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Just
Just Folks
January 5, 2023

Just Folks

By Lynn McCulley Staff Writer 

Debra Presley of Muldrow says she has held many jobs throughout her 65 years, but serving others has become her favorite.

Debra Presley

Debra Presley of Muldrow says she has held many jobs throughout her 65 years, but serving others has become her favorite.

Presley, who works as a cook for the Sallisaw Nutrition Center, prepares meals for more than 300 people a day, five days a week.

Although she prepares the meals from the Sallisaw Nutrition Center, the meals prepared also include the residents served in Gore, Vian, Muldrow and Roland.

“I enjoy this. I think the best part about it are the people who come to the center every day to eat. Today we’re having bean and ham soup, along with oven-fried potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini, cornbread and fruit,” she said.

“The menu is prepared already, so we just have to follow that when we’re preparing the lunch for the day. I don’t do this alone, Cherokee Nation also provides some help. I call them my tribe,” she said, jokingly. “But they’re just great people to work with. I love it here.”

Presley said one of her favorite meals to prepare is meatloaf.

“I think the seniors like that, too,” she said. Prior to taking the job as a cook 18 months ago, Presley worked for AARP Program in Muldrow, where she also prepared meals.

“I’ve gone from counting candy to building chainlink fences, but cooking is something I really enjoy doing,” she said.

“When I began here, our numbers were about 280. That number has grown to about 310, so maybe the seniors are also enjoying my cooking, too,” she said. “They don’t tell me otherwise.”

Presley said with the new ownership taking over last July, the only thing that has changed at the center is the menu.

“Everything is still the way it was before,” she said. Born in Texas, Presley and her family moved to Sequoyah County in 1969. She has two sons and three grandchildren.

One of her favorite pastimes is tending to her plants and gardening.

“I love to garden, and I love to paint. I plan to plant gourds this year, and I’m going to paint them and use them for plant pots,” she said. “I’ve lost some plants from lawnmowers and other casualties, but this year I plan to line my plants up against my fence in buckets. I do both outdoor and indoor gardening. All the plants that are here at the nutrition center are mine,” she said with a smile.

Presley said she attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sallisaw.

“Although I live in Muldrow, I have a lot of family in Sallisaw,” she said. “My great-grandparents were living here when we came to Sallisaw. It’s home,” she said.

Although she cooks throughout the week, Presley said she does not cook as much at home.

“The good thing about it is I can go to my family’s home and I don’t have to cook. They cook for me,” she said.

“During Christmas, one of my sons and I spent a nice quiet Christmas together,” she said.

“I can’t remember what we ate. I think we ordered pizza.” Just Folks. Just Folks is Your TIMES way of honoring the regular people of Sequoyah County, recognizing their unique talents, personalities, jobs, abilities, etc. Your TIMES appreciates the cooperation of each Just Folks and the public’s nominations for this feature. If you know of someone you think might be a good story, contact Amie or Lynn at 918-775-4433.

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