meetings could be held, beginning with a funeral on Friday, September 5.  Regular church meetings for the 3rd , 6th, and 7th Wards were held on Sunday, September 7.

A piano tuner and an organ technician were able to get those instruments in the chapel ready to be played on Sunday.  Roxanne Albretsen, the 6th Ward Relief Society President, led the effort to clean and organize the rooms on the main floor so that Athena Boel’s viewing and funeral could be held there.  Other 6th Ward leaders assisted in getting the upstairs classrooms ready for Sunday meetings.

Roxanne discovered when cleaning the kitchen in preparation for the funeral dinner that the refrigerator no longer worked, which meant a scurry to get a refrigerator delivered by Thomas Electric on Thursday.

On Sunday, President David Jensen gave a short history of the building at the 6th Ward meeting.  Construction on the original building began in 1950, concluding with the dedication of the building in 1953.  The building was constructed at a cost of $275,000, all from tithing and other donations by Malad 3rd Ward and Stake members. Most of the construction work was done by volunteers.  The building has been remodeled twice – in 1972 and 1985.

The current renovations, which took eight months, probably cost between $2 million and $3 million although the final cost is not known.  These funds came from the General Facilities Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Even though more deep cleaning and organizing of furnishings are needed, the beautifully renovated building has that “new” building smell and promises to provide meeting and activities areas for another 75 years. President Jensen said that the building will not need to be
rededicated.