Farmington Presbyterian Manor
FEBRUARY 2020
Barb Corter volunteers to give back to the community.
Resident continues to volunteer after 47 years
Carolyn Gordon, left, with her mother, Helen Gordon.
Love for others inspires donor to give As a child, Farmington native Carolyn Gordon used to perform for residents at Presbyterian Manor with her church choir during the holidays. More recently, Carolyn frequently visited her mother during the four years she was a resident here and got to know other residents and staff. For these reasons, Carolyn Gordon has a special place in her heart for Farmington Presbyterian Manor and shows her love by making consistent donations to our community. “When my mother, Helen Gordon, was living her final months here, there was a woman who lived across the hall. My heart just broke for her because all of her family lived out of state. She very rarely had visitors. She had a very homey room and it looked so warm and cozy. I always tried to say hello and speak to her. I think she was financially secure, but I couldn’t help thinking that there were other residents who weren’t, and I wanted to do what I could to help them stay there,” said Carolyn. GIVE - continued on page 2
At age 88, resident Barb Corter continues to volunteer every Wednesday at Parkland Health Center and doesn’t plan to quit. It’s something she’s been doing since she was 41. “I started working at the hospital when it was first built. I took over the gift shop. When I moved here, I asked a friend to take over my job, but I continue to help her. She comes and gets me every Wednesday, takes me to out to the hospital, we have lunch together and we go through the books to order gifts and price items. It’s good for me. I worked all my life. I need to have something to do,” said Barb. And while the volunteer work has been good for Barb, she also finds VOLUNTEER - continued on page 2
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[health care center], I had to have back surgery and wasn’t able to visit Her love for others inspired her for a month and a half. The Carolyn to start giving to the Good staff were so good about taking my Samaritan Program, which provides calls every day and telling me how funding to assist residents who mother was doing,” said Carolyn. outlive their resources through no The construction of the new fault of their own. Thanks to this program, not one resident has ever Hull Family Fellowship Center is been asked to leave a Presbyterian another thing Carolyn loves about Manor community based on their Presbyterian Manor and another inability to pay. reason for her and her husband to give. Carolyn also has a lot of love and gratitude for our staff. “I am so thrilled for that new GIVE - continued from page 1
“My gosh, they looked after my mom so beautifully. Not too long after mother was moved to the
residents more of an opportunity to contribute back to that ‘home’ experience,” said Carolyn. She also recognized the space as a place for staff to recharge. “I want them to be happy—they are looking after our friends and family.” To date, the Give. Gather. Grow. campaign has raised 91 percent of our fundraising goal for the new Fellowship Center.
addition! Now they’ll have more room to do activities and the outdoors space will give the
If you’d like to contribute and help create a space that will enrich the lives of those we love, donate today at https://www.farmingtongiving. org. ◆
Are you interested in volunteering? Farmington Presbyterian Manor has many opportunities for you.
Call Volunteer Coordinator Teresa Pinkley at 573-756-6768 for more information. ◆
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it’s how she can do good for this community. “Farmington’s been good to my family and I’ve always felt like when I work at the hospital, I’m giving back to my community. It’s a nonprofit and we don’t get paid. I’ve enjoyed it and love it,” said Barb. While reflecting on the many jobs she’s had and enjoyed over the years, including work on the farm as a child, Barb had this advice to offer. “If you want to stay young, get involved in something. It’s the best thing in the world you can do.”
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FARMINGTON Presbyterian Manor
573-756-6768 ◆ Fax: 573-756-6014 500 Cayce St. Farmington, MO 63640-2910 FarmingtonPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | February 2020
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Farmington Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizaton.
To submit or suggest articles: aallen@PMMA.org Jane Hull, executive director Anne Allen, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Preparing for the unexpected death of a spouse By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell for Next Avenue
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 single-payer tax bracket the following year. However, I had learned an important life lesson from my parents when I was just 17; it proved invaluable after Dale’s death and could help you if you’re married and under 60. When I was 17, my father also died suddenly of a massive heart attack at 58, and my mother was thrown into a similar situation. So, when Dale and I got married, 32 years before he died, we bought term life insurance policies. And we always carried extra life insurance through his job. Those decisions saved me financially. An emotionally draining time According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average age of widowhood in the United States is a
surprisingly young 59. That means there are many women who fall into the “donut hole” of not being able to draw Social Security benefits and who may have lost an income that had been essential for paying the bills.
Women are more likely than men to lose their spouse. And due to income inequality, they’re also typically more apt to be in a worse financial position if their spouse dies before they’re eligible for retirement benefits. “Losing a spouse is a horrific event and if it happens unexpectedly, there is absolutely no time to plan,” said Michelle Brownstein, a Certified Financial Planner and vice president of private client services with Personal Capital in San Francisco. One of the key ways to plan for this tragic possibility is to ensure both spouses have life insurance. “Life insurance can really be that income replacement,” said Brownstein. She recommends owning term life insurance. “The earlier you purchase it, the better term life policy you can get and this will allow your spouse to continue to pay the bills without changing his or her lifestyle.”
Understanding the household finances Another key component to being financially prepared in case a spouse dies: ensuring that each person in the relationship understands the couple’s finances and the way the household is run. “After a marriage, one person typically takes the lead,” said Brownstein. “If that person passes, and the other doesn’t understand how the household functions day to day, it can make a very stressful time even more stressful.” Rachel DeCarolis, wealth manager for Northstar Financial Planning in Windham, N.H., said although it may be an uncomfortable topic, spouses also need to discuss how the finances would change if something unexpected happened to either of them. “Talking about how the income would change and how expenses would change could mentally get you in a good place,” said DeCarolis. SPOUSE - continued on page 4
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What one couple did and didn’t think about Barb and Grant Froman didn’t necessarily plan for such an event before Grant died from a sudden massive heart attack at 54 in June 2018. However, the couple had been planning well for their financial future, with the idea of retirement in mind. They had life insurance and investments, mostly from an inheritance Barb received from her mother’s estate. They carried no credit card debt and their home and vehicles were paid off. “You pay on the life insurance year after year, never really thinking about it until something like this happens. And I suddenly looked at it and went, ‘Wow. Thank God for this,” said Froman, 55, who lives in York, Pa.
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Although her only routine expenses are for things like utilities and food, Froman said she hadn’t thought about some other costs. “There were a lot of things Grant could fix that didn’t require us spending money to pay someone, such as oil changes, carpentry, electrical and plumbing that I am finding has to be done by someone else,” said Froman. Froman said she’s been helped by the assistance of an excellent financial adviser. Working with one when you are married can let you see whether you’re prepared for the worst and what to do if you’re not. “Find a financial adviser that is a fiduciary, not one who is trying to sell products,” said Brownstein. 4 Recommendations for widows Here are four recommendations for women who are already widows: 1. Ask your adviser where you stand on drawing survivor’s
COMMUNITY MATTERS | January 2020
benefits. Same-sex couples who are legally married and have been for more than a year are eligible for the same benefits as heterosexual couples. If you have a child at home age 16 or under, you’re likely eligible to draw Social Security benefits for the child. 2. Talk with a financial adviser or an attorney if your spouse had debt that you did not jointly own, as well as any outstanding medical bills. Depending on your state, you may or may not have to pay off that debt. 3. If your spouse was a veteran, see if you’re eligible for VA benefits. 4. Look into joining the local chapter of the Modern Widow’s Club, if there’s one where you live. The 20 chapters of the Modern Widow’s Club (10 more are coming in 2020) seek to empower widows, including providing financial advice from professionals. ◆
November Employee of the Month: Renee Zapp Congratulations to Renee Zapp, Employee of the Month for November. Renee has been a housekeeper for Farmington Presbyterian Manor for more than a year. Shane Bone, Renee’s supervisor, shared why she is deserving of this honor: “Renee keeps the
community looking really nice. She’s dependable, reliable and good with the residents. She’s always willing to help when she needs to. She has a great personality, is always joking and gets her job done.” Thank you, Renee, for all you do for our community! ◆
Renee Zapp
‘Beauty’ shot graces cover of 2020 Art is Ageless® Calendar Artist Vada Galvan from Farmington has been competing in the Art is Ageless® competition for around six years, but this is the first time her work has been featured on the cover. “When I walked into the room for the 2020 calendar reveal party in December, that was a big thrill! There were stacks of the calendar (and I hadn’t seen the cover yet) laying on the table and they looked gorgeous. It was an overwhelming day for this old gal,” said Vada. “Beauty and the Fleece” is the featured cover art on the 2020 Art is Ageless calendar. While the painting was created during the summer of 2018, the idea for it was inspired by Vada’s childhood. “When I was a little girl, we lived out in the country (in Wyoming) across the road from a couple that didn’t have any children. They mostly had a dairy farm, but they kept a small herd of sheep. They liked me. Most evenings, the woman who lived there, Irma, would tell me she was going to go gather the sheep, and she asked me to go with her and help her herd
them to a field closer to the house for the night. I’ve always loved sheep, and I love the biblical idea of sheep. When I feel inspired to paint a sheep, it usually comes from that little well that’s in all of us where the holy spirit resides,” said Vada. While she’s painted some sheep in the past, she’s never painted anything like the sheep featured in “Beauty and the Sheep.” “I have a book on sheep, but they’re so well-groomed in that book they were too nice looking. I wanted his wool to look dirty and yet nice, too, like a Wyoming sheep,” said Vada. Not only does Vada’s work grace the cover of this year’s calendar, “Beauty and the Fleece” also won the judge’s choice and people’s choice awards in the Farmington competition and her Christmas (professional) submission, “Hey, Virginia, It’s Me!” took first place locally and is featured on one of the Art is Ageless greeting cards. “‘Hey, Virginia, It’s Me!’ was really an afterthought. I thought I’d take a canvas and try and paint the center of a Santa face that I remember
from my childhood. He didn’t take me that long. I painted him in January and hurried and got him framed and took him to the contest in February. I was shocked when he won because I did him so fast. Sometimes I work better fast than I do when I drag my heels as I usually do,” said Vada. No matter her painting style, it seems Vada was simply born with creative talent. “I think I was born with a box of Crayolas® in my hand. I was always very particular with my coloring books. I’ve been painting for a little bit over 40 years. One of the ladies I BEAUTY - continued on page 6
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worked with started taking decorative painting classes and didn’t like going alone. She said, ‘Come and go with me.’ So that’s how I got started painting. Now I’ve branched out more into fine arts. I love it! I’ve never had any formal training and didn’t go to school for it. This is my God gift,” said Vada. And we’re so pleased she’s using the Art is Ageless competition to share her gift with all of us. “The Art is Ageless program is wonderful. It gives those of us who are older something to look forward to. We all need hobbies and someone to share a love of something with. It keeps me going,” said Vada. Vada has been married to her husband, Ben, for 37 years and has two grown children and four grandsons. She plans to one day live at Presbyterian Manor while teaching painting classes. The 2020 Art is Ageless calendars are available at the front desk. A donation of $10 is suggested. ◆
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