Wichita Presbyterian Manor
DECEMBER 2020
Memory care resident an unexpected sharpshooter Nerf gun in hand, Eloise Reep proved to be an excellent shot.
Spotlight: Ashli Shain
Again, and again, the diminutive memory care resident took aim and made contact with her target, one of the red plastic cups perched on a PVC structure.
Ashli Shain is new to Wichita Presbyterian Manor, but she’s a 5-year veteran of the nursing profession.
It certainly wasn’t beginner’s luck. Eloise told staff about how she grew up shooting with her cousins and uncles in Edna, Kan. “A yellow blinking light is about all there is in Edna. It’s very small,” explained Sue Pancaro, Eloise’s niece. “There’s certainly not much to do there.” Eloise didn’t hunt or shoot skeet, but she did learn how to pick Coke cans off a fence post with a .22 pistol, Sue said. That was just a part of life in a small town.
Ashli Shain
The registered nurse earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Butler Community College, and she plans to further her education in a bachelor of science in nursing program. When staff in the memory care neighborhood devised an elaborate target-shooting game, they had no idea a sharpshooter was in their midst. Resident Eloise Reep learned to shoot pop cans for target practice when she was a girl, and she still has impressive aim.
When she was in high school, Eloise’s family moved to El Dorado. Her father, Arthur Thomas, opened a hardware store and served as the city’s mayor. Eloise and her husband Chuck also went into the retail business and opened a furniture store in El Dorado. Eventually, Eloise’s father opened a hardware store in Wichita, and Eloise and Chuck did the same. Their store was on Maple just east of West Street, REEP– continued on page 2
Ashli’s mother, one of her sisters, and a cousin are all registered nurses, and she has another sister who’s a respiratory therapist. Given the number of health care workers in her family, it may not be surprising that Ashli followed their footsteps. Still, she has surprised herself by how quickly she has grown in her career. “I first became a CNA working in long-term care and fell in love with it,” Ashli said. “I really enjoy the conversations I have with residents. They have such amazing stories SHAIN - continued on page 5
Wichita Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
1