One Kalispell man’s retirement led him to years of listening to stories told by the generations his life followed.

Marcus Keithly retired at 62 from the Flathead County Road and Bridge Department.

After leaving his career earlier than he expected possible, he suddenly had time to spend evenings with his six grandchildren and build the dream home he and his wife always wanted.

“You do all those things that you think are going to satisfy, the things that you think as you’re working you need to do after retirement,” Keithly said. “But there’s a lot of hours in the day and boredom can sink in. We only had one house that needed building, then what?”

On May 17, Keithly spoke to a crowd of more than 100 senior volunteers at the annual Flathead County Retired and Senior Volunteer Recognition banquet about the nine years he has spent volunteering with Meals on Wheels.

He told the crowd that retirement can be a line people wait to cross, then don’t know what to do once they’re on the other side.

Leslie Potter, the county volunteer coordinator, said for generations of hard workers, retirement can be a cultural shock in their own home.

“Many, after working their entire lives, wonder what to do each day. It can start to feel meaningless,” Potter said. “Volunteering helps people live a purposeful life.”

She said the volunteer program connects more than 300 people with roughly 60 agencies throughout the county, including veterans programs, Habitat for Humanity and various food banks.

She said as the state’s aging population continues to grow, so does the importance of finding meaning after retirement. Staying active longer means a better quality of life and healthier body, she said.

More than a quarter of Montana’s population will be seniors by 2030, according to state projections. In Flathead County, seniors will make up a quarter of the population by 2020.

Keithly said he finished his retirement-to-do-list within a few years, as well as picking up a few side jobs for fun. The move from a job that was 40 hours a week to creating a plan for each day became draining.

Keithly connected with someone in his church who mentioned Meals on Wheels, a program that delivers food to people struggling to make their own meals. The program helps an aging person stay in their home longer instead of going into a nursing home or assisted living.

Keithly showed up to volunteer for an afternoon and has continued for nine years.

He delivers food to eight to 16 clients a day, checking to see if they’re OK and chatting with them. For some, he said he’s the client’s’ main human interaction for the day.

“In the patients, I found a living history,” he said. “The characters change all the time because a route changes, someone moves into assisted living, or someone dies. I look in the obits and say, ‘Guess I’m not delivering there today.’”

Keithly joked that he thought he was getting old once he entered retirement. But suddenly, he was the young student to those who came before him.

He makes sure he serves the clients who have become his friends last on his route so he can sit and hear more about their lives — about living with limited tools, through the Great Depression and world wars.

“One of my best friends was in the South Pacific taking care of a B-24 bomber in World War II. It was like a serial, I couldn’t wait to get back the next day to hear what he was going to tell me next,” Keithly said.

Keithly said even if he wasn’t so inspired by the people he serves, he would still desire to be a part of a team. He said he feels motivated by the other volunteers who work together like a well-built machine.

“Retirement is a good thing,” he said. “It’s not about having extra time, it’s about having the freedom to decide how you’re going to use that time, and humans need to serve, it’s how we were made.”

To learn more about the Flathead County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, call (406) 758-5712.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at [email protected].