Pecan Grove (www.pecan-grove.net) Pecan Grove and Senior Residence

September began with Elsie’s memorial service on the 5th at Pecan Grove. It was a wonderful service with approximately 70 family and friends followed by a pot luck.

Link to notes from Elsie’s memorial service

Lana (Schroeder) Newman prepared this beautiful image from a photo of Pecan Grove for her grandmother’s memorial service.

The only birthday this month was for Naomi Watson who turned 90. Here are some pictures from her party.

Visitors this month include Dave and Nancy Schmertman from Illinois, Keri Grillo from Nevada, and Joe and LiPing from Conroe, TX.

This month’s blog is much shorter than usual because we failed to take many pictures. Here are pictures of our more recent employees. Kyle works on the farm and Jamie works in the center. Karla is taking on management responsibilities and Tammy is our part-time nurse.

Here is a brief update for each of our 10 residents:

• Esther Duncan – Returned from convention rounds in Kentucky and Tennessee in good form.
• Marie Mounce – Struggling with shortness of breath which prevents her from being as active as she has been.
• Gwen Farmer – Stays about the same, helpful with laundry.
• Emma Perez – Returned from conventions in Mexico in good form.
• Doreen Beyer – Returned from conventions in Iowa tired, but is doing fine now.
• Naomi Watson – Enjoyed time at her son’s place for her birthday.
• Roberta Stipp – Elsie’s passing and service was difficult for Roberta, but she is doing well now.
• Irving Ross – Stays about the same, continues to enjoy the ice machine.
• Louise Martin – Stays about the same, keeps her sense of humor.
• Gloria Edwards – Has has some minor falls and feels unsteady sometimes, but otherwise does well.

Here is a brief update for the 4 residents at Park Manor:

• Ronald Elliot – Has really slowed down, less aware during conversations
• Fern Duncan – Doing surprisingly well, she had a long visit with Sherdenia (Thompson) Dunn on the phone and enjoys eating grapes!
• Alice Oetken – Stays about the same, really enjoys sharing a room with Joyce.
• Joyce Naber – Also stays the same, enjoys being with Alice.

Other Pictures

Thank you for your interest in us here!

-Ken and Karla

Our dear faithful, Elsie Schroeder, passed away August 23rd. She had been a resident here for over 4 years. Her memorial service will be held here at PG Saturday September 5th at 11:00 followed by a pot luck lunch. See more details below in the resident journals section. Here is a link to her obituary:

August has been eventful! We had three birthdays this month and a bevy of visitors. Emma had our first birthday. She turned 84 and was so pleased that we could celebrate with her dear friends Kent and Linda Opel. Here she is with her lime green cake.

Irving had our next birthday, and he had several sets of visitors come to celebrate after his birthday. He turned 93 and was very pleased with his frilly-frosted white cake. Here he is with his cake and a big smile, and again with some of his visitors, his brother-in-law Eric Price and Eric’s daughter Audrey Malray.

Fern celebrated her 96th birthday this month. She was all smiles for the residents who came to celebrate with her. Here she is with Philip Farris and her cupcake. Also, we can’t forget the grapes as a gift, they are her favorite! Then a picture of the whole group at Park Manor.

Galen and Rhonda Grillo came to visit his aunt Gloria. Here they are in front of the book case.

Philip Farris came to see Louise, but he also knew many of our other residents. He is very musically inclined, so Naomi took every opportunity to play a duet with him. He brought his flute, which is his newest instrument he has decided to teach himself. Here’s an example of them playing. Also Philip with the workers and Mille’s.

Mark and Sara Kesselring and their son Cason came to visit. Sara knew Gloria well from her time growing up in Illinois. They live here in Texas now. Here they are in front of the fireplace together.

Judi Green came for a long weekend to see Irving. She remembers him from when she was growing up in New York. She brought several magazines and catalogs from her new home in Alaska. Doreen took her around the center and had long spirited conversations with her. We did not get a good picture of here (there is a poor one in Gwen’s Journal section below), but she took one of the staff to remember us by. Here are the “cookies” in the kitchen.

The Newman’s and the Furrow’s went to France this year for convention. Several of the attendees know Marie and Doreen from their time working in the Islands. So, we took many pictures to send back home for them to see. Upon returning, Ken gave one of his presentations about the friends and convention over there. Here are the residents watching his presentation.

Judi Green wanted to remember everyone by name and by face. She brought with her a small notebook that she had everyone sign their name and give their details. Here is the picture she took to remember our residents by (Esther and Emma were away at conventions), and again with everyone at the table.

Louise had an overnight visit with her previous coworkers and some old friends from Louisiana. Here she is with all of them in front of the piano.

Resident Journals

Elsie Schroeder and Roberta Stipp

Elsie has passed away after having a very tough month. In the beginning she was still able to come out to eat and function normally in the mornings. Until, one day during her nap she started to get tightness in her chest and was short of breath. Roberta quickly asked the staff to do something, which they attempted to have her sit up and breath more deeply. At that time she refused to go to the hospital, but accepted Emma’s oxygen tank. Don and Becky came for a quick check up visit, along with their daughter Candace and her 3 kids. During the visit, all went well and Elsie showed no symptoms. Unfortunately, after they left her symptoms returned. It was decided that she would be put on hospice and receive oxygen. Only a few days later, August 12th she was taken to a care home near Don and Becky. Her family was able to be with her a lot until she passed away August 23th. Roberta knows this was for the best and that Elsie can now be at peace. Here she is with her visitors after her first spell, and again in the new facility with her son Don and great granddaughter Brynna. Also, a picture of the last time she was able to read to her great grandchildren (a good thing to remember her by).

Irving Ross

Irving does well, even his visitors say he has noticeably improved since being here. He had a skin cancer spot removed on the top of his head, which was painful and bothered him. Now with it removed he claims it is no longer sore. Here he is with another set of his frequent visitors Dan and Beverly Oaks.

Emma Perez

Emma Perez was invited to go to Mexico for three conventions. She always loves an opportunity to visit the Spanish friends and workers. Here she is in her favorite habitat, washing the dishes, and again posing with the workers at convention.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen does well, so long as there is no loud piano playing. She enjoyed the visits of others and often could be found hanging around at the table in conversations. Here she is enjoying a chat with Judi Green.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen does well for the most part. Some days are harder than others. She was invited to go to conventions in Iowa. She was at Malcom and will attend her home convention of Boyden. Here she is at Malcom with the other Iowan workers and then with all the workers.

Naomi Watson

Naomi does fantastic. She plays her piano regularly and was eager to go out to eat with her several visitors. Here she is with one of her lunch visitors, her late husbands cousin Brad Faber.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well and continues to cook. She was busy this month making all kinds of things. From beans and rice to banana bread she can make just about anything! Here she is fixing her beans, and again with our visitors Craig and Ronda Jeane.

Esther Duncan

Esther was invited to go to Kentucky and Tennessee for conventions. She loves her correspondence with the friends there, but seeing them in person is far more exciting. Also, she has been asked to speak at a few of them. She was raring to go to the airport and be on her way. Here she is beaming in the car before leaving, and rushing off to begin her voyage, then at Salvisa.

Gloria Edwards

Gloria is doing great! She really enjoyed her visit with the Kesselring’s because they knew her from her time in Illinois. Here she is at the puzzle and again visiting our Park Manor residents.

Louise Martin

Louise is doing great, especially with her new phone and chair. Philip Farris came to see her specifically but also knew many others. She received a visit from sister workers: Stacey Seidlitz and Ruth Warner. Here she is with a different set of visitors Charles and Edna Thompson.

Fern Duncan, Ronald Elliott, Alice Oetken, Joyce Naber

Everyone at Park Manor keeps on keeping on. Fern enjoyed her many well wishers and cards…. Alice and Joyce are as up beat and fun as usual. Emma always takes the opportunity to dote on them. Ronald is a little slower, but still remains about the same. Here they are during some personal visits and again with everyone in the main room.

Farm

Workers working – Brian and Silas cleaning algae out of the cabin pond.

Our right oven has been on the fritz for about a month now. Kent Opel was gracious enough to get it working again. Here he is on the job.

We finally had our road finished. The crew started last month, but only came out to put down the aggregates to support the pavement. Here they are completing our entrance circle with tar and chip.

The heat and humidity have been off the charts in August. Even though we may find it to be too much, nature seems to be enjoying it. Here are some pictures of the scenes around Pecan Grove.

Jokes of the Month

Thank you for your interest in the residents here, they really enjoy any and all correspondence they receive from you. Also, thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Elsie and her family. Elsie was dearly beloved and has gone on to the better place, which we all find to be very peaceful. Her steadfast faith and loving attitude will be missed but fondly remembered.

Kenny & Ken

July has been hot! We had a heat wave that lasted all month with the occasional thunder storm giving us respite. As always we celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks and a snack buffet. We enjoyed having everyone on and around the property come to usher in America’s 250th year. Here are some pictures of the fireworks and festivities.

Marie turned 93 this month, so we celebrated her in style. We had several of the surrounding neighbors come to celebrate and offer her well wishes. Here she is with her cake and flowers.

We had several quick visits this month. Bob and Donna Tangerose came to see Roberta and Elsie, but they also knew Gloria and Naomi. Here they are leaving after breakfast.

Cindy Abate came to visit Irving. She knew many other sisters that labored in the East Coast states. Here she is with Irving, Marie, Esther and Roberta in front of the piano and again with Fern outside Park Manor.

Jeff and Gayle Carolus and family came to visit Irving.

Kathy’s sister Kim Schneider came from Minneapolis for a week to take care of Karin’s children, Katelyn and Dylan, while Karin and Patrick celebrated their 20th anniversary on a cruise. We didn’t take a picture of her at PG, but here they are at Chick-fil-A.

Jenny and Eddy Raschein have came to visit their son Kendall and family. Jenny’s parents, Bill and Sherry Taggert, came with them. Here is the the family in front of the piano after Sunday morning meeting.

Theron and Angela Schroeder and their children visited grandma Elsie

Resident Journals

Louise Martin

Louise does well, outside of the occasional phone trouble. Technology gets away from you sometimes. She likes to sit out on the porch and watch the birds, make phone calls and catch a little sun. Here she is with her dear friends Stacey Seidlitz, Ruth Wagner, the furrows and Terry Boulter.

Naomi Watson

Naomi does well, and has recovered quickly from her minor surgery. She still plays her piano frequently and looks forward to her monthly visits from her son Kevin. Here she is with her Missouri visitor Terry Boelter.

Marie Mounce

Marie is at it again in the kitchen. This time she made some delicious bread pudding. She also made and eggplant lasagna that went over very well, and shrimp etouffee! Here she is mixing her bread pudding.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen had a rough month due to arthritis pain. It has improved somewhat with medication. Here she is at Marie’s birthday admiring her cake.

Gloria Edwards

Gloria is doing great, helping in the kitchen and setting the table. Here she is chatting with the puzzle crew and helping them when the puzzle is too difficult. Here she is doing just that, and again visiting at Park Manor.

Emma Perez

Emma does about the same. She is looking forward to going to Mexico for convention. Here she is with Mary Simmon and Gwen.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen is doing great, she is inquisitive as to how things are going with everyone else. Dawn Overby likes to come help with the puzzle and chat with the ladies in the evenings. Here is Gwen and Dawn visiting.

Roberta Stipp and Elsie Schroeder

Roberta and Elsie are doing well, but Elsie is slowing down some. Her grandson Theron and his family came for a quick visit, followed by a visit from Don and Becky. Here they are doing their puzzle, and Elsie reading to her great-grandchildren.

Irving Ross

Irving continues to do about the same. He can often be found reading the newspaper or a magazine. He takes an interest in what is said by each one at the table. We have the staff sitting next to him to help relay what was said. He loves ice. Here he is getting ice from the ice maker in the kitchen.

Esther Duncan

Esther does great. Everyday she takes a walk either to the gate or to the pond. She really loves looking at the moon every evening but does not like having to stay up so late to do it. Here she is visiting the Park Manor residents.

Alice Oetken, Ronald Elliott, Joyce Naber, Fern Duncan

Everyone at Park Manor continues to do well. Lounell Clayborne takes some of our residents over to see them every other Friday. Here they are enjoying their visitors.

Farm

The wildlife is thriving even with all of this heat. The trees and flora are soaking up all the sunlight, but the grass has had enough heat and has decided to fade. Kenny’s house has had a bevy of swallows born on its porches. The first picture is of one of those swallow chicks having landed outside the nest. The rest are some of the beautiful days we’ve been having, Pecan Groves dried herbs and spices, and Ken and Kenny cleaning out his pond full of weeds.

Kenny’s new joke for the month.

Thank you for your interest and love for us here.

Kenny and Ken

We had several big birthdays this month, starting with David Opel. He turned 23 this month and we celebrated with cupcakes. Here he is with his cupcake tower.

Our nurse Tammy also celebrated a milestone birthday. She was surprised that we were planning to do anything for her. Here she is beaming with her cake.

Joyce Naber and Gwen shared a birthday party here at PG. Joyce and Alice were both brought to celebrate the big deal. Gwen was so pleased to be able to share her birthday with Joyce. Here they are enjoying their cakes and flowers.

Of course all of our ladies loved the opportunity to see Joyce and Alice and dote on them some. Joyce, of course, brought her signature smile and charm, we always appreciate her joyful spirit. Everyone who could come did come to celebrate with our ladies. Here they are showering Joyce and Alice with love.

We enjoyed many visitors this month. Emma had several visitors which she was so pleased to see again. Her brother Rolando Perez and his wife Juana came for a lunch visit. She was so pleased to have her brother meet all the residents. Here they are in front of the piano.

Russ and Judy Rosehill came at the same time as Rex and Martha Taylor. They know a lot of the residents well and really enjoyed a chance for a visit. Here they are in the entry way.

Emilee has offered to come out on Mondays and hold an exercise class for the residents. Here they are really working out!

Resident Journals

Irving Ross

Irving does well, he has more energy lately and has been talking more at the table. Here his sitting down for supper.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen was so pleased to see everyone come for her birthday. Especially the Park Manor residents she does not get to see very often. Here she is with her cake admiring Joyce’s pie.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen continues to do well and help out in the kitchen. She likes to check in on the others and offer a hand if they need anything. Here she is doing another helpful task, serving water for supper.

Esther Duncan

Esther continues to do great. She still gets regular correspondence from around the world and is busy responding to mail everyday. Here she is out for Thai food with Roberta.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, she still tries her hand in the kitchen as often as she is able. Recently she has been interested in making caprese salads with every possible dressing, which has been interesting. Here she is with Stacey, Emma and Louise in front of the piano.

Emma Perez

Emma is doing well, she has had a persistent cough that she is using an inhaler for now. She really loves to visit Alice or have Alice, her old co-worker. Also, her brother coming from Illinois was such a highlight for her. Here she is with Alice and another visitor from Mexico, Clara Moreno.

Elsie Schroeder and Roberta Stipp

The sisters, Elsie and Roberta, continue to do well. They enjoy their daily puzzles and reading the newspaper. They had a surprise visit from Elsie’s old friends and neighbors, Sally and Franz Holzman. Here they are chatting before dinner.

Louise Martin

Louise is having a fun time fitting in. She likes to laugh and make others laugh so she really brings up the spirits around here. We moved the mechanical chair into her room so she can get up easier and keep her feet elevated. She is pretty excited about it. Here she is with her visitors from Alabama, Rita Sumners, Judy Sanchez, Kellie Whitley and Anita Walden.

Gloria Edwards

Gloria does well and fits in nicely with the other residents. She is another one that loves to send correspondence and can often be found at her desk writing. Here she is with Louise and Roberta.

Naomi Watson

Naomi does well, she plays her piano everyday. She had some minor surgery done on her sinuses and was in her room for a few days. Here she is eating Thai food after a visit to Park Manor.

Joyce Naber, Ronald Elliott, Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken

The Park Manor residents continue to do about the same. They light up when we come for a visit and this month they have had several. Here is a picture of them at one of the visits.

We decided to take a new resident photo because of all our new comers. Here are all the current residents of Pecan Grove with several of the staff as well as our visitors Joyce Lawrence…

Farm

Wildlife here has been abounding with all our rain and heat. We have several species of birds nesting around the center and several large creepy crawlies have been spotted.

Thanks for your interest in us here!

Kenny and Ken

Great news! We had another new resident join us this month. Her name is Gloria Edwards and she came to us from Florida. Several of the ladies know her well and have been very helpful in her transition to living here. Here she is with Judy Mattison (who she was living with in Florida) and Sharon Carroll who traveled with her to Texas.

Greg Harger came at the same time as Sharon and Gloria. Here he is included in a group picture at Park Manor.

We had 3 birthdays this month. Louise Martin turned 95 years young. She asked that we do not make a big fuss about her on her birthday. We tried our best, but eventually it ended up being a surprise party. Her niece, Sara Hopkins, and nephew, Doug Nelson, and his wife, JaNae surprised her by appearing in time for lunch and visiting several times over the next few days.

Kathy had a big 75th birthday this month. She appreciated all the well wishers. Here she is with Ken and her birthday pie.

Stetson also wanted a low key 32nd birthday this year. He asked that we don’t sing happy birthday but some folks didn’t hear that so he was serenaded anyway. Roger and Connie Jones were visiting but we only have this picture of Roger sitting next to Stetson with his birthday cake.

We have had a whirlwind of visitors this month, some of whom we failed to get pictures of. We really enjoy visitors returning and keeping contact with our residents. It gives them something to look forward to. Rob and Donna Pikcilingis came to visit Irving.

Lynden and Nadene Laird came to visit Fern at Park Manor and also to visit Irving. They only stayed for lunch, but got plenty of quality conversation in. Here they are with Irving at the lunch table.

Stacey Seidlitz and Ruth Warner came to visit Louise. They helped her get her room organized. Here they are in front of the bookcase.

We had a little excitement happen recently. The coffee maker decided to expel its innards all over the wall just before lunch. We turned it on, rang the bell, and then all of the residents got to watch it explode onto the wall, as well as wait for us to clean it up. Here is Stetson getting some of the finishing touches done on the floor.

Resident Journals

Irving Ross

Irving continues to improve. He has more energy and is talking at the table more. He has a unique sense of humor, but we like that around here!

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, so long as her blood pressure does not act up. When it gets too low she feels woozy and sleeps a lot. When it is high she is doing great, which is normal for her. Here she is talking to Ronald at Park Manor.

Elsie Schroeder and Roberta Stipp

The sisters, Elsie and Roberta, are doing well. Sally and Franz Holzman came to visit them. The Holzman’s were next door neighbors to the Schroeders in New Braunfels. Here they are enjoying the puzzle together.

Emma Perez

Emma does well. She is interested in the funerals that have been happening often. Today Kent and Linda took Emma to a funeral. Here she is with Joyce and Alice.

Louise Martin

Louise is doing great, especially after recovering from her fall. Here she is with her family and Stacey Seidlitz.

Gloria Edwards

Gloria is fitting right in and she is sharp as a tack. She was a co-worker with some of our ladies, and knows all of our residents. Here she is today at Pecan Grove.

Naomi Watson

Naomi enjoys a visit from her son once a month. He brings beautiful flowers and produce from his garden to share with us. Here she is playing a duet with Ty Nordic.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen is acclimating to her new room. She told Kenny “I want this room to be perfect because this is the last move I will make.” We are more than happy to accommodate that. Here she is next to Kathy on the left during Louise’s birthday lunch.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen does great. She corresponds with many co-workers and friends. She is faithful to her job in the kitchen, often rewarding her hard work with a sweet treat at the end. Here she is chatting with Ronald and Esther at Park Manor.

Esther Duncan

Esther does well, still number one in correspondence with her friends around the world. She is a routine walker, every day she walks as far as the gate or mailbox. See picture above.

Ronald Elliott, Joyce Naber, Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken

Our park manor residents are hanging in there. Fern has had more smiles and been alert recently. Alice always loves a visit so they sit her with Joyce and Ronald for their meals. When any of our friends go for a visit the staff knows to bring out all four of our residents.

Farm and Wild Life

Our wildlife is loving all this rain and intense sunshine. Esther asked that we make a new bird house to separate the more territorial birds. Emry and Evren put the bird feeder together and the twins painted it. Here are some nature pictures along with pictures of the new house.

Thanks for your interest in us here!

Ken and Kenny