Honoring Margee Polanka — A 38-Year Ecumen Employee
In 1978 Margee Polanka was at the University of Minnesota-Duluth studying to be an elementary school teacher. On spring break, she took a job at Ecumen Lakeshore as a part-time nurse’s aide that changed her career path from young kids to older adults.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 105th Birthday Pearl Anderson
Ecumen honors Pearl Anderson, who is 105.
Born: April 14, 1911, in Boyd, Minn.
Residence: Ecumen North Branch.
Hobbies/Interests: Sewing, visiting and volunteering.
Family: Married to Philip, now deceased, for 58 years. Two children, 6 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren.
Secrets of Longevity: No smoking or drinking, a healthy diet, staying active and God’s will.
Interesting Facts: Graduated from college with a degree in journalism, won a national sewing contest and won an “11 Who Care” outstanding volunteer award in 2004 from KARE-11 TV.
Congratulations on your 105th birthday, Pearl! Ecumen honors you.
Ecumen Home Care & Hospice-Litchfield Receives Grant from Operation Round Up
Ecumen Home Care & Hospice-Litchfield has received a $2,000 grant from Operation Round Up®, the charitable arm of the Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association.
Construction Begins on Zvago Glen Lake Co-op in Minnetonka
Zvago Glen Lake Cooperative, a new senior housing community on the north shore of Glen Lake in Minnetonka, is now under construction. Work started Tuesday, April 19, 2016, on the 54-unit co-op at 14301 Stewart Lane, which is expected to open in the spring of 2017.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Lisolette (Lisa) Erickson
Ecumen honors Lisolette (Lisa) Erickson, a resident of Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth, who is 102.
Top 5 Blog Posts — April 18, 2016
Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:
Honoring the Memory of Legendary Coach ‘Soup’ Stromme, a Resident at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth
Coach Graydon “Soup” Stromme died peacefully at his home at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth last week at the age of 91.
Meet Ecumen’s Devan Luth — A Proud Young Cobber Who’s Changing Aging
Devan Luth signed on as a Development Specialist in the Ecumen Philanthropy Department last year shortly after she graduated from Concordia College — home of the “Cobbers.”.
Ecumen Pilot Study Shows Light Therapy Helps Reduce Dementia Symptoms
Results of a pilot study by Ecumen show that light therapy can improve nighttime sleep and reduce agitation among residents with dementia, who often spend their nights awake and their days asleep.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Elaine Altstatt
Ecumen honors Elaine Altstatt, a resident of Ecumen Centennial House in Apple Valley, who is 100.
Sales Office Now Open for Zvago Glen Lake Co-op in Minnetonka
Zvago Glen Lake Cooperative, a new senior housing co-op planned for the north shore of Glen Lake in Minnetonka, has opened a sales office and showroom in walking distance from the site.
You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 102nd Birthday Adele Strike
Ecumen honors Adele Strike, a resident of Heritage Living Center in Park Rapids, Minn., who is 102.
A Salute to Ecumen's Generous Volunteers
Our deepest appreciation to the hundreds of volunteers who help out at Ecumen sites, selflessly giving their time, energy and expertise to make life better for our residents.
Meet Ecumen’s Devan Luth — A Proud Young Cobber Who’s Changing Aging
Devan Luth signed on as a Development Specialist in the Ecumen Philanthropy Department last year shortly after she graduated from Concordia College — home of the “Cobbers.”
She’s a Cobber through and through and used her alumni connections to find a mentor and a career path that eventually led her to Ecumen. She took initiative, seize opportunity and is already making a big difference raising money to help make lives better for older adults.
Concordia is very proud of her, as are we at Ecumen. Read Concordia’s blog post that tells about Devan’s journey from college to career.
Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Elaine Altstatt
Ecumen honors Elaine Altstatt, a resident of Ecumen Centennial House, who is 100.