Time, talents, and treasures: The Lairds | The next 30 years

“This is our 30-year plan,” jokes Andy Laird as he is sitting on the deck at The Cedar Lodge with his wife, Donna. They found Cedar Community online in 2020, drove up from their condo on Milwaukee’s lakefront, and were immediately impressed. A drive through the Cedar Lake Campus to check out the independent living homes led to many conversations with residents who were out and about at the time. An o cial tour and meeting with Cedar Community’s sales team sealed the deal for the Lairds.

Andy and Donna patiently waited 26 months for a home to become available. They eventually had a choice between two home styles, and picked one that would satisfy Donna’s need for a larger kitchen—with room for cooking and baking. During their months of waiting, they drove up to the Cedar Lake Campus several times to enjoy picnics on the lake campus. They would often run into current residents who were always so friendly and welcoming. Andy laughs, “I said to Donna I want whatever they are drinking—everyone is so happy here.” They will be moving in this month and can’t wait to start enjoying all the hiking trails, lake access with pontoon boat rides, activities, and volunteering.

The Lairds have been married for 11 years. They met in 2009 when both worked at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel—Andy as a chief technology o cer and Donna in retail advertising and billing. A coworker whose o ce was next to Andy’s told him, “There is a lady on the fth oor you should meet.” After 27 years of marriage, Donna had been a widow for ve years and was quite comfortable in her new life. “I got to rediscover myself and what I wanted in life,” says Donna. The same coworker was playing matchmaker with Donna, too, encouraging her to at least meet Andy, who she often smiled at on the cargo elevator, even though she didn’t know who he was. “I worked on the fth oor and he was on the penthouselike sixth oor.” A spiral staircase joined the two oors and Donna eventually called it her “stairway to heaven.”

A powerlifting event was the Lairds’ rst date—something they both had an interest in recreationally and competitively. Donna joined a gym at 52 years old and began powerlifting at age 55. Andy started powerlifting when he was 60 years old. Donna could lift 375 pounds, squat 400, bench 198, and dead-lift 360. She even held a national record. “I felt God gave me a second chance at life and I wasn’t going to blow it so I joined a gym, lost 100 pounds, and began powerlifting,” said Donna. Andy is no slouch, either. He could dead-lift 455 pounds and holds all related Wisconsin records for his weight in age groups 60-69 and 70+. He also broke the national dead-lift record for the men 70+ age group.

Andy jokes, “Donna is the Energizer Bunny™. She just keeps going. Unlike a lot of people who dream about something and wish they could do it, Donna dreams about it and then does it!”

Andy fully retired in 2016, following a diverse and exciting radio and media career that spanned the U.S. and included work with celebrities like Wolfman Jack and Chevy Chase. Donna retired in 2017 after 40 years at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It was in 2020, during the height of COVID, that Donna felt the push to leave their condo in downtown Milwaukee. She had always lived in a house and the condo never felt like home. Wherever they decided to move, Andy knew he didn’t want to cut grass or shovel snow. Since Andy and Donna don’t have any children, a community with a full continuum of care and progression of services was very important to them. They toured a few retirement communities, but what they saw did not t the bill. Cedar Community o ered just what they were looking for. They liked the space each independent living home o ered on the Cedar Lake Campus. “I speak for both of us when I say we are really thrilled with Cedar Community and what we’ve found here,” says Donna. They love the woods and the trails and are looking forward to time on Big Cedar Lake.

Donna has always loved hunting, shing, and the outdoors. She even had ve boats at one time! “I could live in the woods, o the land if I had to,” jokes Donna. Andy is looking forward to leaving the urban environment as well. He grew up in rural California where his father worked a farm: “It’s kind of like coming back to where I grew up.” The Lairds are de nitely looking forward to the peace and serenity of their new home.

In college, Andy was a musician and played lower brass in two wind ensembles. He also played the euphonium, piano, violin, and bass ddle—among other instruments. More recently, Andy has been taking violin lessons through the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and plays with the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. We hope he will share those talents with residents at Cedar Community!

The Lairds are excited to begin their next adventure— traveling the world and volunteering at Cedar Community. “We are in a position right now to be of service to others, and at some point we will also need the service of others. I would really like to see what we can do here, and how that blooms over the years,” says Andy. Being located so close to Little Switzerland, Andy also hopes to get back to downhill skiing. Donna enjoys taking pictures, sewing, and crocheting, and together they like to hike and bike. She also loves cooking—often making ethnic food— and will surely be sharing her talents during resident get-togethers.

As the Lairds begin their next adventure at Cedar Community, they are looking forward to a quiet night’s sleep without constant sirens of the city, listening to the birds, and enjoying the abundant wildlife. Not only will they be able to breathe a little easier due to better air quality—something they track between downtown Milwaukee and West Bend—but the carefree lifestyle, and the comfort of knowing extra help is available if and when they need it—puts their minds at ease.

Cedar Community welcomes the Lairds! We look forward to seeing you enjoying, exploring, and embracing your new life as you share your time and talents.

Volunteer highlight

Bob and Janis Weyker have moved many times throughout their married life, living in West Bend, Newburg, and Kewaskum. Four years ago, they decided to make the move to Cedar Community’s independent living apartments. Even though Bob says, “My motor still runs a little bit too fast,” he wanted a place where they would be taken care of if anything happened to them. “I get pulled along,” laughs Janis. Bob and Janis don’t have children, so looking ahead to the future, they wanted to be part of a community where they could feel safe and secure, age in place, and add services down the road, if needed.

Bob worked as a brick layer for 38 years and was the one everyone came to when they needed complex arch work done. He retired at age 57 and then spent time training German Shorthaired Pointers—raising a champion of his own and guiding hunts at Caden’s Kennel and Hunt Club. Janis worked at the Gehl Company for 44 years. Upon arriving at Cedar Community, they quickly became actively involved in volunteering—encouraged by another resident who was helping with the Cedar Ridge Campus watering and tree and shrub trimming. Bob no longer trims trees on campus, but he can be found watering alongside Janis an hour and a half every two days—and more often if it’s dry. They may even pick a few weeds along their route. They enjoy the camaraderie that the “job” brings—often taking longer to water as they encounter many residents and enjoy friendly conversations along the way.

In addition to watering, the Weykers help with communion set-up for regular chapel services at the Cedar Ridge Campus, and Bob heads over to the Cedar Lake Campus in the springtime to assist with maple syrup making. Bob is part of the team that boils the sap and cleans the boilers. For every 40 hours of sap boiling, the tanks need to be cleaned. This past season they hit a record for sap collection—gathering 1,900 gallons of sap, which in turn produced 27 gallons of syrup. This mean a lot more cleaning time, too! “If people need help, I am always willing to lend a hand,” says Bob.

The tness center at the apartments is a great amenity for Bob and Janis, who are very active. They work out seven days a week and take daily walks—inside through every hallway of the building or outside, if the weather cooperates. You don’t often see one without the other. After 63 years of marriage, you can still see that spark of love and a ection for each other in both their eyes. They are both very content to enjoy time alone in their apartment, where Bob often works on puzzles and enjoys a good NASCAR race. Both enjoy reading and getting together with their hallmates for a weekly social and refreshments.

If you see Bob and Janis in the hallway, be sure to stop and say hello. Bob has a lot of stories to share!

Construction repositioning

Demolition is completed at The Lofts at Cedar Lake, and the space is taking shape. As we look forward to launching a new era for this portion of our campus, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the history of the space and our amazing residents and colleagues that have walked its halls over the years. Team members had an opportunity to see the space and be a part of history signing a beam that will be placed in the wall of the new apartments. Visit