Life Story of Gina Tang - Serenity Assisted Living

Serenity Assisted
Living
Serenity Snippets
April 2016
Dilworth, MN
S p e c i a l p o i nt s
o f i nte re st :
 April Birthdays
 Activity
Calendar
 Snapshot
Photos

Movies of the
Month
Life Story of Gina Tang
Gina Viola Muhle was born in Rothsay, MN in 1916 on April 20th.
She turns 100 this month! There were 12 members in Gina’s family.
They included her mother, Minnie Helsheth and father, Oscar Muhle. Her
siblings were Ole, Norman, Selma, LeVroy, Irene, Ethel, Kenneth, Vernon,
Harold, Evelyn and Orville.
When Gina was little, she lived in a little house North of Glyndon
that had a cellar. Their neighborhood was close to the Buffalo River and
woods. Her bedroom had 2 double beds with 3 of her siblings to a bed.
Gina slept on a cot. Gina’s mother was a housewife and her father was a
farmer. As a child, Gina enjoyed cutting paper dolls, making houses out
of boxes and like to sew and make things. Some of her happiest memories were being very busy.
Gina completed 11 years of education. She attended Glyndon High
School and enjoyed recess. She got tired of “crabby teachers” so one day
she decided not to go back. Then, Gina left school doing odd jobs
workgin and doing house work. When Gina was 17 years old, she got her
first job working in a store in Averill at the counter. The job paid $2.00/
week.
Gina spent most of her life as a seamstress. She enjoyed dancing and remembers
asking her dad for a quarter to go dancing;
she had to beg! When Gina was 17 years
old, she met her future husband, Otto Sunde. Otto was very nice and had wavy, red
hair. Gina and Otto got married in October
of 1935. They lived with Otto’s folks for the
first couple of years, then moved to a farm.
Their first big purchase was the home farm.
One of their most memorable experiences
as a new couple was when things were so simple and living with Otto’s folks. Their best
memories as a couple were going to Hawaii in later years. In the “old days,” it was going
to the Galaxy on Saturday nights to go dancing.
When Gina was 20 years old, she had her first child. It was a girl born in July. Her
name was Janice Darlene. Janice was named after nobody; just out of the blue! Gina
had 5 more children: Sharon, Diane, Warren, Linda, Kevin and John. Gina’s favorite
memories of her children are the boys’ sports; and Linda was the queen of something.
Gina is of Norwegian decent; Ott was also of Norwegian decent. The holidays
they celebrated were Christmas, New Years, Easter and the 4th of July. They always took
the family somewhere on the 4th. They went to Calway for an Native American pow
wow. They never went to a hotel; they would find a vacant cabin and stay there.
Gina also has 16 grandchildren. Gina’s fondest memories as a mother were when
the kids were born and seeing her babies for the first time. Other important people in
Gina’s life were all of her relatives, but don’t ask her the names of her great grandchildren because there are over 36!
Gina now lives at Serenity Assisted Living; she likes it because it is on the edge of
town. She says she picked the best place ever. Gina regularly sees her sons Kevin and
Warren; they live around here. A typical day in the life of Gina begins when she gets up
at 5:30 am. The first thing she does “is what everyone else does, she goes to the bathroom!” For breakfast, Gina eats 2 scrambled eggs and 2 pieces of bacon. Gina spends
most of her day doing whatever she feels like. She gets the most enjoyment of her day
when she can go to something different.
One of the most difficult times in Gina’s life has been giving up her independence
and being able to drive. Of all Gina’s achievements, she is most proud of her sewing.
She could making anything, even hats! The best times of Gina’s life has been “her whole
life because she has never been sick until now.” Gina would most like to be remembered as a good woman who took good care of her family.
You’re Invited...
Gina’s 100th
Birthday Party
Saturday, April 16th
1:00—4:30 pm
Courtyard Marriot
1080 28th Avenue South
Moorhead, MN 56560
*No gifts please.
April Movies
The following movies are scheduled once per week in each building. Please
refer to the weekly activity calendar for dates and times of scheduled movies.
Batman (1989)
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime
with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal
Joker.
The Best of Me (2014)
A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after
many years when they return to visit their small hometown.
Serenity Snippets
April Movies
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England
and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to
fight back as an outlaw.
Serena (2014)
In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George
Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when he
marries Serena.
Jelly Bean Game
Our winners for our Jellybean contest are below. Daughter of Elaine
Oland, Sharon, helped count every single jellybean in each jar.
Elaine’s grandson, Kaden, helped deliver the candy! We know which
apartments we are going to visit this month!
**To keep things fair, Elaine Oland opted out of participating in the competition.
Verna Hvidsten the West
Gloria Skalsky at East
1,714 Total Jellybeans
2,435 Total Jellybeans
Verna guessed 1,675
Gloria guessed 2,634
Serenity News
OUTREACH LAB WORK
Instead of going all the way to the clinic to get lab work done...have it done in the
comfort of your own apartment instead! Talk to Nurse Jen or Nurse Darcie about this
time-saving and comfortable option!
SKYPE
“Everyone has
inside of him a
piece of good
news. The good
news is that you
don’t know how
great you can be!
How much you
can love! What you
can accomplish!
And what your
potential is!
If you would like to Skype with a loved at Serenity...please contact Denise at Serenity
to schedule a time/date to do so!
DO NOT CALL LIST
.If you have a minute, please take the time to register your loved one’s phone number
on the Do Not Call Registry. By registering, you make it illegal for telemarketers to call
your loved one. Check out the website below for more information on registering or to
file a complaint. It takes only a few minutes and saves a lot of confusion.
https://www.donotcall.gov/
TOY BOX
~Anne Frank
Little ones welcome! A toy box has been furnished with fun stuff for the little
ones...help yourself! There are toys in both buildings!
SUBMISSIONS
If there are any news events or submissions you would like to post in our
monthly newsletter, please notify Denise so she can get your news in print! Any
announcements will do.
Serenity Snippets
Joke of the Month
April Birthdays!
1st = Alice Eldred
2nd = Alrene Swenson & Staff Andrew
6th = Staff Susan & Staff Nick
9th = Aggie Barta & Bonnie Bratholt
11th = Staff Tim Anderson
20th = Gina Tang’s 100th Birthday!
21st = Joyce Benson & Staff Dan
22nd = Sonja Tollefsrud
23rd = Staff Heather
Serenity Snippets
24th = Staff Sofia
26th = Staff Kayla
27th = Staff Megan E.
29th = Judy Narlock
In astrology, those born between April 1–19 are Rams of Aries. As the first sign of the zodiac, Arians charge out of the
gate with energy, confidence, power, and zeal. As pioneers,
Arians are unafraid of the unknown. As eternal optimists, no
odds are ever considered insurmountable. Those born between April 20–30 are Bulls of Taurus. Bulls show a steady
persistence in endeavors both professional and personal, and
after working hard, are not shy about rewarding themselves
for a job well done.
Cause
Applause
Serenity has an incentive program for our employees...hear all about it!
-Anyone (co-workers, residents, family/friends, etc.) can make fill out a Cause for
Applause form. These are also found on the board in each building.
-Forms should be filled out when you catch a co-worker going above and beyond their
call of duty.
-Put the completed form in Denise’s box. She will keep copies in your personnel files
as well as notify the administration.
-Each quarter (4 times/year), Cause for Applause recipients will be randomly selected
to receive one grand prize.
-Please nominate your co-workers when they go above and beyond in their work
performance. Excessive or inappropriate nominations will be disregarded.
Thank you to all of our staff for all of your hard work, dedication and respect. We truly
appreciate every single one of you! Check out our section below...we have a lot of great
employees who have bee with Serenity for over 5 years!
YEARS OF RECOGNITION
5+ Years or More
Gretchen Christensen
Renata Krull
Tim Anderson
Elaine Anderson
Denise Tollefson
Richard Anderson
Tammy Tollefson operates the East Campus salon and Karen Milburn operates the
West Campus salon. Here are some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions
concerning the salons.
Prices = Prices will remain the same for both salons. See note below for current
pricing.
Hours = Karen's hours at the West Campus salon are posted on the salon door.
She will be available by appointment on Wednesdays and Thursdays between
1:00-6:00.
Which salon? = You do not have to get your hair done only in the building you
live in. If you prefer one beautician over the other, feel free to make an appointment with that particular beautician. However, Serenity is not responsible for
transportation between the buildings for appointments.
Salon billing = Beauticians are not employees of Serenity. They are independent contractors; they also do their own invoicing and billing. If you have questions or concerns regarding your bill, please take them up with the appropriate
operator.
Women’s Hair Cut…..$14.00
Perm with cut….$52.00
Men’s Hair Cut….$13.00
Shampoo & Set…..$10.00
Color….$50.00
Wet Set w/ Cut…..$24.00
Perms…..$48.00
Sals Gals
Serenity’s Auxiliary Fund!
SALS GALS is an acronym that stands for ‘Serenity Assisted Living’s Gals’ which is our
auxiliary fund. The auxiliary fund is utilized to pay for musical entertainment at Serenity, go
towards various fundraising efforts for equipment for our clients, and other items brought up
by our clients at our monthly Resident Council Meetings!
We collect donations in various forms. There are piggy banks on our dining room
tables...we call them our Treasured Tips. Feel free to drop a small amount if you are joining
your loved one for coffee or anytime.
Many times, memorial gifts following a funeral are donated to Serenity and designated
for a specific project or item. An example of a few of these are the handicap door openers,
pergola, and outdoor chairs at the East Campus. Other times, donations are just made
because it’s a good cause!
We have exciting news! We have officially gotten two iPads
for our Life Enrichment activities and will start being able to use
them immediately! Along with money in our SALS GALS
account, we are now accepting iTunes gift cards to use for
App purchases.
Essential Oils
There’s something new in the air at Serenity. We have been working with
local consultant, Amanda Martens with doTerra to introduce essential oils in an
aromatherapy program in our facility. Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing
therapies in the world today and is defined as the “skilled and controlled use of
essential oils for physical and emotional health and well-being.” The name
“aromatherapy” is deceiving in that the practice includes applications beyond
olfactory stimulation and the diffusion of oils in the ambient air. Essential oils are
produced by the leaves, roots, stems, fruits or flowers of aromatic plants and are
extracted through a process of steam distillation or cold expression. The volatile
aromatic substances contain an essence of the plant form. Aromatherapy has
played an important role in holistic health and wellness practices for centuries. But
recently, its effects have been shown to help seniors suffering from a range of
health problems.
Aromatherapy essential oil diffusers are small devices that send the essential
oil elements into the air. This favorite method for air purification is to use the wellness approach for receiving the benefits of aromatherapy. When we breathe in the
gentle vapors of the aromatic oils, the fresh,
earthy, or fragrant scent not only smells wonderful, but also the relaxing air surrounding us
is healing. You do not need a spa or Japanese
garden to realize the benefits of aromatherapy
softly diffused into your living environment.
Starting our trial, we will be using a
diffuser in the East Campus spa room. If
successful, we will start introducing it to our
other two spa rooms at the West Campus.
Snapshots
Staff Megen brought her new
baby in to visit our ladies,
Margie is pictured here.
Jean, Joyce & Angeline
enjoy an outing to the Pizza
Ranch.
Canvas painting at the
West Campus.
Some of our ladies dying
Easter eggs at the East
Campus.
Snapshots
Sidney dressed up on Easter
Sunday with some of his
family.
The Easter Bunny made a visit
at supper...pictured here with
Virginia and Catherine.
Some of our ladies, staff and their
children at Sunday Service at
Dilworth Lutheran.
Say hello to some friendly new faces around Serenity! Lindsey has interviewed them
so you know a little bit more about them!
Alice Eldred (West Campus)
Where did you grow up as a child?
Alice grew up in Browerville, MN. 20 miles from Sauk Centre.
What was your primary occupation?
Alice did bookkeeping. Her husband sold insurance and was a district manager.
What is your happiest memory(s)?
“When I was getting married. I wanted that so much. I also love having grandchildren…
those little monkeys!”
What is your favorite food?
“I love my junk food and candy. And I really love ice cream!”
Who is your hero?
“My mother. She was very humble. I wanted to be like her so much. She came from
Poland not even knowing English and she taught me everything I needed to know!”
Say hello to some friendly new faces around Serenity! Lindsey has interviewed them
so you know a little bit more about them!
Esther Saude (West Campus)
Where did you grow up?
Esther grew up in Rolette, ND.
What was your primary occupation?
Mostly waitressing, but she was also a bartender at the VFW in Ada for 20 years.
Tell us about your family:
Esther’s husband worked for the Cenex propane plant in St Paul. They raised 5 boys and
1 girl in the Roseau area.
What are your favorite hobbies?
Esther likes to play Bingo and cards.
What is your favorite kind of music?
Country Western
What did you want to be when you were a little kid?
She wanted to be a school teacher.
Say hello to some friendly new faces around Serenity! Lindsey has interviewed them
so you know a little bit more about them!
Edith Gierzewski (West Campus)
Where did you grow up as a child?
Edith grew up in Oakwood, ND
What was your primary occupation?
Edith kept very busy cleaning houses and being a mother.
Tell us about your family:
Her husband was a farmer. Together, they raised 15 kids! 8 boys and 7 girls.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Singing at church and dancing. As a kid, she loved to go sledding at the convent.
What is your favorite kind of music?
The polka and waltz
What is your favorite food?
Chocolate is number 1!! Followed by Chicken with potatoes and gravy.
Gardening
The ladies and gentlemen of Serenity are welcome to continue their hobby
of gardening while living here. Here are some of the guidelines:

Serenity will provide the soil

Serenity can provide the pots

There will be plots” in our raised beds for client’s to sign up

Clients, or their families must be able to care for their own plants

Max of 3 pots per client

Pots will start to become available on May 17th or later
Alice Eldred’s
Birthday
Nail Day!
Arlene Swenson
& Staff Andrew’s
Birthday
Events are subject to change!
Dilworth Dairy
Queen @ 3:30
East @ 1:30
Mass at St. Liz
@ 8:30 am
Shopping
Transportation to
Dilworth Lutheran
@ 10 am
Ice Cream SUNDAY
@ 3:00!
Depot Singers @
2:00 (West)
Resident Council
@ 11:00 (East)
Mr. Sparkle
Window
Cleaning
Staff Susan &
Nick’s Birthdays
VFW for Supper & BINGO
Nail Day!
Mr. Sparkle
Window
Cleaning
Dilworth Dairy
Queen @ 3:30
Communion
w/ Marlene
Appetizer Night @ 6:00
West @ 1:30
Resident Council
@ 11:00 (West)
Transportation to
Dilworth Lutheran
@ 10 am
Staff Tim’s
Birthday
Ice Cream SUNDAY
@ 3:00!
Moorhead
Library @
2:30 —
Sign up
Transportation to
Dilworth Lutheran
@ 10 am
Ice Cream SUNDAY
@ 3:00!
Staff
Sofia’s
Birthday
Transportation to
Dilworth Lutheran
@ 10 am
Ice Cream SUNDAY
@ 3:00!
East @ 1:30
Shopping
Gina’s
100th
Birthday
Party!
*See Invite.
Dilworth Dairy
Queen @ 3:30
Appetizer Night @ 6:00
Gina’s 100th
Birthday
Mass at St. Liz
@ 8:30 am
Monthly Girlfriend’s
Gathering @ 2:30 (East)
Clark Gable
2:00 pm (West)
Nail Day!
Mass at Serenity
@ 10:00 am (East)
Shopping
Moorhead Library @
1:30 — Sign up
Agnes Barta &
Bonnie Bratholt
Birthdays
VFW for Supper & BINGO
Joyce B. &
Staff Dan’s
Birthday
Pastor Mark
2:00 (East)) &
3:00 (West)
Sonja T.’s
Birthday
Serenity’s 10th
Anniversary!
Monthly Men’s
Lunch
(West)
Appetizer Night @ 6:00
Nail Day!
Staff Heather’s
Birthday
Dilworth Dairy
Queen @ 3:30
West @ 1:30
Staff Kayla’s
Birthday
Moorhead
Library @
2:30 —
Sign up
Shopping at
Judy Narlock’s
Birthday
Mass at St. Liz
@ 8:30 am
Staff Megan E.’s
Birthday
Appetizer Night @ 6:00
East @ 1:30
Nail Day!
Dilworth Dairy
Queen @ 3:30
MAY
May 1st = May Day
May 2nd—6th = Clean Up Week
May 5th = Cinco de Mayo
May 6th = 10 Year Anniversary Party, Travel Lodge, Moorhead
**See invite in this newsletter.
May 7th = Kentucky Derby
May 8th = Mother’s Day
May 12-15 = Silver Follies, The Great Ghost Chase, Island Park Theater
May 21st = Serenity & City Wide Rummage Sale
May 30th = Memorial Day
**Business Office Closed
JUNE
June 11th = Staff Anna’s Wedding!
April 22nd = Earth Day
10 Year
Anniversary
WHEN = Friday, May 6th from 11 am—11pm
WHERE = Travelodge and Suites
3027 S Frontage Rd
Moorhead, MN 56560
WHAT = Celebrating 10 Years of Business
Food, Drinks and Swimming on Serenity!
From the Desk of...
Dear Family & Friends,
Ten years ago, Serenity Assisted Living Center, opened its doors with a philosophy of care
that allows aging-in-place...a dream Tim and myself have had our entire married life. As our anniversary date looms closer, we have found ourselves looking at each other and saying, “We can’t believe it’s already been 10 years!” There have been more than one time we have felt like throwing in
the towel, too exhausted to think about going forward, or too frustrated. There have been many
times we have worried if we’d even make it. Luckily, in turn, there have also been times we can reflect on our loving and caring staff, a client that has particularly touched our hearts, and families
that have been eternally grateful that make these past 10 years our most rewarding and challenging
parts of our lives yet. As a family owned business, we strive hard to operate with a "hands -on"
management approach, often having members of the management team available on -site 24/7.
Over the ten years we have accomplished a lot with the amazing staff that have chosen to
work for Serenity Assisted Living. One of our most current amazements that we have accomplished
is the development of our wellness center and program. As this letter goes to print, know that
plans are in the works to renovate our wellness center over at the East Campus by transforming a
portion of the back garage into a motivating space. There will be new garage doors with natural
light and possibly the function of opening into a screen to let fresh air come through. We will also
be tidying up the space and putting proper flooring in. We are so excited for this renovation and to
be an encouraging support system to our ladies and gentlemen to feel their best possible self. If
you are interested in any type of donation, please get in touch with any member of the Anderson family
(Tim, Elaine, Denise, or Richard.) We will be happy to share our renovation designs with you or share
with you any other type of donation that you so wish.
In this newsletter, you can read about the aromatherapy diffuser we have implemented at the
East Campus spa room. We hope it aides in providing a relaxing space for our clients. Tim and Richard
have already planted our Hackberry and Oak tree rows on the West Side of our new expansion and have
incredible plans for completing the new “courtyard” that the expansion has created. Look forward to
some patio lights, an edible garden, beautiful landscaping, outdoor seating and more! Our other wish
list items are to renovate the East Campus spa room (new tile and new, more accessible tub), a second
blood pressure machine for the West Campus, and of course many more things.
Please mark your calendars for Friday, May 6th for an anniversary party at the Travel Lodge in
Moorhead. We will have space available from 11 am—11 pm for food, drinks and swimming...all on Serenity! We’d love to see you and say THANK YOU for helping us have a successful 10 years!
Thanks!
Elaine Anderson, Owner & Licensed Social Worker
218-477-7254
[email protected]
Nurse Jennifer
Nurse Marissa
[email protected]
[email protected]
Health Related
Questions, Doctor’s
Orders, Changes in
Medications, etc.
Health Related
Questions, Doctor’s
Orders, Changes in
Medications, etc.
Tim Anderson
Richard Anderson
[email protected]
[email protected]
Menu & Food, Financial
Matters, Maintenance,
etc.
Billing Questions,
Financial Matters,
Maintenance, etc.
Elaine Anderson
Denise Tollefson
[email protected]
[email protected]
CEO of Serenity,
Policies, Housekeeping,
Laundry, Staff Concerns,
etc.
Operations,
Newsletters, Events,
Marketing, Photos, etc.
Carol Miranowski
Lindsey Goetz
[email protected]
[email protected]
Events, Activities &
Life Enrichment
Household Manager,
Events & Life
Enrichment
Evan Thomas
[email protected]
Identifying ways to
continually improve the
experiences of our
ladies and gentlemen.
Nicholas Kollross
Professionally
planned exercise
programs &
activities
Andrew Vanhavermaet
Professionally
planned exercise
programs &
activities
Times to Remember
Meal Times
Breakfast: 7-9*
*Come at your own leisure!
Lunch: 12 :00 pm
Supper: 6:00 pm
Scheduled Transportation
Varying Time Slots
Newsletters are printed and distributed to clients at Serenity. There are extra copies
located in the entrances of Serenity and are also available on our website. If you would
want a copy of the newsletter e-mailed to you, please contact Denise at Serenity to
make these arrangements.
Serenity Assisted Living, Inc. is located in Dilworth, MN and is unique because the
administration lives on site while they offer you support in your own spacious living quarters. The
administration of Serenity comes to you by the way of Tim and Elaine Anderson. Together, they are
excited to own and develop Serenity Assisted Living, Inc.
We’re on the Web!
www.serenityassistedliving.com