First vacation leads to a lifetime of adventure
Farming was a tough business when Wayne and Donna Walter were trying to make the land work for them.
“We farmed in Princeton, Kansas, for 28 years and never took a vacation,” Donna said. “In the 1980s the interest rates were terrible and we lost a few crops. So, we decided to take a vacation to Alaska and stayed there for 28 years.
The couple bought a fishing charter boat, and lived in it while they were building a new home in Haines, Alaska.
“The only thing we had been on was a Jon boat in our pond,” Donna said. “This was a 34foot live aboard boat. It was quite an adventure.”
For about six years, the couple took tourists on saltwater fishing trips - fishing primarily for halibut and salmon, as well as setting pots for shrimp and crab.
“We just enjoyed the boat and kept it for 20 years,” Donna said. “It took us four years to get a skipper’s license. We had to spend 365 days on the water, so we’d go out for three or four days at a time and try to find all the fishing spots.”
Now Wayne is 92 and Donna is 88.
“We don’t get around like we used to,” Wayne said. “We used to go fishing and traveling a lot. Some of the hunting and fishing trips I was on were pretty strenuous. I floated the Yukon river for a month. I pretty well spent my life outdoors.”
Now, they’ll sometimes visit their farm land to spend a little time outside. They enjoy visiting family that lives nearby, and going out with friends.
“We don’t drive at night anymore,” Wayne said. “But we still get rides with friends. We still do all the activities we did before.”
“I go to all the exercise things, and the water aerobics,” Donna said. “There’s a selection of things to do every day. We have choices.”
Since moving to the Westerly in December, Wayne and Donna have managed to
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New sales director focused on community
Laurie Jones launched her new role as sales director for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Healthcare in early Januaryand in the weeks since she’s learned there’s not often a “normal” day.
“Not all days are normal, but a normal day is an inquiry from a local hospital, or a call from someone in the community asking about helping their parents move to assisted living,” Laurie said. “I take it from there and meet with the families, assess what their needs are and help them plan their move. There are lots of different moving parts to that. I invite them in for a tour, show them around the different areas of our community, and see if it’s a right fit. If it is, we do the checks, get them moved in, and try to take care of them according to their needs.”
In this role, Laurie is the first point of contact for many families. She doesn’t always know how her day will unfold, but she understands that her role is critical in helping families to feel prepared for the next steps.
“I try to make sure the department heads know the specifics as well,” Laurie said. “For example, if they have a meal they really like, I communicate that. Or if they have a weekly meeting with family - I take those personal points in their lives and we try to maintain that to the best of our ability here.”
Laurie said her previous experience makes her uniquely suited for this role.
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find their way around, meet a number of new people, and integrate themselves into the community.
“Staff is fantastic,” Donna said. “They take care of things quickly. We like not having to cook or plan meals.”
They’re also happy to be living close to their son and daughter, who both live in South-central Kansas, along
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“I have worked for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Long-term care, Memory Care, and Hospice,” she said. “I began senior care about 19 years ago when I lived in South Dakota. My grandparents were instrumental in raising me since I came from a single parent home. They played a huge part in my life. I’ve always been drawn to seniors, and oftentimes they don’t know where to turn for help.”
Serving as sales director for PMMA has given her a chance to honor her grandparents’ memory, while fulfilling her desire to help others.
“It is very rewarding, very much so,” Laurie said. “Both my grandparents are gone so it’s hugely important to keep their memory alive and, in this way, I can help others. It brings me joy to work with families. Every family comes from a different background and different need. Anything I can do to help guide them in making their decision, I take joy in that.”
with the grandchildren who live nearby.
“We have seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren,” Donna said. “All the grandchildren are grown. I love to sew for the little girls. The great grandchildren in Winfield we see a lot more often, but we try to go a couple times a year to see the others.”
Their 68-year marriage has taken them on many adventures - from meeting at Kansas State University, through
When she’s not helping others through her work, Laurie is busy keeping up with her family - which includes a
Wayne’s time as an Air Force pilot with the Strategic Air Command, to farming and ranching, fishing in Alaska, to now, retired, in Wichita.
“We live an altogether different life,” Wayne said. “Retirement is a different life. We have settled in okay. We’re finding our way around, and we’ve visited with a lot of people that have been in here.” u
husband, a college student, and a high school sophomore. u
Resident remembered for her zest for life, after finding complete care at Wichita Presbyterian Manor
When Shirley and Bob needed to look for a new place to settle down in 2015, it was important to them that their new home could provide them with everything they’d need in the coming years. The comprehensive continuum of care at Wichita Presbyterian Manor helped make those transitions more manageable.
“They were Charter members, so they were one of the first to move in,” said Shirley’s daughter Denise Faught. “They started out in Independent Living. ”
“Bob had dementia,” Denise said. “Bob moved to memory care, and that was difficult during Covid. She couldn’t see him in person, but they would Zoom every week.”
In the fall of 2021, Shirley was hospitalized with pneumonia, and Bob had to go to an off-site behavior facility. But he came back to the Healthcare unit. In January of 2022, Shirley was diagnosed with cancer, and moved for a time into the Healthcare unit as well.
Denise and Shirley made the difficult decision to put Bob on Hospice care in November of 2021, and he passed away in July 2022. A few months later, in December 2022, Shirley likewise passed away.
Denise said the family felt fortunate to live in a place like Presbyterian Manor, with high standards of care that
reached across the changes in their lives.
“It was really neat,” Denise said. “Since she lived in Independent Living and was still mobile, she was able to see her friends and do activities. ”
Denise said her mom lived an active and full life - including travels all over the United States, Europe, and the Panama Canal.
“Mom was a school teacher, and primarily taught second grade,” Denise said. “She was inducted into the Teachers Hall of Fame. She loved entertaining. She loved to spend time with family, and she read a lot. She was always attentive to us kids. She was a very giving person. Very active in her church and in the United Methodist Women’s group. She made sure we had home cooked meals and loved to try new recipes. For the grandchildren, she made a fruit pizza. Her relationship with the Lord was very important to her.”
“My mom told me she wanted to move to a place where ‘I don’t have to leave to get higher care.’ That was a big part in their decision for moving there.” u
Residents find fulfillment in giving
For residents Art and Sue Bloomer, there are many reasons behind their consistent donations to programs at Presbyterian Manor.
“I do it partly for tax purposes, but I like to support the units that I belong to,” Art said. “Since I live in PMMA, I thought it would be good for us to donate each year.”
Over the past five years, the couple has consecutively donated to the Good Samaritan Fund, the scholarship fund, and the unrestricted fund. Each donation to the specific area helps residents and staff in different ways.
For Art and Sue, providing financial contributions to causes they care about has been a long- standing practice.
“I went to Emporia State University,” Art said. “I’ve donated to the football and basketball program, and recently I’ve taken up soccer as well. Giving has been a part of my life since I’ve been able to do it. There was a time I couldn’t afford to do it, but since I can afford it, I have done it.”
In addition to Emporia State University and Presbyterian Manor, Art and Sue route their donations to other organizations whose missions align with their ideals.
“I didn’t donate until I could afford it, but when I could, I made the choices that made the most sense to me,” Art said. “It’s been nice to be able to do it.”
In his working life, Art rose to the rank of General during a 31-year career in the U.S. military. The work took him and Sue to many parts of the world - including Japan.
Their son also attended Emporia State University, and now lives nearby in Wichita. They chose Presbyterian Manor because it is close to family.
Art has a special fund set up to manage charitable contributions to as many as 20 different organizations. He said it’s important to him and Sue to help financially support those things they care about. u
Wichita Presbyterian Manor wins 2023 Pinnacle Customer Experience Award!
Congratulations to Wichita Presbyterian Manor for winning the 2023 Pinnacle Customer Experience Award, earned because of positive customer feedback through telephone surveys.
Each month, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.
The graphic highlights recent survey results. All scores are given on a 5point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between January and December 2022, Wichita Presbyterian Manor residents and their families gave the community high scores for cleanliness, providing
safety and security, the move-in process, and the professional therapy they offer.
“I like that if provides everything a senior will need for current and ongoing care,” said one resident. “I think it is just a great place.”
We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their representatives about the care and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service. u