Parsons Presbyterian Manor
FEBRUARY 2020
Preparing for the unexpected death of a spouse
Parsons welcomes Becky Nash Becky Nash has been in the workforce for 40 years, but when she accepted the position of life enrichment director at Parsons Presbyterian Manor in September, she began the second job of her career.
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell for Next Avenue
Prior to joining the Presbyterian Manor, Becky worked for “Farm Talk,” a weekly agricultural newspaper. She joined the paper after graduating from Labette High School in Parsons. Given its small staff, Becky did “a little bit of Becky Nash everything” at the paper. She liked the job and appreciated the flexibility she enjoyed when her children were little, but after four decades, she was ready for a new challenge. “It was a complete career change, but I do have a lot of experience working with older people,” Becky said. “I was told it would be a rewarding job, and it definitely has been. In her role at Presbyterian Manor, Becky directs all resident activities and oversees the volunteer program. She begins her day by distributing the “Manor Bee.” The daily newsletter keeps residents informed about events and what’s on the menu. It also includes a quote of the day and trivia. In her first year, Becky would like to provide more entertainment at Presbyterian Manor. She has noticed that residents particularly enjoy music. “They get into tapping their feet and clapping, and sometimes they sing along,” she said. In her free time, Becky serves as president of the Parsons Elks Lodge Ladies
Welcome – continued on page 3
When my husband, Dale, passed away at age 57 from a sudden, massive heart attack two days before Thanksgiving in 2018, the last thing on my mind was the finances. This quickly changed, however, when I realized that as a relatively young widow of 54, I had just lost our second income. To exacerbate my situation, due to my age and not having dependent children at home, I was ineligible to draw even partial Social Security income until turning 60. Nor could I withdraw from our retirement funds without heavy penalties and taxes until age 59 ½. On top of all that, my sole income from my freelance writing business would be subject to the higher singlepayer tax bracket the following year. However, I had learned an
Death – continued on page 3
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