Salina Presbyterian Manor
Mary’s Musings By Mary Bridges, chaplain JULY 2021
“Such good things can happen to people who learn to remember.” — Emily Dickinson
The fourth of July is a time of remembering for me. We bought my husband’s childhood home in 1987. Our annual Bridges Family Reunion began in 1989 when we invited everyone to help us reshingle the two-and-a-half-story rock home over the holiday weekend. The grandkids had a great time; Kenny’s nephew didn’t like heights, so he hauled the old shingles to the dump. One year, a great-great niece and her Nashville singing group provided entertainment for the celebration. Another year, the many talented Bridges artists held a month-long show at the Deines Cultural Center. Everyone loved those reunions, and they continued for over 20 years.
New assisted living residents have been married 77 years Marvin and Lois Ledy met on a blind date in 1943. Lois was working at Duckwall’s in Abilene, and Marvin was in training at Fort Knox. A week after their wedding, Marvin and the rest of the 738th Tank Battalion were shipped overseas. They were on the coast of England on D-Day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. For more than 20 years, the Ledys attended battalion reunions in Lebanon, Tenn.
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This past year, our Bridges family lost five members. It has been unbearably hard, as we were unable to gather for our goodbyes. Kenny is the youngest of the 12 Bridges children. As the “last Bridges standing,” he has written some family stories with our daughter as editor. Grandma Bridges came from Russia at age 8, and she left her “soulprints” on the
Mary’s Musings continued on page 2
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Mary’s Musings – continued from page 1 lives of her descendants. I love Marcia Wiederkehr’s explanation of soulprints:
Executive Director Christian Gilbert cgilbert@pmma.org Director of Nursing, Health Care Stephanie Goetz sgoetz@pmma.org Assisted Living Director of Nursing Amy Thompson athompson@pmma.org Director of Sales & Marketing Cathy Boos cboos@pmma.org Human Resources Director Kelly Wellbrock kwellbrock@pmma.org Accounting Services Director Shanna King sking@pmma.org Dining Services Director Keith Brown kbrown@pmma.org
“There is a way that the soul can get crowded out of one’s day. The soul is a bit shy and does not demand center stage. She lives a life of her own, and yet there are soulprints in every fiber of your being, even in the things you’ve forgotten. The soul is the keeper of memories. She knows where the beauty is stored. She contains the memories of your entire life. Deep in your unconscious, she stands guard. If you are in need of a particular memory, she can reveal it to you and help you to bear both the beauty and the pain. She knows all about the gold in your memories.” Ancestors, mentors, companions, friends and shapers of our hearts
… who are the heroes and heroines in your life? Whose wisdom has been a central guide along the way? Who stood by you in a troublesome time? Whose spirituality or theology influenced your own? Who brought you joy, laughter, delight? What ancestor retains a special place in your life? I invite you to do some “ancestor remembering,” closing with this prayer by Joyce Rupp: “God of our ancestors, today we gather to our hearts all those who have influenced our lives with their love and goodness. Although they have passed on to the other side of this life, their lives continue to affect who we are and what we do. Like the sound of a bell resounding in the welcoming air, so has the goodness of these holy ones resonated in our lives. Thank you for these ancestors and the bond we have with them. AMEN.” u
Environmental Services Director Anthony DeLaurentis adelaurentis@pmma.org Life Enrichment Director Lacey Buhrle lbuhrle@pmma.org Social Services Director Kelley Bieberle kbieberle@pmma.org Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
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785-825-1366 ◆ Fax: 785-825-6554 2601 E. Crawford Salina, KS 67401-3898 SalinaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Salina Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: cboos@PMMA.org Christian Gilbert, executive director Cathy Boos, sales and marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
New assisted living resident had 45-year career as a nurse Gayle Haney recently joined the assisted living community at Salina Presbyterian Manor. Born and raised in Longview, Wash., Gayle studied nursing in college. During those years, she worked at Mount St. Helen on the Spirit Lake. Gayle met and married her husband, Pat, in 1966. He worked as a manager for JCPenney, so the family moved every two years until they settled in Beloit, Kan., in 1984. There, the couple bought a carpet,
Ledy’s – continued from page 1 After a short time working in Indiana, they returned to Abilene and settled on the family farm just north of Talmage. Marvin and Lois were a true team on the farm. Both drove tractors and trucks, and they tended fruit trees and a large vegetable garden. An accomplished seamstress, Lois taught 4H sewing classes and sewed her daughters’ wedding dresses. To add to the farm income, she made custom cakes. During Eisenhower’s presidency, Lois was chosen to make him a birthday cake. In the mid-1970s, lightning struck the Ledys’ farmhouse, and it burned to the ground. They decided to leave the farm and settle in Abilene, where they worked until retirement. The couple raised three children: Patti, Mike and Marlo. They also
paint and framing business called Haney’s Home Center. Gayle worked as a nurse for 45 years and helped start Solomon Valley Hospice in Beloit. When she and her husband sold their business, Gayle went back to work for the geriatric psychiatric unit in Beloit. Eventually, she retired to care for her husband full time. He passed in 2017, at the age of 75. Pat and Gayle were married 51 years and had two children, Jennifer Gunselson and Tim Haney.
have seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Marvin and Lois were always involved in community and church activities. They were members of the United Methodist Church in Talmage and later in Abilene. Marvin was active in the Lions Club, serving as a Kansas Lions district governor. Lois was a district officer in the Abilene Business Professional Women organization. For many years, they enjoyed ballroom dancing with the Jolly Mixers dance group in Salina. The Ledys credit staying involved in activities, volunteering and walking to their long, healthy lives. Their move to Presbyterian Manor allows them to relax a bit more and they are looking forward to enjoying the next chapter of their lives. For more information on how you
Gayle Haney
Gayle also has six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. u
can make Salina Presbyterian Manor part of your next chapter, contact Cathy Boos, marketing and sales director, at 785-825-1366 or cboos@pmma.org. u
One of the Ledys’ granddaughters made a collage that sums up their life together, which has included World War II, farm life, and partner dancing.
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July birthdays and anniversaries Let’s wish a happy July birthday to: Barbara Smith, July 2 Robert Killian, July 3 Jane Ghan, July 10 Mary Havel, July 14 Diane O’Connor, July 17 Loren Marler, July 19 Nadine Griffin, July 25 Dwight Smith, July 27 Bill Grosser, July 29 Happy anniversary in July: Rod and Cecelia Anderson, July 17 Bill and Wanda Grosser, July 21 u
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | July 2021
Employee of the Month: Linda Phelps Congratulations to Linda Phelps, the Salina Presbyterian Manor employee of the month. A certified nursing assistant and home health aide, Linda has worked at Presbyterian Manor for 16 years. “Being raised by my grandparents, I have never wanted to work anyplace but with the elderly,” she said. Linda has four children: Michael, Steven, Scott, and Crystal. She enjoys making tie blankets and has always wanted to take a cake decorating class. u
Linda Phelps EOM June 2021