Vivian Hadden had a fabulous time at the Second Annual Montgomery County Senior Center Prom on March 31.

The 11-year-old from Montgomery City not only did a lot of dancing with her friends, but she also got to see more than 40 people in attendance and announce the prom king and queen.

“I love having these proms,” Vivian said. “They’re so fun.”

The two-hour prom was held for senior citizens at the Senior Center. This year’s event had a Mexican theme with the title, “Nacho Average Senior Prom.” It served Mexican food and Ryan Hadden, who was the DJ, played some Mexican music.

“I was really excited,” Vivian said. “We didn’t really know what the idea (for this year’s prom) was until like last week.”

Harry and Jane Johnson of Montgomery City were named the prom’s king and queen. Just two weeks before, they held an opry music show that included country, bluegrass and gospel music at the Senior Center.

“They are a really cool couple,” Senior Center director Jill Burch said. “They do a lot for the center.”

Vivian, who is a sixth grader at Montgomery County Middle School, came up with the idea for the Senior Center to have a prom last year. She pitched the idea to Burch, who is her grandmother.

“We had a dance in my school and I was thinking about it,” Vivian said. “I was telling my grandma about it. I thought it would be a good idea. It would be so cute for the Senior Center to have a prom.”

Burch loved the idea.

“This was Vivian’s dream,” she said.

Pat Gruber and Vera Kolling were the prom’s king and queen last year. Vivian said the couple was pretty happy during the coronation.

“It was so cute,” she said. “They had their dance.”

The Johnsons made their second appearance at the prom. Jane said going to the Senior Center Prom brought back memories from her high school days at Wellsville-Middletown in the late 1960s, when she had to go to the school’s prom alone while Harry was stationed in the Army.

“Harry was supposed to come home from the Army. He called me right before prom and said, ‘I didn’t get leave.’ So I had to go to prom by myself,” Jane said.

Harry said he couldn’t get his leave since he was working as a company commander driver.

“We took the drivers test and there were 127 guys who took that test,” Harry said. “Three had a perfect score – me and two others. We got to be battalion and company drivers. They wouldn’t let me off.”

Harry said he was glad to see Vivian and two of her friends enjoy themselves on the dance floor.

“I finally got those girls to get up and do some dancing on the floor because nobody would get up and do some dancing,” Harry said. “So I told them, ‘Come on, girls. You all have to get up there and do a little dancing. If you do that, there will be others who will lighten up and come out and do it.’ It worked out well.”

This year’s prom received donations from Becky Burton, Reach Community Church, New Florence Baptist Church and Senior Health Consultants.

Burch said Senior Health Consultants staff members Jessica Fischer and Hannah Milleson helped with the decorating for this year’s prom.

“They’re the bomb squad,” Burch said. “They really helped me in doing a lot of things.”