By JAIME ANTON

The Post staff writer

Margie Kowach can remember when Royalton Road was nothing more than a dirt road, the first resident purchased an automobile and the first North Royalton household to own a TV.

"North Royalton was real country then. We walked everywhere. In 1930 or so, one man on Royalton Road bought the first car in North Royalton. I can't remember what model it was. And, I can remember the first TV in North Royalton. A family bought one and a lot of people went over to their house to see it. We had never seen a TV before. It was only a 10-incher," the 84-year-old said gesturing with her hands and chuckling.

Everyone's heard their elders complain about the lack of technology with the old "I walked to school five miles up hill in the snow" bit, but Kowach said walking to school rarely happened unless of course the bus couldn't make it up the Royalton Road hill in the ice.

These were just a few bits of North Royalton nostalgia many regaled their fellow neighbors with at Olde Timers Banquet Aug. 20 in honor of residents who are 70 years of age and older and who have lived in the city for 30-plus years.

The Royalton Hills Lions Club has been hosting the event annually for more than 20 years. The free event is usually hosted in conjunction with the Community Festival.

Seniors gathered from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to enjoy a cup of coffee and warm conversation over a hot lunch at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church's activity center.

On the menu this year was Swedish meatballs over noodles, peas and mushrooms, a fruit ambrosia and chocolate chip cookies. Ice cream was provided by Loder's Shake Shoppe. Laszeray Technology Inc. also donated to the banquet, and the North Royalton Garden Club provided plants as centerpieces for each table. The eldest guest at each table won the plant.

Margaret Mathers, 92, earned the plant where she was seated.

She has lived in North Royalton for nearly 40 years. Her home in the St. Thomas Wood development was only the third to be built on the street.

What does she love most about the community?

"Everything. My neighbors, my street, the activities the city has, the care they take of it. The city takes good care of the streets," she said.

This was her first Olde Timers Banquet.

"I just wanted to be with everyone and talk to people," she said of her reason for coming.

She and neighbor Joan Gervasi, 78, attended together.

"I love the community spirit," Gervasi said. "The city has everything you want here, and I'm looking forward to the new YMCA. I like water aerobics."

This was her first banquet since her husband died five years ago.

"Margaret had never been, and I thought she would enjoy it. You get to see people you haven't seen for a while," she said.

The Rev. Dave Timm said a few words before blessing the food at the banquet.

"I'm going to come around and check IDs because some of you look younger than 70," he joked.

He shared with seniors a few things that were invented after each guest was including waterbeds, pantyhose and the obvious - CDs, DVDs, the Internet, computers, cell phones. Even area codes and zip codes are fairly new.

Mayor Bob Stefanik thanked the seniors for helping shape the community and encouraged them to be active in the North Royalton Family YMCA programming when the facility opens next spring.

"You have made the community what it is today," he said.

William Baumann, 80, and his wife Sue had never been to the banquet. They had plans to attend last year but couldn't make it.

"I wanted to see some of the people that I know and that I haven't seen in a while," he said.

North Royalton has proved to be the perfect location for the Baumanns.

"The sports program for children is one of the best programs around. It's convenient for me. It's close to the airport, which I use a lot. It's close to the freeways. It's only 20 minutes away from my office. It's country living, but it's city living," he said of North Royalton.

Bernie and Karen Wolf met each other at North Royalton High School.

"He was in the 10th grade, and I was in the 9th grade," Karen Wolf remembers, smiling.

Karen Wolf and Kowach both worked at the high school together.

"See that's what this brings. It brings people back together and renews old acquaintances," Bernie Wolf said of the Community Festival and the banquet.

DeAnn Patton, chairperson for the banquet, said seniors walked away from the event with full bellies and hearts.

"They said the food was delicious and the service was great. We had 207 attend. The people enjoyed it so much," she said. "It gives them a sense of community and allows them to catch up with old friends and meet new friends. The seniors all said this was the best one yet."