Manor of the Plains
MAY 2022
Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Mary Bridges, chaplain at Salina Presbyterian Manor®
Mary’s Musings
Meet Your Neighbor:
Gwendolyn Frances Wilson-Brooks
By Mary Bridges, Chaplain
I must confess that Memorial Day was never my favorite holiday. Growing up, my family made our annual trek to the cemetery to deliver fresh peonies from my mom’s garden. That evening, we’d go back to pick them up.
Gwen Brooks is an active part of the Manor of the Plains family at 96.5 years old.
Gwen was born, married and widowed all on June 9. She was born on June 9, 1925, married on her 21st birthday in 1946, and widowed on their 45th anniversary, June 9, 1991. She was born in Missouri, the daughter of Louis Bishop and Edna Lee (Cowan) Heimer. They traveled to Kansas by train and settled in Hanston. She had one brother, James. She attended Southwestern College in Winfield, graduated from Sterling College and did graduate work at Fort Hays College. She was married to Glen Eugene Wilson, June 9, 1946, in Hanston and they had four children: Jim (Shirley) Wilson, Ulysses, Kan.; Jean (Dean) Lyman, Sharon; Jared (Veronica) Wilson, Little River, Kan. and Jolana (Roger) Perkins, Miltonvale, Kan. Gwen began teaching in 1946, beginning in a one-room country school— Beeler, Jetmore and Hanston. After retirement, she substituted in Dodge City, Kan. and was also a librarian at St. Mary’s of the Plains. Glen and Gwen lived on the Heimer Homestead in Hanston, farming,
Gwen – continued on page 2
As I grew older, I began to lose friends and family members — even our son. Visiting graves and offering remembrances still left me feeling sad and empty. However, my view on Memorial Day has changed. To illustrate that, I want to tell you about my friend Mary Ellen from Menomonee Falls, Wis. We became friends in 1999 while serving on a national women’s board. More importantly, we became prayer partners. Each day when I awoke, I visualized Mary Ellen on her treadmill, praying with me. Through 20 years, we prayed with each other through our ordinary days, through illnesses and the loss of loved ones. In the midst of the pandemic, Mary Ellen was diagnosed with cancer. Her final Christmas letter in 2019 ended with these words from scripture: “Be
Prayer – continued on page 4
Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at ManorOfThePlains.org/covid-19.
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