Commun ty Matters Clay Center Presbyterian Manor
Clay Center Presbyterian Manor announces Art is Ageless® winners
Clay Center Presbyterian Manor recently hosted a reception for the winning artists in the annual Art is Ageless® juried competition.
“We are honored to exhibit artwork by seniors,” said Kristen Pedigo, activity director. “Art is Ageless is unique in featuring only the works of artists age 65 and older. Our artists prove that art, in any form, is an ageless ambition.”
ART IS AGELESS
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April 2019
Presbyterian Manor of Mid-America system to celebrate 70 years On April 19, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America (PMMA) will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Our first very first community opened in Newton, Kansas, on April 19, 1949, nearly two years after ninetyyear-old Alice Kalb of El Dorado, Kansas, asked the United Presbyterian Synod if it would consider opening a home for the aged. A small exploratory committee looked at the idea and determined it had merit.
the United Presbyterian Synod to open a To raise funds for the Newton home for the aged. effort, a dedicated offering throughout the synod took place on Mother’s Day in 1948. The practice of raising funds for Presbyterian Manors on Mother’s Day continues today. The first resident, Mrs. Frances Belle Townsend of Smith Center, Kansas, moved into the first Presbyterian home for the aged on April 19. Alice Kalb moved in on April 21, and lived there until her death in 1951.
In 1947, Alice Kalb, at the age of 90, asked
When it came time to name this new establishment, the committee did not choose to name it the Presbyterian Home for the Aged. Instead, based on the separate suggestions of two women—Mrs. Mary Page of Topeka and Grace Derby of Manhattan, it was named Newton Presbyterian Manor. Grace later lived at Presbyterian Manor in Newton until her death in 1966.
“Total Eclipse” by Frances Benson was named Best of Show, amateur division.
Alice’s dream has turned into a network of 17 senior living communities across Kansas and Missouri with more than 2,400 residents, and the mission of the organization remains true to its core: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. PMMA has plans to extend its mission into Colorado with the proposed development of Aberdeen Ridge in Colorado Springs.