Pastor Paulson and his wife Myrna, pictured here in front of the chapel at Sidney Health Center Extended Care where he performed services every Sunday.
Pastor Paulson (R) is pictured here speaking with Sidney Health Center CEO Rick Haraldson at the going away party on May 7th.
Pastor Elwin Paulson, who has been the Chaplain at Sidney Health Center for the past eight years, has announced his retirement. During a going away party at Extended Care on May 7, residents and employees came to bid him farewell.
Paulson and his wife, Myrna, moved here 11 years ago from the church they were at in Laramie, Wyoming. Paulson worked in the hospital’s billing department for three years prior to becoming chaplain. Paulson, who has a healthy sense of humor, had many jokes concerning the coincidence that he was a debt collector and a pastor.
The word “chaplain” originally referred to representatives of the Christian faith, which now translates to mean a clergyman who is attached to a specific organization, business, branch of the military or, as in this case, medical facility.
A chaplain steps in when a patient or family either does not have a family minister or they have not arrived yet. The chaplain is available to help with the distressed families of critically ill or dying patients/residents, as well as to those patients/residents themselves.
As Chaplain, Paulson provided Sunday services and personal visits with residents at both the Extended Care and The Lodge. Paulson also made visits to patients in the hospital.
As well as being Chaplain, he also serves as pastor at the Church of the Nazarene.
Paulson stated he will be finished there on the 19th, when his replacement, Richard Evans will take over.
Paulson, who is originally from Oregon, and Myrna, who is from Washington, have ‘pastored’ in many different locations including Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio and Wyoming. Paulson’s wife, Myrna, joked that whenever they want to see a different part of the country they just move, instead of taking a vacation.
The Paulsons are retiring to Temple, Texas to be closer to their family, as their 14 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren live fairly close. They are both very excited to be that close to their family, especially since they have not met their youngest great grandchild yet, who is now 5 months old.
Although he is formally retiring, Paulson does hope to fill in for other pastors as needed, “as long as they’ll have me,” he joked.
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