This Village Life
Transcription
This Village Life
May 2004 Volume 11 Number 4 A N E W S PA P E R F O R A S B U RY M E T H O D I S T V I L L AG E Residents, Associates, Families & Friends www.asbury.org Give us Grace for Today... Grace Hartley, That Is! Photo: Louise Redding Grace Hartley in her garden at Asbury. By Marjorie McFarland, Diamond race Hartley was born in England near the Welsh border. During World War II she was a fire watcher in London. Her son was born during an air raid. Pretty exciting! But around Asbury, the excitement for Grace is gardening. In fact, the love of Grace’s life is gardening and flowers. And G she is known as an exceptionally fine gardener. Grace moved to Asbury in November of 1992. By the spring of 1993 she had her first plot in the gardens. She has gradually added two more plots. She says she took them on because they were not well kept and she wanted her garden to be in a nice area. Grace has developed 18 different beds within the three plots, and has made paths of wood chips so that she can walk without soiling her shoes. Despite her 95 years, when the weather is good she goes early in the morning to work for about an hour. Sometimes she walks, but more often lately she takes the Continued on page 5 The Ladies Behind Clothes Doors Wilma:“Wilbur is my volunteer. He volunteers for me.” All contributions go directly to the laundry room down the hall from the Clothes Closet, where Ethel Hedrick sees that everything is laundered before being taken to the stock room for sorting. In the stock room any number of a crew of five-June Hall, Edna Hargrove, Yvonne Slygh, Elouise By Jeanne North, Trott verheard one April afternoon in the arcade between Trott and the Crawford dining room: “I got it in the Williamsburg Clothes Closet!” Beth Kilgore, attired in a smart bright red suit, was responding to admiring looks and comments about her new outfit. And Beth is not alone. Many other residents find attractive clothes at bargain prices in the cozy shop located on the ground floor of the Administration building, just down the hall from the print shop. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Tuesday through Saturday, the shop is known on campus and off as a fine place to pick up a good deal. Donations come to the Clothes Closet from all over the campus. People can bring things directly to O Continued on page 8 INSIDE: Some of the Ladies Behind Clothes Doors. l. to r.: June Hall, Elouise Weaver, “Laura,” Wilma Parker, Grace Dauster, Yvonne Slygh. When What You Fear Most, Happens .....................7 the Clothes Closet, unless they’re lucky and live near Wilma and Wilbur Parker in Edwards-Fisher. Says Wilma: “I go out every morn- Saving the Trees....................8 ing and see what’s hanging on my door.” Luckily, the Parkers have a car so they can transport the donations to the Admin building. Adds Russ Weber, Stuck on Stamps! ...............11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER Choices find myself not wanting to watch the news or read the paper. Do I really want to be informed and confronted? I think the morning paper should be the mid-day paper. I need something else to "bring on the day!" Lately, the weather has helped in that process. The sun comes up and I hear the birds singing. I smell the fresh air coming in the open window. I hear the sounds of the school bus coming down the street. Honestly, I am not a morning person, except in the spring. How we start our day has great impact on those around us. How do we effect others? Do we send out a warning before we meet them or are we inviting? I Jim Mertz Executive Director There truly is a "cause" and "effect." I feel we always have a choice. Some may disagree.The opportunity presents itself to us.That doesn't mean we won't experience disappointment and sadness. People will be drawn to us in ways that support us and encourage us if we decide to let them. I am reminded of a bird I saw sitting beside a fallen nest after a storm. In the nest were the remains of the broken eggs. The bird was a meadowlark. In the midst of her sorrow, the Meadowlark was singing a beautiful melody. May we be reminded that there are times when we need to sing or to just listen for the melody. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In the five years I have lived in Asbury Village, I have learned at least one thing: it is a fact that everyone reads Village Life! So I am confident I speak for everyone in my assumption that they, like I, have noticed great improvement in the breadth of coverage since Linda Aber has been the editor.Among other things, I find it interesting and informative to read stories emanating from the Kindley and Wilson residents. Not only have she and her campus-wide crew man- aged to include previously un-emphasized sections and segments of our life here, but she has also approached those stories with unique and interesting twists. Thank you, Linda, and your entire resident staff for making our campus newspaper even more readable and exciting than ever before. Mary Waldon, 419 Lakeforest Mall Presents Asbury's “Greatest Generation” hen Asbury veterans "talk," people listen! In fact, when Britta Monaco, Marketing Director of Lakeforest Mall, read the World War II stories in the January 2004 issue of Village Life, she wanted to hear more. After speaking with Alexis McKenzie, Director of Community and Public Relations here at Asbury, the idea for creating an exhibit showing World War II era photographs and memories provided by residents of Asbury Methodist Village began growing.The end result will be featured at Lakeforest Mall from Wednesday May 19 through Monday June 14. Be sure to visit Lakeforest Mall and see the "Greatest Generation" representatives from Asbury! W 2 May 2004 VILLAGE LIFE Editor Linda Williams Aber Communications Publications Coordinator Asbury Methodist Village 201 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877 301-216-4106 • [email protected] Resident Editors Sally Schear, Kindley Melva Hiatt, Mund Lois Lord, Trott Gordon Allen, 419 Alice Furlong, E-F Resident Staff Building 419: Genevieve Wimsatt Diamond: Marjorie McFarland, Martha Grimm, and Louise Redding Edwards-Fisher: Betty Goen, Joan Dunlop, Mary Rose Wells, Martha Hunt, Dorothy Welch, and Betty Savage Kindley: Betty Rice Mund: Judy Weaver, Winston Taylor and Anne Porter Trott: Marjorie Brugger, Marion Livingston, and Jeanne North (PACs) Villas: Reginald Westlake, and Tom Wilkinson Proofreaders: Jeanne North and Matilda Sugg Design: Electronic Ink Printing: Chesapeake Publishing Corp. “The mission of Village Life is to provide timely, interesting and entertaining news about the lives, concerns and activities of the people who reside, work and volunteer at Asbury Methodist Village.” Village Life is published by Asbury Methodist Village Communications Department VILLAGE LIFE A Diamond Wedding Anniversary By Reg and Isabel Westlake, Villas n April l944 southern England was an armed camp. It was packed with British and American forces, poised for the forthcoming invasion of the Continent. The date and the choice of location lay in the future, but it was known to be not far ahead because all Service leave was cancelled. We were not to know any of this when we had decided on April 20 as our wedding day. Both of us were in the same small British Army medical unit stationed in Oxford. Despite the travel and accommodation problems at that period, we had managed to arrange for family and friends to come from various parts and attend the wedding. The wedding was to take place in Oxford's 12th Century church of St.-Peter-in-the East and was to be conducted by a clergyman friend of ours. But would there be a wedding if we had no I Happy Then, Happier Now There is something new on the wall of the 417 lobby. It is a grandfather's clock, which started out as a jigsaw puzzle! Dorothy Farmer (Mund) was given the puzzle but it was too large for the Mund puzzle table so she sent it over to Diamond. The Diamond puzzlers put it together after much work. Marilynn Grotenhuis (Diamond) glued the pieces together and put in a battery and some wood backing. Look for the clock-it actually keeps time and from a short distance looks threedimensional. Dena Robinson's (Diamond) daughter Betty, who is on a sabbatical from LewistonAuburn College in Maine, spent a few days at Asbury to celebrate her mother's birthday a little early. Dena later celebrated her real birthday in Florida with her son and his family, and Betty went to the Republic of South Africa, escorting five students for a three-week stay. Jessie and Ben Griffith (Diamond) planned to spend time in New Mexico with their children, while their apartment is being renovated. Their grandchildren were playing in concerts and they looked forward to hearing them. Martha Grimm (Diamond) also had a grandchild playing at her college. Martha went to Florida with her family for the special event. It is nice to know that so many young people are getting fine musical educations. Mary Anna Culkin (Diamond) spent her birthday with friends down at Asbury Solomons. ...Easter was a very busy time in the 417 dining room.There were many family groups. One family that came from probably the farthest was Tom Hatsenbuhler with his wife and son John who live in Heidelberg, Germany. They visited Jean and George Hatzenbuhler (Diamond). Son John is an excellent violinist at only 12 years of age. He gave a musical program with his mother on Saturday before Easter, playing in the Purple Circle. Each year during school break the family comes to the United States to visit Tom's parents and every year young John gives a violin recital. It is a real treat....Marilynn and Marshall Grotenhuis (Diamond) spent the VILLAGE LIFE Village Life Bits and Pieces Photo : Marjorie McFarland Marilynn Grotenhuis finds this clock puzzling-do you? week after Easter at an Elderhostel down at Chincoteague and Assateague State Park. Elsa Tutwiler and Alice Smith (Mund), Elizabeth Reeve (Edwards-Fisher), John Nolan, (419) and Charles and Evelyn Kiser (Villas) will leave May 16 on the Asbury 10-day trip to Ireland......Dorothy Murphy , (Diamond) and , Paul and Betty Herfurth, Cathy Hugh, Emma Michaels, and Helen Ferraro (Villas), and oth- May 2004 leave? Fortunately for us the C.O.of our unit was a civilian doctor called up for service, not your typical Army officer. And, bless his heart, he gave us a 24-hour pass to get married. In fact he came to the wedding. And so, after our wedding in the morning and the reception at a local restaurant afterwards, we were able to go for a very brief honeymoon. Brief, because we had to return to the Army the next evening. Now, 60 years later, from war-torn England to the peace of living at Asbury, we've so much to be grateful for. We have just returned from England where we joined our family (none of them live in America) to celebrate our Diamond Wedding Anniversary and to revisit the church where we were married. Now we have returned to join the ranks of other Asbury residents who have passed the 60-year mark. ers will be on the Asbury cruise up the New England coast in June. Of the 49 passengers on the American Eagle, 40 of them will be Asbury residents. They'll stop at Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island. On May 15 Andrew Frazier will be graduated from Virginia Military Institute and commissioned into the Navy. Two bars will be pinned on his uniform, one by his mother and the other by his grandmother, Annamae Frazier (Edwards-Fisher).....In early June, Don and Shirley McKirchy (Mund) will leave for a month in the Northwest. In Salem, Oregon, they will visit their daughter and her family, Pat, Dan and Amelia; in Camas, Washington, they will spend time with their daughter Jeanne and her husband Ron. Augusta Schilling (Mund) didn't want gifts brought to her 100th birthday celebration on March 25, so guests dropped $442.50 for the Benevolent Fund into the basket by the door.....After Earl and Anna Kragnes (Mund) attended an Elderhostel in Pittsburgh April 29 to May 2, they visited Earl's brother Alfred and his wife,Annie A note from Reg Westlake (Villas)-"The hawks' attraction to villa territory continues. Last month I reported that a hawk had descended on our front garden to attack a squirrel but had missed its prey. Today (3 April) we had a different hawk visitor; this time a small sharp shinned hawk. This time the hawk won. Struggling in he hawk's pinions was a sparrow with no hope of escape. Not a pleasant sight of Nature's, red in tooth and claw." On March 31 Dennis Driscoll (Mund) prepared and served a spaghetti dinner in honor of Jack Busch's 85th birthday. Guests included Jack, Marian Fritsch (Villas) Ruthie Swain and Barbara Tenenbaum (Mund) and Allen Coale, (Trott).......The granddaughter of Gerry Jennings (Mund) came in 15th in the Cherry Blossom Festival Marathon, competing with 8500 people. (Compiled by Judy Weaver, Mund and Marjorie McFarland, Diamond.) 3 FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Simple and Better Life inus Mundy has written a book entitled Keep-life-simple Therapy. He practices what he preaches. The book is postcard sized and contains fewer than 50 pages. Now here is a man to whom I am inclined to pay attention! For those who desire an unencumbered life, Mundy offers words of wisdom which, if they are embraced, just might lead to a greater appreciation of the simpler ways of being. In the Foreword, he says that by living more simply, we do several things. We free up our overtaxed personal resources— our minds, our emotions, our spirits—from anxiety and we free up some of the world’s overtaxed natural resources. By living more simply, we shorten our list of “stuff” to care about and that gives us the chance to care more about what and who is left. And by living more simply, we L ▲ Learn to value spiritual things over material things. They last longer, cost less, bring more. open up our hearts to receive and be one with The Source—our God who loves us and wants—very simply—only our good. For you who are interested in what is truly essential for an uncomplicated life, try living into... and then out of...one or more of these wisdom nuggets which represent the whole of what Mundy has to offer. ▲ Don’t let work and play be rivals. While each may have its separate place at times, both can also occupy the same space. ▲ Strive to have access to things, not ownership of them. Possess something and it possesses you. ▲ Reduce life to its essence. It is mostly love that matters... and lasts. ▲ Reduce love to its essence. It is mostly a knowing and being known. Make the effort, do the work, of getting to know and letting your true self be known... ▲ Celebrate the ordinary. Your heart knows the comfort and the beauty in common things. Let it tell your head. ▲ Do not pretend to be anything ▲ Cultivate the simple virtue of patience. Anticipation is not the only reward for waiting. Martha A. Brown Director of Pastoral Care that you are not. That way you can always be consistent and truly free. ▲ Look to nature for nurture. It is as reliable as the God who provides it. Remembering Bea By Linda Aber hose who have been in staff meetings or Media PAC meetings with me have heard my stories about Bea Gudridge. I first met her on Tuesday, January 6, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. in the Edwards-Fisher Library. As the Village Life Resident Editor for the Villas, Bea Gudridge, attended my first staff meeting on that date, and I noticed her ever-cheerful smile and her enthusiasm for writing. She wrote about the Keese School. She collected love stories of couples at Asbury and wrote about them. And then, when her health slipped a bit and she moved to the Wilson Health Care Center, I went to visit her expecting only a social hour. Instead, I found Bea sitting up in bed with an oxygen tank nearby and a breathing tube in her nose. She didn’t want to talk about her health and she didn’t want to lament her unfortunate situation. No, Bea wanted to talk about her next articles for Village Life. In fact, she had two written and ready to go! T 4 One of those articles was her regular Keese School feature. And the other was called,“A View from Inside Wilson Health Care Center.” In her article Bea wrote, “Upon arrival, feeling lower than an ant’s esophagus, I was somewhat cheered by the pleasant room, a friendly roommate, and the mostly smiling multi-ethnic staff...Wilson Health Care Center gets a big and enthusiastic thumbs up.” Bea Gudridge was a good sport all the way. She was also a writer. She had an ear and an eye for a good story and she had the writing skills to produce it. Bea passed away on April 20, 2004. Although our relationship was too brief, it was a meaningful and inspiring one to me.What I learned from Bea is to keep smiling, keep thinking positively, and keep looking for the story in and behind everything. I will miss Bea’s visits to my office and at our staff meetings. But I can tell you one thing, I won’t be a bit surprised if an article arrives in my mail entitled, “A View from Inside Heaven,” by Bea Gudridge. I’ll be looking for it! ▲ Don’t forget that the longing for simplicity is a spiritual longing. Asking for physical things to meet spiritual needs doesn’t work. What Mundy says makes sense to me. Perhaps that is why I think what he offers is wisdom. By George! This Village Life “Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you.You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.” —Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. —Charlotte Whitton Collected by George C. Boddiger Calling all Committee Chairs! May 2004 Please make yourselves known to Lexie McKenzie at x 4113 in order to facilitate better communication, improved satisfaction, and campus unity. Your input makes our output better! VILLAGE LIFE The PAC Front News From Three Partnership Advisory Committees The Legislative PAC Medicare on Our Minds olitics, politics. In this season of war, taxes and electioneering, politics swirl around us like the cherry blossoms that have fallen to make a carpet of pink petals beneath our feet. Through all the discouraging news, the Legislative PAC soldiers on, sustained at its meetings by the delicious homemade cookies brought by Resident Co-Chair Rosalie Silverberg. Keeping tabs on legislative doings at the federal, state, county and local level is the business of the PAC. Key action at its April meeting was the reading—and approval—of a letter prepared by a PAC subcommittee about the Medicare bill. The letter, addressed to Senators Paul Sarbanes and Barbara Mikulski and Congressman Chris Van Hollen, urged that the Medicare Reform and Prescription Drug Benefit Law signed by the President in December be amended before it goes into effect.The PAC letter urged, among other things, that the law be amended to: ■ allow appropriate authorities to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs...; ■ spread out the ‘doughnut hole’ in a progressive way so that benefits do not suddenly stop when drug costs reach $2250, to resume as Catastrophic Coverage only when beneficiaries have spent $3500 out of pocket...; ■ require insurance plans to make known in advance what drugs their plan will cover...; P Peek sponsored by the PAC will open on Wednesday, May 5 and remain open through Thursday, May 27. Don't miss it. the PACs The Security, Reception and Transportation PAC at ■ make coverage for beneficiaries at least equal to that provided to Federal employees and retirees. Will our legislators listen? That, of course, remains to be seen. But speaking up is a prerogative of democracy, and a mission of the PAC. The PAC also heard about the model program PACE, or Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, which aims to coordinate and provide all needed preventive, primary, acute and longterm care services so that older individuals can continue living in the community. PACE applies to people on Medicare and Medicaid and over 90% is funded by those agencies. PACE is not a lobbying organization, but a service organization. PACE started in Oregon in 1971 and since then has been adopted by a few local nonprofits across the country, including one near Baltimore. Just how PACE would affect Asbury is at the moment unclear. As Rosalie often says: Stay tuned. The Cultural Arts PAC A Must-See Show Park, Shop, Be Safe n response to the son of an Edwards-Fisher resident unable to find a parking space in the E-F lot, Asbury security has announced that Asbury Drive in front of that residence for parking.Though unmarked in any way, parking there is legal and acceptable. For transportation service on weekends, call 4006 or 4008 and a car or bus will be provided as soon as possible. The new Tuesday afternoon grocery shuttle seems to be working well. A magnet with emergency fire instruction has been distributed to all residents to stick on their front doors. Shirley Whitman of Trott has joined the PAC. Will security guards make their rounds on bicycles? That innovative notion was proposed in a PACgram from a Villa resident.Wouldn't that give a nice Old World touch to Asbury? Alas, once more practicality intervenes. Since security personnel have multiple responsibilities, including transporting residents, and mail, bicycles just won't work. Can you see residents in a bicycle basket? Not likely! (Jeanne North, Trott) I May is the month! The Arts and Crafts Exhibit GRACE Continued from page 1 shuttle bus. She says gardening is also her exercise for the day. When she goes back to her apartment she rests for the remainder of the day. Grace has always shared her flowers with others. This spring she has brought beautiful daffodils for the 417 lobby desk and dining room desk. She has always bought the best of bulbs from Holland and her flowers over the years have been very special. She regrets that the deer have eaten her tulips and gladioli, hyacinths and purple crocuses, and all the summer flowers. They have even eaten her rhubarb. But, she says, they don’t like yellow. Unfortunately, they don’t like weeds either, so the weeds are a constant battle. In addition to flowers, Grace raises vegetables, and for a time she had raspberries. One hundred dollars realized by the sale of raspber- VILLAGE LIFE Grace Hartley, dressed to till! ries at the produce cart in the basement of Diamond was given to the Benevolent Fund. A number of years ago, Grace had back surgery and had to cut back the raspberries. After her Photo: Louise Redding operation, she hired a company to take her to the garden. She had a bench brought in so she could sit down and she had two young women from the company do what she ordered them to do in May 2004 her garden. At an Open House at the gardens, Grace got a nasty gash on her leg from a stake near her plot. George Oxx ran up to EdwardsFisher to get someone to take care of her injury.That incident precipitated getting a telephone installed in the gardens. Grace’s motto is “Keep the garden well.” She certainly has done that. As a result, Grace Hartley received a “Certification of Appreciation.” It reads as follows: “This Certificate is awarded to Grace Hartley in recognition of the inspiring example she continues to provide in her 94th year, by maintaining the beauty of three garden plots, contributing produce and flowers for the enjoyment of other residents, and for the support of the Benevolent Care Fund. Freeland Memorial Gardens Scott Brewer October 14, 2003” 5 A Family Tree? No, A Family Forest! By Marjorie McFarland orothy Hoopes (Diamond) has a wonderful family. She does not have a family tree-she has a forest, as you can note. As of now, there are 27 great-grandchildren. Her four children were widely separated: Jim wa in college, Pat in High School, Suzanne was in Junior High and Virginia was in grade school. They have always been a very closely Knit family. Jim’s wife has said that this family always had so much fun together, that they would rather be together than have a lot of other people around. James Summers, Jr. has three children. Patricia has four children. Suzanne has three and Virginia has two.You will notice the main branches on the trees. The little twigs represent their grandchildren-Dorothy’s great-grandchildren. Dorothy said there was only one problem-there are many Joe’s in the children’s families. She told Virginia when she started dating, “Just don’t date anyone with the name of Joe, we just can’t handle any more Joe’s.” Dorothy, the matriarch of this family, loves music and dance. She often keeps time with her feet while she is moving around the apartment. Here are the oldest and the youngest of the family. Little Haley Marie Summers was born on February 27, 2004. But Dorothy says there just might be a great-great grandchild in the offing.We will keep you posted. D Photos & Illustration of Family Tree: Marjorie McFarland Dorothy Hoopes, at left, the oldest of the family. Haley Marie Summers, at right, the youngest of the family. Betty Rice Has the Wright Stuff Betty Rice’s mother catches an early flight. 6 May 2004 By Betty Rice, Kindley, as told to the Editor veryone has treasures. To some they may be jewels.To others they may be books or paintings or poems or any number of things. But for Betty Rice, treasure is in the form of a very special photograph from 19ll. It’s this photograph,which shows Betty’s mother, a friend of her mother, and her grandfather trying out the Wright Brothers’ plane on the Mall in Washington, DC on Easter Monday. From left to right, here are Betty’s grandfather, Hugh Morrison, a friend of Betty’s mother, Phebe Stine, the pilot, Rex Smith, and Betty’s mother, Nellie Grace Morrison. It’s this photo and her family history connected to it that has turned Betty into somewhat of a collector of Wright Brothers stories and articles. She’s proud to be the daughter of a mother who’s father, Hugh Morrison worked for Congress once. And she’s even more proud to pass along copies of this photo to her two daughters Marjorie and Janet. For Betty Harlan Rice, a little bit of history means a lot! E VILLAGE LIFE By Paula Strain, Edwards-Fisher he air during the winter of 2002 and 2003 was especially beautiful. A series of continuing snow storms from about Christmas to early March brought a fall of white feathers or silver pinheads of snow, followed by several days under clouded skies in which silvery water molecules evaporated upwards. It was the first Sunday in March that I realized no one else was seeing what I was seeing. Something was wrong with my eyes. I had an appointment with my ophthalmologist in a few days so I waited for it.When I was in his examination room in Bethesda, eyes dilated, Dr. M took one look at my eyes, walked out and didn’t come back for a quarter of an hour. When he returned he said, “I’m sending you down to a specialist in Friendship Heights right now.” I drove down, parked the car, and found my way to a 15th floor office, where the receptionist hustled me into another examination room. For the next two hours, a series of technicians and possibly doctors visited me, saying nothing, but continuing dilating my eyes occasionally. Finally one doctor came in and said,“You have wet macular degeneration.We can’t do a thing for you. Here’s an appointment with a doctor who handles low vision. Good-bye.” In a state of shock, I found my way back to the car and into northbound traffic. I will never know how I managed the 20 miles up Wisconsin and Rockville Pike to Asbury Village without being able to see cars to the left and right or traffic lights. I reached Asbury safely and I haven’t driven a car since. My dentist suggested I get a second opinion. I did and the first was confirmed. But I was offered a possible operation not approved by Medicare. I was hopeful. I had the operation, but it did no good. I went to Asbury’s Care Management Office and asked what Asbury might do for me. “Not much,” I was told, but the on-campus occupational therapist was sent to my apartment to take the handles off of my stove burners and mark my doors with tape so I could find the lock.They also recommended the Upper Montgomery County Low Vision Support Group which meets in the Senior Center in Gaithersburg twice a month. But how was I to get there? In April I was feeling quite low as my sight was getting dimmer and T VILLAGE LIFE When That Which You Fear Most, Happens “When I was especially despondent I stood by the waist-high railing on my balcony, which is there to protect the elderly. I knew I was agile enough to climb over and drop off to hit the ground eight floors down. Then, I looked over the railing. Just below me was a tree in brilliant white blossoms. I would hit that tree when I fell and ruin the blossoms. I couldn’t do that.” —Paula Strain dimmer, and my mail more difficult to read. When I was especially despondent I stood by the waisthigh railing on my balcony, which is there to protect the elderly. I knew I was agile enough to climb over and drop off to hit the ground eight floors down. Then, I looked over the railing. Just below me was a tree in brilliant white blossoms. I would hit that tree when I fell and ruin the blossoms. I couldn’t do that.That’s when I knew I was not going to commit suicide. Finally, in May the time for my appointment with Dr.A arrived. He and his technician provided me with half a dozen local sources from which I might find some form of help.The most useful was that of the Maryland Social Workers for the Blind, two of whom served Montgomery, Frederick and possibly Washington Counties.They provided me with a white cane and some training in how to use it to cross streets and move in traffic. They also gave me other help, such as marking my microwave and attempting to get me free 411 directory service. After considerable effort they were unable to do so primarily because at the time Asbury had a contract with a telephone company which did not admit to providing that service. (After considerable contact with Administration I have since learned that free 411 service is available to any resident, not only those with low vision!) My eyes continued to deteriorate.What I could do on Thursday I couldn’t do on Monday.And what I could do on Monday I could certainly not do by Friday. I organized my piles, my desk, and my habits. I began to put my apartment keys in the same place every time I returned to the apartment. I collected my phone numbers and put them in a more readable list. At the end of June I sent a sizeable check to the Cross Creek Cemetery Association for the maintenance of the Strain family cemetery and the family lots in the local church yard. That check was neither acknowledged nor cashed. I assumed it went to the dead letter office. That convinced me that I needed help in my business matters. I got weekly help in typing my letters, checking my clothes for food stains, and labeling my frozen foods so I would know how long to cook each item. I also got someone to act as my legal representative in case of necessity. During the summer and fall I continued to take my mail down to the magnifying machine in the E-F library. Eventually that became impossible to use. So I moved to May 2004 the stronger machine in the Resource Library at Rosborough. That too eventually became impossible to use. Meanwhile, I had been trying to avail myself of the Blindness Rehabilitation Program of the U.S. Veterans Administration, which I’d been told about by Dr. A. and a friend. But federal bureaucracy moved slowly, and it was not until March of this year that I was called one Wednesday afternoon and told that I could go up to West Haven, Connecticut the following Wednesday and enroll in the program. I was to take five days of clothes and three months of medicine for an indefinite stay. I went up to Connecticut on the train by myself. Fortunately, it was through train. I entered four weeks of very useful training. It included practice in walking through traffic, in the skills of living, such as pouring coffee without spilling it, threading needles, and also in using other gadgets and machines. I returned to Asbury loaded down with talking clocks, a talking calculator, and an optical character reader, which is supposed to be able to read printed or typed material back to me. I am settling in with all this equipment and trying to continue living independently. I will still have to depend on the receptionist for sorting my mail and at least removing the “please contribute” letters from my mail. I am not yet sure whether the new information about the free 411 service will ease my telephone problems. Up until now I have been limited to making calls only between 10 and 4 on weekdays when I can ask the receptionist to tell me the number I need and return to my apartment, muttering the number as I go, to make the call. Another problem I have is that I cannot recognize people who address me by name, whom I do not know, because I’ve never seen their faces. I wish they would say, “Hello, Paula, I’m so and so,” but few think to do so. I can’t carry a tune, so recognizing voices is also difficult. Asbury is a very helpful place for people with low vision. But there’s work to be done. For example, the Asbury bulletin boards and television channel remain blanks as far as I’m concerned. But I have heard rumors that something may be done to make them available to people like me. I have hope. 7 By Genevieve Wimsatt and Louise Ebbett Redding his is the story of a Norway spruce and two dogwood trees which were saved when bulldozers started clearing the site for the 419 Building in December 1997. Today, the trees are alive and well on campus thanks to well-known campus photographer and resident, Louise Redding of the Diamond Building. Back in the early to mid 1990’s when planning for Building 419 was underway one stark fact became evident. The land where the building would have to be was home to a fine stand of mature trees. Neighbors, especially in the Diamond Building, were extremely concerned about what would happen to “their”grove, which covered the area from the 417 building west to Russell Avenue and north to Odenhal. Ground breaking ceremonies were held on November 18, 1997, and it was learned that the site would be cleared of all trees even those near the roadside.This news brought great consternation to all residents.To Louise, who had spent so much time among these trees studying and photographing them, it was devastating: “I walked the grounds trying to imagine the changes.Then one day on the top of the hill near the contractor’s construction quarters I came upon this glorious Christmas tree. It was so near the bulldozers that I knew it would be taken. I had the urgent idea to try to save it.Yes, I wanted to save just one tree! I enlisted the help of two of the Asbury Clowns (Betty Goen, Edwards-Fisher and Cathy Hugh,Villas ). I photographed them in full regalia as they paraded around the tree with colorful bal- T How Campus Trees Were Saved From Bulldozers Photo: Louise Redding Cathy Hugh and Betty Goen send in the clowns to make a serious statement-”Save Our Trees!” loons and banners ) to publicize its plight. “With photos in hand I appealed to the Administration, ‘When so many trees are to be destroyed, couldn’t just ONE be saved and placed out of harm’s way?’ “Finally, in late November, to my delight ,I learned that the answer was affirmative, that moving CLOTHES Continued from page 1 Photo: Joon Kim Ethel Hedrick—For the countless hours she has devoted to work at the Clothes Closet, as well as for her other volunteer jobs, Ethel was given the prized Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award at the volunteer appreciation day ceremony in the Rosborough Theatre last month. 8 Weaver and Wilma-sorts the items to check that they are good enough for sale in the shop. “We see what’s needed in the shop,” explains Wilma, “store seasonal things in the attic, bring things down when seasons change.” Elouise Weaver dresses the mannequin-whom she named Laura, after the First Lady-in fashionable outfits. Anything not considered appropriate for the shop is sent to one of several local rescue missions or churches. People stumble into their jobs at May 2004 arrangements could be made and that not one but three trees would be saved—my little Christmas tree, together with two beautiful dogwoods—one white and one pink. Henceforth they would keep each other company between the two Asbury ponds.” In a bitterly cold December dawn bulldozers rolled in and within a few hours the woods on the building site were completely demolished. It was most disheartening to the residents who had gathered. But wait, a new work crew appeared. These professional tree movers proceeded to dig up, wrap with great care, transport regally in the buckets of the bright yellow tree-moving equipment, and replant the three trees! Excitement among spectators grew as this work progressed. With residents watching the operations at the digging and planting areas were Mrs. Ruth Steen and her husband Dick, of the Diamond Building and the Wilson Health Care Center. By dusk, the mission of the day had been accomplished. All three trees had been carefully moved to new homes out of harm’s way. Now, five years later “little Christmas tree” with friends white dogwood and pink dogwood are living reminders of one of the major changes woven into the tapestry of campus history. So, we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the fine user-friendly apartment building which is 419. We honor the handsome grove of trees which it replaced. We especially delight in the Asbury tradition, which continuously enhances our beautiful landscape and has given us many new trees, not only on site 419 but throughout the campus. the Clothes Closet, Mund:“I moved here eight years ago in June, and started a month later, after Bonnie Fansler insisted I go there with her, Next thing I knew I was working as a cashier. I said ‘I can’t possibly do that!’ but Mildred Seymour said ‘Oh, you can do it.’” Yvonne still works as a cashier, but also serves on the 9-person Steering Committee that manages the shop: Bettina Curtis, June Hall, Ethel Hedrick, Wilma Parker,Yvonne Slygh, Rachel Thrasher, Elouise Weaver, Helen Williams and Lillian Zinser. The Committee meets every other month with Joni King of the Asbury Foundation to review the Continued on page 9 VILLAGE LIFE By Genevieve Wimsatt, 419 uilding 419, smallest and youngest of the Asbury Village apartment dwellings, recently turned five. Its residents are celebrating with characteristic zest for they have much about which to be positive. The program held on May 1, 2004 in the 417 Auditorium included a variety of events which showcased the talents of those who call Building 419 ‘home.’ Well known personages associated with 419 were on hand to reminisce.A musical interlude featured Bob and Irene Stuart and a quartet revealed what ‘Mr.Asbury Dreams’. A power point presentation by Bob Bernero detailed intriguing aspects of the Building’s history. Delicious party foods and libations completed the party. Building 419 differs architecturally in important respects from the four previous campus apartments. Differences were dictated by site peculiarities but the contractor’s imaginative solutions to B First 419 Resident Council. Seated left to right: Mitchell Wendell, Frances du Bois, Keith Steele, Carolyn Harwood. Standing left to right: Harmon Shaw, Carol Barquist, Mary Waldron. Building 419 Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary the problems, resulted in an unusually resident- friendly building. There are no long narrow corri- dors—no seemingly endless walking to get to where you want to be! The unusual “Y” shape permits short corridors and readily accessible public spaces which bring residents together as they go about their daily activities. The first floor community room and the library, together with the well appointed lounges on every floor, are magnets for occupants and have contributed much to the development of the fine feeling of camaraderie among residents. From the earliest arrivals onward, residents have proved to be talented and decisive. Within four months they had written and approved a constitution and bylaws, drawn up and approved a slate of officers. They became active volunteers not only for Building 419 but also for campus wide activities. Now, on their Building’s fifth anniversary and recognizing that The Golden Years are not continuously golden they still make one comment with great frequency—I am glad that I am here! CLOTHES Continued from page 8 months’ work, discuss policy (debits, credits and so forth) and look for ways to improve the workings of the Clothes Closet. In May, Debi Peeks will be taking over as liaison between the Foundation and the Clothes Closet. For the shop, space is a problem.“In the early days, says Wilma, we didn’t get so many donations.” Now, with the expanded campus, donations have increased. Just last month, more than 40 pairs of shoes were delivered from a single donor. Says Yvonne Slygh: “We get so much stuff in we could use a larger shop. Unfortunately no more space is available.” For some on the Committee, the best part of working at the Clothes Closet is being able to look through the big bags of goodies that come in and find prized labels and fine clothing; for others, it’s meeting the customers who come in, sometimes to buy clothing to send to their “home country;”for all, it’s the enjoyment of the camaraderie and esprit de corps that has developed among the friends who spend hours each week doing work they believe in. Says Yvonne Slygh:“We all think it’s the most worthwhile thing to do because it helps those in need of help. Our money goes up into the Benevolent Fund.” And indeed, at the end of the day, the cashier on duty carefully counts the cash and delivers it to Cassandra Hoye in the Foundation office. Since March,1989, when Zelah Conley, Erna Gisriel and Mildred Seymour launched the Clothes Closet, the enterprise has contributed more than $238,000 to the Benevolent Fund. VILLAGE LIFE Photo: Louise Redding Louise Redding and her camera capture Mother Goose and her little goslings on film. Notice how the mother gives Louise a “Hiss Boo Bah!” as she shields her babies from fine feathered fame! May 2004 9 One for the Books! By Vivian Otto ne thing certain about the residents of Asbury, we’re an intelligent and well-read community and the success of the AAUW Book Sale the week of April 12-17 is pure proof of that fact! Asbury Methodist Village cooperated with the Gaithersburg Branch of the American Association of University Women in allowing them to hold their annual book sale in Rosborough Center. The turnout was grand and so were the profits. The Branch of AAUW is exceedingly grateful, as their net from book sales was $6500, which will go for scholarships for women doing graduate studies. This is the largest amount the group has realized in 25 years and the co-chairmen attribute it to the location and the Asbury residents who came the day before the sale officially opened and bought over $1,000. On opening day, book dealers started arriving at 6:30 a.m. They were grateful that we allowed them inside as other locations kept them outside whether it was raining or cold. Thirty-seven persons worked over 300 hours sorting, selling and cleaning up. We are extremely grateful to Asbury per- IN MEMORIAM O 10 Resident Altha “Bonnie” Stewart Harriet Johnson Jon Linthicum Ann Torrey Eleanor McIntosh John Brown sonnel — grateful to the/ maintenance crew who setup the 40 tables, emptied trash and took books that could not be sold to the recycle location, to the grounds crew who assisted in putting in the direction signs to the sale, to the food department who had extra food on hand to sell to workers and attendees, to security who were ready to help if the mob got too large, to Community Relations Office who assisted in our publicity and finally to Jerry Hart who supported and aided us in many different ways. When you start cleaning your bookcases out this summer, remember to call Vivian Otto (5299) in the Diamond Building or Carolyn Iverson (6966) in Trott. We are starting now to collect for another book sale in March 2005!! (Easter is early.) Facility Date of Death 419 March 13, 2004 WHCC March 16, 2004 419 March 17, 2004 Villas March 21, 2004 Diamond March 21, 2004 WHCC/Kindley March 25, 2004 Elvin Howard WHCC April 4, 2004 William Kubicek WHCC April 5, 2004 WHCC/Kindley/Home April 6, 2004 WHCC/Kindley/E-F April 7, 2004 Betty Miller Robert Wooden Lyle Faxon WHCC/Kindley/Mund April 8, 2004 Martha Burdette WHCC/Kindley/Mund April 8, 2004 Edith Hitz WHCC/Home April 9, 2004 Jane Wyatt WHCC/419 April 12, 2004 Judge Wingate E. Underhill Kindley/Home April 12, 2004 Frank Luff April 17, 2004 Ruth Loevinger Diamond 419 April 18, 2004 WHCC April 19, 2004 Margaret McDaniel WHCC/Home/E-F April 19, 2004 Beatrice Gudridge WHCC/Villas April 20, 2004 Richard Reardon WHCC/Trott 4-22-04 Harold Koeln WHCC/Kindley 4-25-04 Anita Lambe WHCC/E-F 4-27-04 Kindley/Villas 4-28-04 Elizabeth Carmichael Louise “Bunny” Stever May 2004 VILLAGE LIFE By Reg Westlake, Villas uss Weber and his wife Phyllis are among the original residents of Diamond, having come when it opened in 1991. Soon afterwards Russ started his volunteer work for Asbury and has continued ever since, aided much of the time by Phyllis. He took on the job of Treasurer for Diamond’s Resident Council and holds it still. Later, he became the CCAV auditor for a couple of years and has assumed it again more recently, together with that for the 419 Council. To complete the score he is also currently the Treasurer for the Asbury Guild. These positions fall naturally to Russ because for many years he was with Price Waterhouse. As light relief Russ was in the square dance and line dance group in Campus Capers for a number of years. Then he and Phyllis worked in the Clothes Closet in Williamsburg Lane, that wonderful source of good quality attire at very low prices, and all run by volunteers. Russ is well known nowadays for running Asbury’s postage stamp recycling project for the Benevolent Fund. The project was started in 1997 by Ann Torrey of the Villas, asking for volunteers from each building to help her. Russ and Phyllis are stamp collectors and joined Ann in her work. They were the collectors for Diamond and 419 when dear Ann died in March this year and Russ took over the complete running of the project. It raises considerable proceeds for the benefit of the Fund; over the years its contribution has amounted to nearly $6000. . Each building has a collection box, which the collector for that building clears. After doing any necessary trimming (assistants welcome), the collector sends the contents to Russ’s apartment. Considerable quantities also come in from Methodist churches in the region. The stamps are sold by weight and the dealer requires them to be trimmed to a quarter inch margin. For stamps from other countries R RUSS WEBER HE’S STUCK ON STAMPS! this is not required and the whole envelope or postcard is sufficient. The Weber apartment becomes a stamp depot where Russ and Phyllis sort through the stamps and bag them up. Fortunately they have some storage space in the Diamond Arts and Crafts Room, which was just as well recently when as many as 18 bags, each weighing 6 pounds, had accumulated.The dealer comes, buys the stamps and the Benevolent Fund gets another valuable contribution. But Russ says that, good though it is, there is potential for a lot more. Travel Committee Day Trips and Tours Date Event Contact May 21 Kennedy Center National Symphony Otto (x5299) If not, then why not? May 26 Arena Stage “Orpheus Descending” Curtis (x5657) Contests, news, information, comedy, drama and words of wisdom and inspiration! June 4 Kennedy Center National Symphony Otto (x 5299) June 12 Olney Theatre “Necessary Target” Allen (x 6660) Are you watching Asbury View? By Asbury and for Asbury. Weekdays. Everyday. Be in Touch with Asbury View VILLAGE LIFE Throwing stamped envelopes into the trash is throwing dollars away. All that is needed is to get into the habit of tearing off a domestic stamp neatly, or saving the complete envelope or card with an international stamp, and when enough have been gathered take them to the building’s collection box. Postcards are particularly desired. It all means money for the Benevolent Fund.Associates in particular, many of whom receive correspondence from their home countries, could be a rich source of stamps for the project Russ, with his Price Waterhouse background, is also the longest serving member of the Finance PAC, where he brings an eagle eye to bear on the Administration’s budgets and financial reports and accounts for Asbury Methodist Village, and is known for his keen questions. In addition to all their work for Asbury he and Phyllis have spent many years in an outside volunteer activity which is very dear to their hearts and continues to this day. Every Friday, all year round except when snow closes the road, they journey to Harpers Ferry where they work in the office of the Appalachian Trail Conference, the largely volunteer non-profit body of enthusiasts that is responsible for the maintenance and proper use of the Trail. Many years ago Russ first met Phyllis on the Trail. Now they have been married for 27 years. Spare time? Russ is too busy putting his recently acquired stamp project on a solid footing to have much of that. Russ definitely gets our stamp of approval as a first-rate volunteer! May 2004 11 WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS Lois Lord photograph Betsy and Burton Rush Trott 413, x4848 Betsy and Burton Rush came to Asbury from Ossining, N.Y. Betsy grew up outside of Boston, graduating from Cambridge School in Weston, MA; Vassar, with a BA, and Columbia, with an MA. Butron lived in Brooklyn, NY, graduating from Erasmus Hall High School, Columbia College, with a BA and Columbia Teachers’ College with an MA.They met and married in New York City, lived in different suburbs while Burton commuted into New York City to work. After teaching for two years, Burton joined the Pictograph Corp and soon started the Graphics Institute with a partner. They agreed to separate and Burton became owner and director of Visual Services, providing charts, maps and graphs for major textbook publishers. Betsy worked at the foreign desk of United Press during WWII. Then she mothered their four children. When the youngest was 6, she became a children’s librarian at Ossining Public Library for 20 years. The entire family traveled on a 7-week camping trip across the U.S., and the next year went camping across Canada. The couple enjoyed traveling, visiting over 40 countries, including Egypt and China, and European countries. While traveling, Burton became interested in photography. He has had five solo photography shows, and began giving illustrated slide talks, based on their travels, to ten retirement and community organizations. Betsy was a member of the committee which selected the 1973 Newbery and Caldecott Awards for outstanding children’s books. Her favorite hobbies are reading, walking, tennis and bridge. For 20 years she volunteered in the library of a school for emotionally and mentally disturbed children and gave book talks. Betsy also volunteered in a nursing home, playing bridge with the handicapped. Burton handled tennis instruction at a club and played in tournaments, sometimes in doubles with Betsy. One son lives in Chevy Chase, two in Leesburg,VA and their daughter lives in CA. They are interested in participating in campus activities, especially bridge. (Lois Lord, Trott) Parker and Janet Dorman Bldg. 419 219, x 4909 e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Parker Dorman and Janet moved into Asbury on March 31, 2004. Parker was born on July 13, 1922, in Washington, D.C. He attended Western High School and then Amherst College in the class of 1944 but, because of the war, graduated in 1943. Janet English was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, on December 20, 1922 and attended Smith College. Like Parker, she entered in the class of 1944, but graduated in 1943. Having met at a summer camp in 1937, they married at the end of 1944. Parker signed up with the Navy, but finished college and started medical school at the University of Maryland before being called to active duty. After completing medical school and an internship he was commissioned and spent two years during the Korean war on a Navy transport ship in the Pacific. He specialized in Urology, entered practice with his father and brother in Washington and Bethesda, and retired after 40 years. He belongs to and has presided at, the Southern Society of Urological Surgeons and the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association. He was on the clinical faculty of Georgetown University Medical School and headed their residency training at Suburban Hospital. After college Janet spent a year as a laboratory assistant at Princeton, working with 12 Betty Goen photograph Mike Hua photograph newts (salamanders). She and Parker have six children and 11 grandchildren, and their family is their main preoccupation, Parker keeping written memoirs.They have traveled together to several countries for his medical meetings and also on ElderHostel trips. They have generally spent their summers at a family home on the shores of Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, Maine, very near to where they met. For the past 11 years they have spent part of each winter in Barbados. They are both active in the Bethesda United Church of Christ. Parker has served on the Board of Bethesda Cares and was previously a driver for Bethesda Help. He is active in the Bethesda Kiwanis club, which raises money to assist children’s programs in Montgomery County. He is a fund-raiser for Amherst College. Janet worked at the Montgomery County Volunteer Bureau placing volunteers where they were needed. She belongs to the Washington Smith Club which raises scholarship money. Parker and Janet used to bicycle together which they both enjoy. May 2004 Ethel Willcoxon Edwards-Fisher Apts. #411, X5314 Ethel Willcoxon felt the warm and caring atmosphere at Asbury was just what she needed when she moved here on February 27. She was recovering from a broken femur and while she had excellent family support, she knew this environment would be helpful. She was born in Pinetown, North Carolina and moved to Washington, D.C. to help in the war effort. She began at the Commerce Department, moved on to the War Department and was in the fourth year of employment at the Home Loan Bank Board when she met and married her husband. Ethel was a stay-at-home mom for five years raising two children, Robert and Jackie. She resumed her government career at the National Institutes of Health where as receptionist and conference coordinator she met many of the famous medical personages of the era including the renown heart transplant surgeon Michael DeBakey. She retired after twenty years of service. VILLAGE LIFE WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS Travel has a big appeal for Ethel and she has combined this with helping with her three grandchildren’s child care; both at home and overseas. Before her mobility was restricted she was an avid walker and hopes to become one again soon. Her religious affiliation is Catholic. Ethel was fortunate to have known some friends who became Asbury residents and their recommendation led her to move here. (Joan Dunlop, E-F Reporter) Betty Goen photograph Agnes McDermott Trott 404, x4731 Betty Goen photograph Edna Proschan Edwards-Fisher Apts. 409, X5254 Edna Proschan was looking for “a view” when she moved into apartment 409 of Edwards Fisher on February 13, and she found it. She was born in Asheville, North Carolina and received a BS in psychology from the University of Washington in 1963, followed by a BS in nursing from Florida State University in 1974. She has always worked outside the home, often holding office type jobs.At one time Edna was a computer operator although she claims not to be “computer literate.” She was House Supervisor at Gadsden Memorial Hospital in Quincy, Florida from 1980 to 1985. Edna’s hobbies are reading, nursing and ballroom dancing.At leisure she indulges in spirituality (hardly a hobby). Although she was raised a Southern Baptist she is studying to convert to Judaism. Her volunteer work centered around nursing and answering the Crisis Hot Line. Edna is the widow of Frank Proschan, the famous mathematician. She has a daughter who is the mother of twin girls and a son who has two boys. Edna decided to move to Asbury because. [COPY MISSING HERE?] (Joan Dunlop, E-F Reporter) VILLAGE LIFE Agnes Harding McDermott was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and grew up in the Scranton area. She graduated from high school in Pittston, then started nurse’s training at the Pittston Hospital. After about two years there, she got tuberculosis-as did some other nurses at the hospital-and spent 11 months in a TB hospital in rest and recuperation. After the death of her mother, she decided not to continue nurse’s training. In 1947, through a friend from the hospital, she met James McDermott, and in 1950 they were married. Mr. McDermott, who served in World War II in Manila, worked for Bell Telephone. After 15 years, Agnes’s husband asked for a transfer, and they moved to Maryland. They spent 8 years in Wheaton and then moved to Rockville. Her husband died last October, and after that Agnes’s children urged her to move to Asbury. She moved in on April 9, 2004. Agnes has seven children, all of whom live in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. She has nine grandchildren, two of them girls. From 1972 to 1986, Agnes worked with the government, with the weather service, where she was in personnel. She was fond of reading and writing and decided to take courses at Montgomery College. Three weeks before her 60th birthday she graduated with an Associate’s degree. Besides reading,Agnes loves music. She had a piano, and started to take lessons. Unfortunately, about that time she developed macular degeneration. She joined a group at the Jewish Community Center in Rockville, and signed up with Metro Access. She plans to go to the LowVision group on campus. Now that she is unable to read, she listens to books on tape. Agnes is Roman Catholic and enjoys being able to walk to the Health Care Center for Mass. She very much enjoys Asbury’s beautiful campus and the lovely view from her corner window. She appreciates the friendliness of people at Asbury and the willingness of residents to go with her to church, invite her to dinner, and help out in little ways. (Jeanne North, Trott) May 2004 Mike Hua photograph Mary Ann Diamond 1101 Diamond, x4795 Mary Ann moved to Diamond January 16,2004. She was born in Washington, D.C. and educated at the Campus School-Academy of the Holy Cross-Trinity College. She worked for the CIA from 1953 to 1955. From 1980 through 1983 she worked for the Navy Alcohol, Safety Action Program. From 1986-1999 she was Assistant Director of Diocesan Relations at Catholic University. Mary Ann’s hobbies include needlepoint, knitting, scrabble, wood carving and watercolor painting. She has eight children and eighteen grandchildren. Mary Ann chose to come to Asbury after it was highly recommended by members of the North Bethesda Methodist Church. Her religious affiliation is Roman Catholic. (Marjorie McFarland, Diamond) Mike Hua photograph Elwood “Woody” Schneider Bldg. 419 312, x5083 e-mail [email protected] Woody was born in Haselton, PA. After starting college at Penn State, he left to enlist in the Air Force, where he served for 4 years in radar Continued on next page 13 WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS maintenance, including 19 months in Germany. After his service, he spent 37 years with computers at Remington-Rand (which became Sperry Univac), the first 15 years in computer maintenance, then in customer-support programming. He took early retirement and went to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he worked for 7 years, again with computers. He moved to Asbury on March 5, 2004. He has been married for 52 years to Anetta, now in Wilson HCC. They have three children and 5 grandchildren living in Bethesda, Germantown, and Lake Linganore, MD.They lived in Montgomery Village before coming to Asbury and have lived in the Gaithersburg area for 36 years. His hobbies are woodworking and photography. He hopes eventually to put many of his photographs on CDs to give his children. (Gordon Allen, 419) Betty Goen photograph Kathryn O. Warner Edwards-Fisher 807, x5376 Kathryn Warner was no stranger to the idea of Asbury as a caring community when she moved in on March 25th because as a member of Bethesda Methodist Church she was an enthusiastic participant at the annual Asbury Bazaar back in the early days of the campus. She was born in Virginia and graduated from Strayer College after which she worked at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland which turned out to be an exciting and challenging job. Kathryn was married and looks back on the many lovely trips she and her husband have taken together. Now she loves to play bridge and mah-jongg and enjoys watching most sports. Knowing how beneficial exercise is, she tries to spend an hour, three times a week, at the Fitness Center. With Asbury in her family, Kathryn had a sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Mack McKeon who passed their last days here in 1991, she moved into Edwards-Fisher to experience the quality of life they enjoyed. (Joan Dunlop, E-F Reporter) 14 Betty Goen photograph Betty Goen photograph Thomas R. Nikels D. Whitney Coe Edwards-Fisher Apts. #404, X5316 Edwards-Fisher Apts. #404, X5316 [email protected] Tom Nikels arrived at Asbury on March 11th, about the time when the first brave robins were checking out our weather. He was born in New Jersey, the Garden State, and earned his BS in Marketing/International Relations from New York University. Travel became Tom’s avocation when he volunteered to escort some college students going to Bermuda. While he was still in school, he held a variety of Bermuda related travel agent positions. After graduation it became his vocation when he joined the Furness Bermuda Line conducting programs aboard their cruise ships. A bad case of sea sickness made transfer to land duty seem expedient and subsequently Tom joined the Bermuda Department of Tourism eventually transferring to become the manager of the New York Office with jurisdiction over the entire United States. He went on to establish his own firm representing trade and hospitality interests as well as planning meetings and group travel.Tom was president of the Assembly of National Tourist Office Representatives for two succeeding terms. During the Korean War, Tom served in the 25th Infantry Division and was awarded the Bronze Star as well as receiving a commendation for meritorious service by the President of South Korea. He concluded his tour by serving as a Court Reporter. He enjoys the theater, opera, and old movies and still loves to travel both in the United States and abroad. Tom has done volunteer work for the American Cancer Association and has worked with local hospitals soliciting for their Thrift Shop Sales. His religious affiliation is Catholic. Tom is single with a sister in California and a brother in New Jersey and is happy to settle down here at Asbury. (Joan Dunlop, E-F Reporter) May 2004 It’s difficult to think of Whitney Coe as a new resident since he joined us at Edwards-Fisher on December 19 of 2003, but his settling-in process has been ongoing. He was born in Oswego, New York and received his BA from Syracuse University in International Relations/Russian Studies, his MA in Russian History from University of California at Berkeley and his MLS - Library Science - from Syracuse. Whitney spent thirty-six years at the Princeton University Library as his career advanced from Cataloging to Collection Development. Along the way he was a member/chair of a variety of committees in the American Library Association’s Division, Association for Library Collections & Technical Services and the International Relations Round Table. His proudest assignment was as an American Library Association / United States Information Agency Library Fellow to Seoul National University Library in South Korea for a period of nine months. He is a current member of the Bibliography Section, International Federation of Library Associations. A loyal alumnus of Syracuse University, Whitney is an enthusiastic fan of Syracuse sports football, basketball and lacrosse and here is a direct quote, “I bleed orange”. He is an opera buff, a subscriber to two Saturday matinee series at the Metropolitan Opera for the past twenty-five years. He is interested in Korean culture and history, also international librarianship (especially Korea) and has traveled extensively both here and abroad. Whitney is single and a Methodist. He chose Asbury because of the friendly and stimulating residents and the activities and services available. His brother and sister-in-law expect to be moving into Park View in 2005. (Joan Dunlop, E-F Reporter) VILLAGE LIFE WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS McLean, where she remained for forty years. For eleven years she worked for the Dolly Madison Pre-school. She is a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in McLean. Sarah selected Asbury as her retirement community because one of her two sons lives in Damascus. Her other son lives near Atlanta, Georgia.Two of her three grandsons are in college; the other is in the second grade. (Judy Weaver, Mund) Harry Reilly Mund 808, x4700 Betty Goen photograph Sarah Want Mund 609, x4505 Sarah grew up in Leesburg,Virginia, and after graduating from James Madison College in Harrisburg, enrolled in the nursing school at Stuart Circle Hospital. After teaching 1st and 2nd grades in Lucketts, Virginia, she married and made her home in Arlington. Her husband, employed by the US government, was posted in the United Stastes and several locations outside including Cyprus for three years, Bern, Switzerland, for three years, and Manila for two years. After his death Sarah made her home in Harry was born in Philadelphia.After graduation from Temple University in 1947 he served in the US Army Transportation Corps for two years. After four years as chief clerk for the Phillips Petroleum Company he moved to the General Services Administration.After a year he was promoted to management of maintenance of the 5000 tank car fleet of the Transportation Corps, where he remained for 30 years. At his retirement he was managing the Army’s fleet of more than 6000 locomotives and 10,000 pieces of rolling stock in 93 installations throughout the country. In 1957 Harry married Rosalie Agnes Foley of Philadelphia, and in l960 he built a house near Laytonsville, Maryland. Rosalie became Register of Wills for Montgomery County and was active in the Democratic party, serving as State Chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party under Governor Donald Schaeffer. Harry was precinct chair from l984 to 2003 Anne Porter photograph and was one of the founders of the Democrats for the 90s, resigning in 1997. He has traveled extensively, visiting Europe, South America,Asia, Australia and New Zealand. His favorite country is Ireland, which he has visited six times since l945. Harry has one daughter, Erin, an attorney for the State of Maryland, who lives in Montgomery Village. Harry misses working on his two acres, but the view from the Mund eighth floor is some compensation. (Judy Weaver, Mund) AMV Associates of the 2nd Quarter 2004! Congratulations! loved by her coworkers. She treats them fairly and always takes an interest in their lives.When she is not here, everyone wants to know if she is okay and when will she be back. They miss her smiling face and friendly personality. VILLAGE LIFE available to Beatrice in Little Rock, Arkansas and she moved there to work in the OB-GYN unit of a hospital. After a year in Little Rock, Beatrice decided to relocate to the Washington, D.C. area where many of her family members had settled. She then began working in geriatrics and home care which led to her current position at Asbury. Beatrice Annum Kindley Sue Patterson Apartments/Villas The Apartments and Villas are proud to announce that Sue Patterson of the Housekeeping Department is the Associate of the Second Quarter. Sue has been with Asbury for 18 years. The residents are very thankful that Sue is at Asbury. One of her many duties is to make sure that associates are scheduled to clean resident apartments. Sue is also hails from El Salvador, and has made Gaithersburg her home for 16 years. Reina and her husband, Fidel are the proud parents of two daughters, Mirian and Ibeht. They also have five grandchildren. The pride that she takes in her service to her residents (Reina likes to consider them “her” residents) is recognized by them, her fellow Housekeepers, and by the other staff on 4 South. She truly deserves this honor. Reina Espinal WHCC Reina has been a Housekeeping Associate for over nine years. She Beatrice Annum, RN, has been a Charge Nurse in Kindley Assisted Living for 3 1/2 years and is usually found in the 3rd Floor nurse’s station covering the 3 - 11 pm shift. Beatrice was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. She moved to Ireland for her nursing training and after that, went to London to study and become board certified in midwifery. Opportunities were May 2004 15 Tulips are better than one! Poetry 101 “Paint with words,” the professor said. “Paint with colors, gold and red.” Paint with colors? I’m confused! Where are the colors to be used? Photo: Louise Ebbett Redding Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Rockville, MD Permit No. 4297 Asbury Methodist Village Communications Department 201 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2801 Address Service Requested “Paint with words both bold and mild; Show the pink of a sweet new child; The purple moods of grieving faces, A shade of grey in worker’s places.” “Paint the white of soaring bird, The trill and thrilling songs you’ve heard; The pulsing of the blue-green sea, The give and take ‘twixt you and me.” “Paint with words,” the professor said, “Paint feelings from inside your head.” Paint with words? Oh, now I see! Write vivid words from the soul of me. —Bobbye Calvert Kudzma,Trott (from “Asbury Poets, Spring 1997”) 16 May 2004 VILLAGE LIFE