Salina Community Matters February 2022

Salina Presbyterian Manor

FEBRUARY 2022

From Victoria to Salina Presbyterian Manor Victoria, Kan., is a small community right off Interstate 70, but it has many connections to Salina Presbyterian Manor.

Christian Overturf

Many people know of Victoria because of its beautiful Catholic church, the Basilica of St. Fidelis. The sanctuary holds 1,100 people, just a bit fewer than the population of Victoria.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH:

“That’s if everyone is home for Christmas,” according to Cathy Boos, director of sales and marketing, who was born and raised in Victoria.

Congratulations to Christian Overturf, employee of the month for December. He has worked for Salina Presbyterian Manor for two years and is currently one of our certified nursing assistants.

Kelly Wellbrock, director of human resources, also calls Victoria home, having been “halfway raised” there when her family moved from Russell when she was 13. Her mother is from Victoria and her father from Hays, so Kelly says she’s related to “about half of western Kansas.”

Kelly can spot a fellow Victorian by their trademark “ridiculous German

Victoria – continued on page 3

Christian Overturf

Christian is a proud “fur dad” to Simon.

In his spare time, Christian likes gaming, watching movies, taking care of pets, spending time with family, and working on cars and DIY projects.

When asked what most people would not know about him, he said that he and his mother have 12 cats, so if anyone needs one to let him know.

Christian’s long-term goal in life is to be an emergency medical technician or pharmacist.

Residents and staff members with ties to Victoria include, from left: Bob Mermis, Ernie Windholz, Cathy Boos, Kelly Wellbrock and Virgil Windholz.

We are beyond proud to have Christian on the Presbyterian Manor team! Please congratulate Christian when you see him. u

Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at SalinaPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.

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OUR TEAM

Mary’s Musings

By Mary Bridges, Chaplain

Executive Director Christian Gilbert cgilbert@pmma.org Director of Nursing, Health Care Amanda Dean adean@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 Environmental Services Director Anthony DeLaurentis adelaurentis@pmma.org Life Enrichment Director Lacey Buhrle lbuhrle@pmma.org Social Services Director Kelley Bieberle kbieberle@pmma.org

Encouragement is love in action.

When you encourage someone, you’re helping them develop. When the writers of the scriptures describe encouragement, it means calling someone to your side in order to teach, comfort, strengthen or push them to act.

We all need this kind of active love in our lives, and now more than ever.

For this reason, I try to speak words of encouragement to those who need uplifting.

As I was cleaning out some of my files, I found an article from 2015 that is worth sharing again. It illustrates the importance of being an encourager to all that we meet.

It is a common practice at military academies for the upperclassmen to give new first-year students a hard time. As a second-year student at the U.S. Military Academy, Kansas native Dwight David Eisenhower participated in this kind of initiation. One day a plebe, as freshmen were called, bumped into Eisenhower. Such an act was unpardonable, so Eisenhower responded as expected, yelling and screaming at the young cadet.

Searching for the most demeaning thing he could utter, Eisenhower said the plebe looked like a barber. The freshman drew himself up to his full

height, squared his shoulders, thrust forth his jaw, and responded that he was a barber. It was as a barber that he had supported his family prior to coming to West Point.

Devastated, Eisenhower returned to his room. He retold the incident to his roommate, confessing, "I've just done something that was stupid and unforgivable. I managed to make a man ashamed of the work he did to earn a living." In his autobiography, Eisenhower wrote that for him this was a lesson about "the lack of consideration for others." In his room that day, Eisenhower vowed never to demean another individual again. It was a promise he kept throughout his life, even as supreme commander of the Allied forces during the Second World War and as the 34th president of the United States. He became an encourager, and it showed in the effectiveness of his leadership.

“Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). u

February Birthdays Margie Wilson: Feb. 02 Peg Schroth: Feb. 05 Gladys Reid: Feb. 09 Fred Schroth: Feb. 10 Warren Blazer: Feb. 12 Dixie Delaney: Feb. 15 u

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Community Matters 785-825-1366 ◆ Fax: 785-825-6554 2601 E. Crawford Salina, KS 67401-3898 SalinaPresbyterianManor.org

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | February 2022

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.

Victoria – continued from page 1

The late Gib Urban, pictured with his wife Carolyn, called Presbyterian Manor home for many years.

During his last Christmas season, he sang “Silent Night” in German while caroling.

accent” that is unique to the area, a holdover from the German immigrants who settled there in the late 1800s. Both Kelly and her husband were high school sweethearts who can both trace their ancestry to early settlers of the area.

Victoria natives can also be identified by some of the last names common in the area.

“Generally, within two minutes we realized we’re related in some way, shape or form,” Kelly said.

That dynamic has played out numerous times at Presbyterian Manor.

Bob Mermis, a longtime resident, is a hometown boy, too. In 1944, he graduated from Victoria High School, where he was classmates with Cathy’s uncles.

“I enjoy sitting down with Bob and hearing about stories of growing up in Victoria,” Cathy said.

Another staff member, Maintenance Tech Virgil Windholz, grew up in Victoria until 1968 when he was in sixth grade. He still has family in Victoria. Carolyn Pfannenstiel was his aunt and godmother.

Judy Windholz is a new addition to our community. Her husband, Ernie, is from Victoria. He went to school with Cathy’s mother, Det Younger. Ernie and Judy met at

Cathy’s dad’s gas station in 1960. Ernie still owns land south of Victoria, and he enjoys sharing steak tartare (raw ground beef) with staff members from Victoria.

“It’s truly amazing that we have all these connections at Presbyterian Manor,” Cathy said. “Anytime I hear a familiar last name, sure enough, the Victoria link is there. I feel like I’m back in my hometown again.” u

The late Gib Urban (Victoria High School ’50) called Presbyterian Manor home for many years. He stayed in Cathy’s grandparents’ basement in the winter months when the roads would be too bad to travel due to snow. Gib and Cathy enjoyed speaking German with each other. His last Christmas, he sang “Silent Night” in German while caroling around the community.

Brianna Augustine, case manager for health care, loved having her grandmother, the late Carolyn Pfannenstiel, living at Presbyterian Manor. Carolyn graduated from VHS in 1963.

Turn-of-the-19th-century politician William Jennings Bryan dubbed Victoria’s Basilica of St. Fidelis “the Cathedral of the Plains.”

Salina Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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2601 E. Crawford Salina, KS 67401-3898 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Salina Presbyterian Manor issues Art is Ageless® call for entries Artists aged 65 and older are sought for the annual Art is Ageless® juried exhibit sponsored by Salina Presbyterian Manor March 8–10, 2022. This year, due to COVID-19, the exhibit will be at Homewood Suites by Hilton, Salina Downtown, 115 E. Mulberry.

Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and/or compete for an opportunity to be featured in the 2023 Art is Ageless calendar.

Artists may choose to enter works for exhibit only. For the competition, works must be completed after age 65 and have been completed in the past five years (since January 2017).

There are nine categories, as well as designations of amateur or professional. Entries are due to Salina Presbyterian Manor, 2601 E. Crawford, by 5 p.m. February 18. Contact Cathy Boos at 785-825-1366 to arrange a drop-off time.

Local competition winners will join winners from 14 other PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®) communities to be judged at the systemwide level.

Entry forms and information can be obtained by contacting Cathy Boos at 785-825-1366 or cboos@pmma.org, or accessed online at ArtIsAgeless.org. u

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | February 2022

Activities Corner

Happy February! Watch your calendars for other events and daily activities.

Feb. 1: Women’s breakfast Feb. 2: Catholic mass Feb. 2: Groundhog Day party Feb. 2: MC trip to Salina Art Center Feb. 4: Men’s breakfast Feb. 4: HC Resident Council Feb. 7: Walmart shopping Feb. 8: HC trip to Olive Garden Feb. 8: Wine and treats birthday celebration Feb. 10: Valentine’s Day dinner with entertainment Feb. 14: Dillons shopping Feb. 14: AL, MC, HC Valentine’s Day parties Feb. 15: HC Coffee Club — Starbucks Feb. 16: MC Coffee Club — Mokas Feb. 16: IL Resident Council Feb. 16: AL birthday party Feb. 17: Lunch and Art Center Cinema movie Feb. 18: Dine with Directors Feb. 21: President’s Day event Feb. 22: HC Dine with DON Feb. 22: Literary Ladies Feb. 25: Coffee Club — Mokas Feb. 28: Dillons shopping Feb. 28: AL Resident Council Exercise is offered Monday–Saturday Every Tuesday: Catholic Communion service and rosary Every Friday: Ice cream social Every Saturday: Movies on the big screen in the chapel Every Sunday: Chapel services Stay active, stay fun!

Lacey Buhrle, life enrichment director u