The Glen at Aberdeen Heights Community Matters September 2016

Community Matters The Glen at Aberdeen Heights

September 2016

“Abstract Metal,” a sculpture/3-D entry

by Don Behrens

Aberdeen Heights artists among 2016 Art is Ageless® masterpiece winners Two winning artists in Aberdeen Heights’ annual Art is Ageless® juried competition will be featured in the 2017 Art is Ageless Calendar produced by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America.

“Johnny,” a drawing by Lee Schmelzle, and “Abstract Metal,” a sculpture/3-D entry by Don Behrens will appear in the calendar when it is released this fall.

“Johnny” was named the Best in Show amateur piece in the 2016 competition.

Works by local winners are automatically entered into a

Lee Schmelzle with her drawing, “Johnny,” which won Amateur Best in Show in Presbyterian Manors’ masterpiece level Art is Ageless® competition.

Resident artist:

Luck and love equals success Lee Schmelzle has been happily married to her husband Dick for 66 years, but she’s had a love affair that’s lasted even longer—art.

Her drawing, titled “Johnny,” recently won Amateur Best in Show in Presbyterian Manors of Mid America’s masterpiece level Art is Ageless® juried competition. Her work will also be featured in the upcoming Art is Ageless Calendar.

“I really started drawing and painting when I was a real little girl. I always enjoyed it. In fact, my mother told me I started drawing before I even started walking!” said Lee. “After high school, I went to the Washington University School of Fine Arts. Then when I got pregnant with our first, I left school. We had four children in a short amount of time, so that kept

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A proud member of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America

LUCK, continued on page 3

Senior bank accounts: Should you get one?

It isn’t hard to figure out why some banks and credit unions offer special checking accounts for customers they call “seniors.” Once they establish banking relationships this way, they can try to entice the new accountholders with savings accounts, loans and retirement accounts.

But is a “senior” checking account (generally restricted to people over 60 or 65, though sometimes available to people 50 and up) a good deal for you? That depends.

If you’re currently paying steep fees for your checking account, it may be worth your while to shop

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Aberdeen Heights by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at: PresbyterianManors.org.

James “Jamie” Kneen, executive director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Loretta Cutler, health care lifestyle coordinator, lcutler@pmma.org.

Telephone: 314-909-6010 Address: 505 Couch Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

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Community Matters September 2016

around and see whether you can forge a better, less expensive banking relationship elsewhere, says Kari Middleton, a financial adviser in Palm Desert, Calif. “Senior accounts are aimed at older customers as an easy way to avoid bank fees,” she says.

Here are three things to do to size up a senior checking account offer and determine whether it’s worth your while: 1. Evaluate the perks There are usually a number of benefits to senior checking, including free basic checks, cashier’s checks and money orders; a 50 percent discount on a safe deposit box rental and interest on the checking account.

By contrast, some standard checking accounts earn interest, but they generally require higher account balances or you must pay monthly fees.

In addition to discounted maintenance fees, some senior accounts also offer travel-related deals that you might find useful, such as waived fees for out of network ATMs and free transactions at non-U.S. bank ATMs. So be sure to ask about all a senior account’s perks.

2. Compare standard accounts and senior accounts That’s the advice of Susan Tiffany, director of personal finance information for adults at the Credit Union National Association. “Senior

Credit: Thinkstock

checking account needs aren’t significantly different from other consumers’,” she says.

A 2012 Pew research study analyzed senior checking accounts from the nation’s largest banks and credit unions and concluded that if you could maintain a balance of $1,500 or more, an age-focused account often had minimal benefit compared with standard offerings. However, Pew found, customers who use low-fee senior checking accounts with lower required minimum balances ($250 or less) could save around $50 to $100 a year in bank charges.

A more important consideration is likely to be how much money you can deposit and keep with the bank or credit union. If you maintain a sizable balance — say $25,000— you may get discounts and extra services regardless of age, Middleton says.

3. Read the fine print Before opening any new account, make sure you read the fee disclosures, says Jill Enabnit, vice president in consumer products at U.S. Bank. Find out what charges you could face with the account, she says.

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LUCK, continued from page 1

me very busy. I eventually went back to school though, and even took classes from Fontbonne University. My main teacher was famed portrait artist Tito Gay. She is quite an artist, and I owe her a lot of gratitude for the wonderful start she gave me. She said I had quite a talent, so I believed her.”

Even though Lee had a full plate with family obligations and a very successful career in real estate, she always found time for art.

“I’ve always found time to keep up with the drawing.

I have sketch books of our family trips going back to heaven knows when. If you look at something hard enough to put it down on piece of paper, you tend to remember it better,” said Lee. “Some are surprised to learn I had a career outside of art. I sold real estate and had my own little company. I did feasibility studies for builders and developers, and it was very rewarding. I’m very lucky to live in the age where women can work. I think about my mother who couldn’t work, and I feel grateful for my career.”

Lee credits her husband Dick with being very supportive of her artistic pursuits, and she’s very appreciative of the blessings her life has bestowed.

“I’m lucky to have a lot of energy left at nearly 88.

And I’m grateful to my husband who’s always been enormously supportive. I’ve also got wonderful friends, especially here at Aberdeen Heights. We’ve lived here five years now, and I have the freedom to do so many things. My body will no longer let me play tennis or golf, but I’ll always be able to do my art. Always. It gives me so much joy.”

Lee has continued her art education over the years and takes one or two classes from Merrimack Community College every year.

“I only started doing portraiture 10 years or so ago. I didn’t even know I could draw a likeness of someone.

My professor came over and said, ‘I didn’t ask you for a portrait,’ and I said, ‘I didn’t know I could draw one!’

Then I started doing some graphite drawings from photos of family members. Eventually, I tried pastels.”

A dear friend at Aberdeen Heights had asked Lee to draw a portrait of her great-grandson, Johnny.

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“Johnny,” a drawing by Lee Schmelzle, which won Amateur Best in Show in Presbyterian Manors’ Art is Ageless.

“Well, I did and she loved it. She gave it to her daughter, the boy’s grandmother, and they were very appreciative.

Well, when it came time to submit artwork, they insisted they send it in, and here we are!”

A reception was recently given at Aberdeen Heights to honor Lee and her accomplishments, and she may never stop smiling. Lee’s work has been featured in a previous Art is Ageless calendar, but this is her first masterpiece Best in Show honor.

“I’ve had a wonderful life. I have four marvelous children, eight grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren, and I’m surrounded by such wonderful friends here. I can continue doing what I love in a supportive environment,” said Lee. “The executive director (Jamie Kneen) has committed to making this a cultural environment. We even have a playwriting club now! There are so many wonderful things to do. I can’t compliment him enough. I have a great life.”

The Glen at Aberdeen Heights

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WINNERS, continued from page 1

masterpiece level competition with winning art from 16 other PMMA communities.

The winners are featured in the Art is Ageless calendar and notecards.

Art is Ageless, open exclusively to people age 65 and older, is a copyrighted program of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America. For the competition, works must have been completed in the past five years.

Learn more at ArtIsAgeless.org.

Memory Care

We will focus on memory care and national memory screening day in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. What do you do to stay sharp? What tricks or tips do you have for remembering things? How has being in memory care helped a loved one?

Because this will be our November issue, we also will be sharing stories about our many veterans. If you served in the military, we want to hear your story. If you’ve got a story to share, contact Health Care Lifestyle Coordinator Loretta Cutler, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.

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Community Matters September 2016

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