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Wilmore residents earn spot on Kern’s calendar for May

What is better than dressing up for the Derby in your big brim hat? Having your photo appear on the most coveted month of the Kern’s calendar holding a Kern’s Derby Pie.
Last year, residents at Wesley Village took a photograph of themselves wearing their Derby hats and holding boxes of the Kern’s Derby Pies. The rest, as they say, is history.
“We took a photograph of some of our ladies wearing their Derby hats and holding boxes of the Kern’s Derby Pies. I saw that they were having a photo contest this year for Kerns Kitchen’s 2019 Calendar, and I submitted the photo of the May Derby Girls of Wesley Village. Their photo appears on the most coveted month in the calendar – May. The Kentucky Derby is the first Saturday in May and Kern’s Derby Pie is the traditional dessert for any Derby celebration,” said Kim Deyer, director of food services and water aerobics instructor at Wesley Village. Deyer also serves on the Wilmore City Council.
One of the favorite Kentucky Derby traditions at any celebration is arguably the Derby pie, a rich chocolate and nut pie made famous and trademarked by the Kern family. Over 100,000 pies are made each year at Kern’s Kitchen in Louisville. Leaudra and Walter Kern, along with their son George, created the first Derby Pie in 1954. The secret recipe is closely guarded and still trademarked today.
“The celebrity in the background of our May Derby Girls photo is the famous Triple Crown Winner, American Pharoah,” Deyer said.
Wesley Village is a faith-based senior living complex on 32 acres in Wilmore which is currently home to over 150 residents from nearly 30 different states. Residents may choose from all levels of senior living from independent-living one and two-bedroom patio homes with garages, garden spaces, and lawns; to assisted living apartments, and facilities for those requiring specialized healthcare and memory care services.
“Wesley Village’s mission is ‘celebrating life in Christian love,’” Alan Beuscher, Vice President of Community Relations at Wesley Village said. “Our people are what Wesley Village is all about. We are affiliated with United Methodist, but we welcome all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds.”
Long-time resident and former President of the resident’s association, Doris Victor, concurs with Beuscher. “Not all of us are from Kentucky. I came to Kentucky from Chicago with my husband, and when he passed, I came to live at the Village. I wanted a place where I could stay active and have friends my own age. This is not a place where people just sit around and wait to die. We like to enjoy life. There’s always something to do and more to learn,” Victor said. “We have creative writing groups. Some of the members are published authors. We have book clubs and art classes and we celebrate every holiday and occasion. For example, May is Derby month and we always pull out all the stops with our Kentucky Derby Party.”
As they do each year, the residents of Wesley Village will once again celebrate Derby Day by donning their custom-made hats and Derby finery. Races at Churchill Downs will be telecast live throughout the day on widescreen TVs throughout Wesley Village.
“There’s no shortage of activities on Derby Day. We divide the community room into six lanes and residents ride stick horses in six races during the day. The winners from each race will compete at the end of race day in the Run for the Roses,” Victor said. “There are prizes for the best hats and even the gentlemen get into the spirit of the day as well. Of course, the food is wonderful, especially the Derby Pie.”