Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Eldora Clark
Ecumen honors Eldora Clark, who is 102.
Born: Nov. 12, 1913, near Kensington, Minn.
Residence: Ecumen Bethany Community in Alexandria, Minn.
Hobbies/Interests: Avid Minnesota Twins fan. Watching old movies and TV shows. She especially likes Shirley Temple and Abbott and Costello movies and TV shows such as “I Love Lucy,” “Andy of Mayberry,” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
Family: Married to Lawrence, now deceased, for 60 years. Two children and four grandchildren.
Occupation: Homemaker and helping with the family farm and worked in retail sales after moving to town, mainly in women’s clothing.
Secrets of Longevity: Staying interested in things, enjoying life and maintaining good health.
Interesting Facts: Her mother died when she was 9 years old, and Eldora moved to Alexandria at age 14. She worked her way through high school. She enjoyed dancing and bowling. At age 65 she learned to play golf and several years later learned how to play bridge.
Congratulations on your 102nd birthday, Eldora! Ecumen honors you.
Ecumen Meadows Resident Honors Veterans with ‘Quilts of Valor’
Ruby Toussaint, a resident of Ecumen Meadows in Worthington, lovingly makes "Quilts of Valor" to honor veterans.
One Vet’s Story: 193 Days in Combat Across Europe
Ray Kratzke landed on Utah Beach just after the D-Day invasion and spent the next 193 days fighting the Germans until they surrendered. This is his story.
Ecumen Communities Prepare for Veteran’s Day Tributes
Veterans Day is a special time at Ecumen communities. Many residents are veterans with rich and deeply moving stories about their military experience and how profoundly it influenced their lives.
On this blog we try to capture those stories as a way to thank our veterans and memorialize their service.
Follow this link to one of our favorite blog posts about legendary Worthington Coach Ken Thompson, who was at Iwo Jima when the flag was hoisted on Mount Suribachi.
We thank Ken, and all our veterans, for their service. We are honored to know them.
Top 5 Blog Posts — November 9
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
7 Powerful Photographs of Terminally Ill Patients Living Out Their Final Wishes
The Ambulance Wish Foundation, a Dutch nonprofit, is helping those in hospice experience one final request. The organization's main message states, "Positive end-of-life experiences are far too important to pass up."
Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts Assumes Board Chair Role at LeadingAge
Kathryn Roberts, President and CEO of Ecumen, was sworn in last week as Chair of the Board of Directors of LeadingAge, the national association of not-for-profit aging services providers.
Randi Handegaard Celebrates 40 Years at Sunnyside Care Center
On Nov. 5, 1975, Randi Handegaard took her first job at Sunnyside Care Center in Lake Park, Minn., as a newly minted occupational therapy assistant. She blinked, and now it’s 40 years later. She’s still at Sunnyside as the Activity Director — still loving her job every day.
Ecumen Lakeshore Resident Bob McFarlin Recalls His Career as a State Legislator and Bridge Builder
Former State Rep. Robert (Bob) McFarlin, now a resident at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth, was a rarity in the Minnesota Legislature. He was a bridge builder — in both his primary occupation and his political life.
Aging and Moving — When You Don’t Want To
Former Star Tribune Reporter Joe Rigert and his wife reached the point where they had to leave their vintage home of 50 years and shed much of the “stuff” that documented their memories. This is a touching account of that experience.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 101st Birthday Alice Mason
Ecumen honors Alice Mason, a resident of Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley, who is 101.
7 Powerful Photographs of Terminally Ill Patients Living Out Their Final Wishes
The Ambulance Wish Foundation, a Dutch nonprofit, is helping those in hospice experience one final request. The organization's main message states, "Positive end-of-life experiences are far too important to pass up." Like the individuals they serve, the final wishes of their patients are all extremely special and unique.
Randi Handegaard Celebrates 40 Years at Sunnyside Care Center
On Nov. 5, 1975, Randi Handegaard took her first job at Sunnyside Care Center in Lake Park, Minn., as a newly minted occupational therapy assistant. She blinked, and now it’s 40 years later. She’s still at Sunnyside as the Activity Director — still loving her job every day.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 104th Birthday Orphea Mattsfield
Ecumen honors Orphea Mattsfield, a resident of Ecumen of Litchfield, who is 104.
Ecumen CEO Kathryn Roberts Assumes Board Chair Role at LeadingAge
Kathryn Roberts, President and CEO of Ecumen, today officially became chair of the Board of Directors of LeadingAge, the national association of not-for-profit aging services providers.