Lawrence Presbyterian Manor
FEBRUARY 2020
Maryann Hartman, HR manager, enjoys spending time with her family, shown here.
Staff spotlight: Maryann Hartman Vernon and Marilyn Chamberlin have been a match since 1953.
Vernon and Marilyn Chamberlin share story of their enduring love The story of how residents Vernon and Marilyn Chamberlin met is all about being in the right place at the right time and having a mutual acquaintance playing matchmaker.
“Vernon was teaching at a high school in Kansas City, and I was in nursing school at the KU Medical Center in 1953. He visited a patient in the hospital where I was training, and the nurse’s house mother was visiting the same patient. She asked him if he’d like to come to the nurse’s Christmas dance, and he asked her to arrange a date. So, we met at the Christmas dance and dated after that for a year,” said Marilyn. The two hit it off instantly. “She was very self-confident and patient. I liked the idea she was in a profession where she was helping other people,” said Vernon. “Vernon gave me a corsage and my formal was net and the corsage kept falling off. I had to go up to the room to get a safety pin and he was patient and pleasant and we enjoyed getting acquainted,” added Marilyn.
Maryann Hartman joined our community at the end of October 2019 as HR manager. She previously worked as a staffing specialist at The Arnold Group for 7 ½ years. While she’s been here just a few months, she already feels like part of the team. “Presbyterian Manor has a strong set of roots and their values are of the utmost importance. We have a great synergy here in Lawrence and at PMMA in general. Everyone is always willing to reach out a helping hand,” said Maryann. In her free time, Maryann enjoys spending time with her family and stays busy with kid sports and school events. Maryann, her husband, three kids, one dog and one cat recently relocated to the Topeka/Tecumseh area. ◆
STORY – continued on page 4 Lawrence Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Celebrate your love for the library Did you know that February is National Library Lover’s Month? There is a lot to love about our community’s library, and we are fortunate to have a former librarian who runs it.
Mary Burchill was the associate director of the Law Library at KU for 15 years before retiring in 1995. Off and on for the next 10 years, Mary and her husband, Brower, worked in Bandelier National Monument—they were both park rangers for one year and then Mary picked up jobs each summer in the bookstore, personnel or gift shop while Brower continued as a ranger. Wherever she went, her experience as a librarian came in handy. “Most parks have a library, so I was introduced to that form of library service. Then, in maybe 2004, we went to the Grand Canyon. I was to volunteer in the library there. When we got there the ranger said,
‘oh, by the way, the librarian has left, and you are it.’ OK, that was a great experience,” said Mary. Mary moved into Presbyterian Manor in 2001, and within two years she agreed to take over the librarian responsibilities and has been running it ever since.
“I enjoy getting books for other people to read. Also, our monthly meetings of the library committee are great fun. We do some business and then talk books. The committee is run by about six people of various interests, so we get a lot of very good ideas,” said Mary. Mary shares that the library in our community is “strictly for recreational reading” and is stocked with books that have been donated. These include war stories, murder mysteries, adventure and spy books, and “nice” stories. In addition, the Public Library visits every Monday morning and brings a selection of books that can be checked out in addition to titles that have been reserved by residents. In addition to providing an assortment of books, our
Mary Burchill community also hosts a book club that meets four times during the Fall and Spring. Presbyterian Manor buys several copies of the titles that can be checked out from the main office. “The titles are usually chosen by the activity director with some input from everyone. The club meets in the recreation room and usually has about 15 people present. The leader (which has been me since Linda was gone for a bit) puts together questions about the title and that gets the discussion started. The span of comments is amazing,” said Mary. All residents are encouraged to join the book club. “Even if you haven’t read the book, it is interesting and will probably inspire you to read it,” said Mary. Whatever inspires you to read, we hope you enjoy National Library Lover’s Month! ◆
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LAWRENCE Presbyterian Manor 785-841-4262 ◆ Fax: 785-841-0923 1429 Kasold Dr. Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 LawrencePresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | February 2020
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizaton.
To submit or suggest articles: cjones@PMMA.org Christie Patrick, executive director Curtis Jones, independent living marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Art is Ageless® exhibit and reception features senior artists Local senior artists will be celebrated February 18 through 25 at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, 1429 Kasold Drive., as the community hosts its annual Art is Ageless® exhibit and observes the 40th anniversary of the Art is Ageless® program.
community.”
Art is Ageless is a trademarked program of PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America). The program offers senior artists the opportunity to share and display their artwork and reaffirms the agelessness of human creativity.
The Art is Ageless exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, February 18 through 25 and feature works from local artists. The public is welcome to visit the community to view the exhibit of acrylics, oils, photography and various other mediums, ranging from amateur to professional levels. Winning pieces at the community level move on to a masterpiece level judging to determine which pieces
“It’s inspiring to see the beautiful pieces these seniors have created,” said Curtis Jones, marketing director. “The joy it brings to them and others is wonderful, and that’s something we want to celebrate and share with the entire Lawrence
The first Art is Ageless calendar was published in 1981, featuring art from Presbyterian Manor community residents. Since then, the program has expanded to include a juried art competition open to all seniors age 65 and older.
are featured in the annual calendar and note cards. In addition to the exhibit, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor will honor local senior artists during a reception at the community at 2:30 p.m. February 27. For more information about Art is Ageless, visit ArtIsAgeless. org. For more about Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, visit LawrencePresbyterianManor.org or contact Curtis Jones at 785-8414262 or cjones@pmma.org. ◆
Nurse spotlight: Tina Silvers The World Health Organization designated 2020 as “the year of the nurse.” This observation coincides with the 200th birth anniversary of revolutionary nurse Florence Nightingale, whose leadership forever elevated the nursing profession. Throughout the year, PMMA communities will shine a spotlight on nurses as part of this global recognition. You can share your nurse story by sending an email to 2020YearoftheNurse@ pmma.org. Tina Silvers has worked in our community as an LPN for more than six years. Working in health care was in her blood.
“I am from a family that has a lot of medical background, so I guess I am destined to do this,” said Tina. Helping others is something that comes naturally for Tina, too. “I enjoy helping others and improving their quality of life. At Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, I enjoy the residents, my fellow employees and being part of a team that provides resident-centered care,” said Tina. In her spare time, Tina enjoys reading and spending time with her family. She and her husband, James, have been married for 20 years. They have three children and a granddaughter. ◆
Tina Silvers
Lawrence Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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LAWRENCE Presbyterian Manor
1429 Kasold Dr. Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
STORY – continued from page 1
They became engaged in 1954 when Marilyn graduated from nursing school and were married in 1955 at the Danforth Chapel on KU’s campus. During their first year of marriage, Marilyn continued worked at the KU Medical Center as a nurse and Vernon finished his PhD at KU. Then they took a job at UCLA for two years where their daughter, Marlene, was born. They then moved to Stillwater, Okla., where Vernon worked at Oklahoma State University, and that’s where their son, Mark, was born. Then they moved to Lawrence in 1963, where Vernon took a job at KU. “Vernon was hired back at KU and specialized in teaching 19th century Spanish literature. He published
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extensively and frequently and presented papers at national and international conferences. He’s also quite interested in German and learned to read Russian as part of his research,” said Marilyn.
Vernon retired from KU in 1996 and Marilyn retired from Lawrence Memorial Hospital in 1995. They moved into Lawrence Presbyterian Manor in December 2019 and are enjoying their lifestyle and friends.
During their years in Lawrence, Marilyn worked as a registered nurse at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and served on the Douglas County Public Health Board in the 1980s. She was also a charter member of the group that founded hospice care in Douglas County in the 1970s. She has a long-standing interest in geology and family history.
“I’m enjoying not cooking and Vernon has been really pleased with the friends we’ve made,” said Marilyn. “We’re looking forward to having the security and services available and not having to maintain a household with all of the responsibilities and challenges,” said Marilyn.
“For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a nurse. I’m not even sure what nursing was or what nurses did, but I never wanted to do anything else. I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Marilyn.
COMMUNITY MATTERS | February 2020
When asked what their secret was to a happy marriage, the couple shared this: “We worked together, trying to help each other,” said Marilyn. “As I repeatedly tell my wife, I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” said Vernon. ◆