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https://mosaicms.com/community/meadowlark-senior-living/

Meadowlark Senior Living, 181 South 5th Street, Lebanon, OR (2026)

01/29/2026

~Alan Mahaffey~

Today I'd like you to meet Alan.

Have you ever lost contact with someone in your family and yours go by? You wonder about them daily or every once in a while. And then one day, by chance, you tell the right person that you want to find your family member. And within minutes, you are holding their phone number in your hand. That's exactly what happened to Alan. He lost contact with his brother approximately 15 years ago and with some investigating, I was able to find his brother's phone number. My words cannot express the happiness he felt. He left my office and called his brother. And they had the best talk. And now Alan is sitting on top of the world.

Alan's childhood, he describes as tough. His parents worked a lot; therefore, there was little guidance. So, he got in trouble a little and had to learn the hard way with some stuff. But that happens. Alan was born in grays harbor, Washington. He had one sibling, a brother, Jim. He lives in Washington. Jim is also Alan's role model.

In high school, Alan lived on a 40 acre farm. There were chickens, a cow and a small bowl calf. He started laughing as he remembered seeing that little bull calf with those little horns and he remembers wondering if he could write it or not. He thought maybe if he grabbed the ears? Now that would have been entertaining.

Alan had a large extended family. He had lots of cousins, ants and uncles. They used to spend holidays together. Alan was a very shy kid so he just kind of stayed in the background watching.

At 10, Alan moved to Alaska. His dad got a job at the sawmill. With him being in Alaska, this allowed Alan to do a lot of fishing. In fact, he fished almost every day. He used to catch albacore tuna, salmon and steelhead. His dad used to say, if there is a fish out there, Alan will catch it. He really loved Alaska and never wanted to leave.

Alan had a favorite rock on the jetty. He loved fishing from it. He used to have his own rig up. As most fishermen do. He used a bag of big frozen prawns. He said the salmon loved it. He called himself the yeti at the jetty.

Alan is most proud of his commercial fishing. He did this for a couple of years. He remembers being in the 65-ft troller boat out in the harbor with his buddy. They had a little bad weather so they anchored behind an island for the night. The next day right before leaving, his buddy looked at the fish finder and said " get ready ". And it was on. Literally hundreds of fish were seen as clouds in the water. Using a hydraulic lift, Alan was able to bring hundreds of fish onto the boat. They immediately came back to the dock and sold the fish. He caught $307 fish and made $500. Not bad for a day's work. He remembers fishing one time and he had the biggest steelhead on his pole and with the current the steelhead turn sideways and it snapped the line. What a bummer. He also told me of a time he caught a large trout. He took it to the shore and was going to make a sandwich with it. And a weasel tried to steal it. He then hooked the weasel and ran off with its feelings hurt.

I asked Alan what makes him smile. He said combing the ocean and collecting figure wood. I had never heard a figure would. It is a log or a piece of wood that resembles something else. He remembers making a walrus once.

Alan moved to Meadowlark in February of 2025. He said it has taken him a little time but he has grown to like it here. His main problem is boredom. When this happens, he blows leaves outside and sweeps. He loves helping whenever possible.

I hope you have enjoyed learning more about Alan.

01/28/2026

~Charlene Winston~

Today I'd like you to meet Charlene.

Hooray for Hollywood! Our next resident to meet was born there.

Charlene is a rare gym. She is genuine, loving and dedicated, to name a few. She reminds me a lot of my own mother. Charlene moved to Meadowlark in March of 2025. She loves living here. She said she knew the very second she saw her room that this was to be her home. She has made some very close friends with lots in common with her.

Charlene is filled with love for her brother, Ralph aka Bubba aka Bub. She just adored him. She has so many stories about them together but I only have space for a few. While Charlene was living in Venice, California. She had to be right around 5:00. Her brother and her went to the canal. Bubba was younger than Charlene. They were watching the fish from the sidewalk next to the canal when Bubba fell in. Charlene was scared and looked up to see a couple coming across the bridge. She said " oh my baby Bubba ". And the man without question, handed the groceries to his wife and jumped in. He saved Bubba. As he got older, his name shortened to Bub.

At that same canal, Charlene taught Bubba how to catch fish. Well kind of. She told me they would put bread in a court jar and tie a rope to it. They would then drop it down into the water and wait for a fish to swim above it. When that happened, they would pull the jar up. Only the weight of the jar broke the rope, every time. Needless to say, there are quite a few jars in that canal.

In the sixth grade, she was living in Paramount, California. Her mom worked at a restaurant at an ice skating rink. Charlene and Bubba were on the ice all the time. In fact, Bubba was Pacific Northwest speed skating champion 2 years in a row. And Charlene was a figure skater. She did this for 3 or 4 years. One day, a recruiter for the ice capades came and asked Charlene to participate. And she said " no ". She was just too shy. This is absolutely one of her regrets.

Bubba passed away at the age of 43 after a battle with cancer. When he found out that he had cancer he bought a DeLorean. You know the kind of car that the doors lift. Was it a statement piece? Yes, and why not! This is what he wanted. He had worked as chief engineer of Dreyer's ice cream. When he got sick, they supplied him with all the ice cream he wanted. Charlene was incredibly close to Bubba and his death devastated her.

Charlene's mother was working on the film gone with the wind. She dyed dogwood blossoms for a scene in the movie. She had to dye them twice to get the desired color they needed. Well watching the end of the movie when Clark Gable says, " frankly my dear, I don't give a damn ". The door is open and if you look through the fog there are the dogwood blossoms that her mother dyed on the tree. They are a little hard to see as she herself had to watch it five times before she saw them.

Have you ever experienced Divine intervention? This is a prime example of it. I asked Charlene who her role model was. She said it was her dad. Her father was in the Navy in World War II. They had orders to leave that day. Just before loading the ship, her father got new orders. He was ordered to go somewhere else. Would you believe that the ship left port that day and was torpedoed at sea. With no survivors. He was incredibly lucky. And if that's not some type of divine intervention, then I just don't know what is.

Charlene said her first job was working as a sales clerk at Anita's dress shop. She was paid hourly but also would earn commission on her sales. One day an inebriated gentleman came into the dress shop. He purchased a necklace for his wife. Charlene was to receive the commission. The very next day, then now sober gentleman came back to return the necklace. Charlene got to keep the commission even though he returned it.

It's a small world, they say. Because it really is. Charlene had a best friend all through high school. They invited their mothers to come to the senior mother's tea. When they both arrived and met up, it wasn't the girls giving hugs, it was the moms. The mothers of both of these girls went to school together in Oklahoma. Can you believe that? See, a small world indeed.

Charlene got married in 1960 and after 20 years, they divorced. She had four children. Raised all of them in Albany. She was a hands-on mother. She stayed home when her children were little. She always had time for her kids. Her daughter Teresa, lives close by and visits religiously. Charlene says she loves and appreciates Teresa more than she will ever know. I called Teresa on the phone and asked her to describe her mom. Teresa said quite simply that Charlene was the kind of mom that everyone wanted. They had friends in and out of the house all the time and Charlene loved every one of them. One night Teresa and her friend Wendy had a sleepover. They were right around 7:00. They slept in the backyard. Upon waking, they realized that a slug had went through Wendy's hair and tangled it into a nest. Charlene spent most of the morning brushing the slug out of that long blonde hair. Can you imagine the patients that took?

Charlene remembers taking her kids on a trip to Disneyland. Her son had been working on a paper route and saved his money to buy her a Madame Alexander Cinderella doll. He paid $10 for it. And it's now worth 500. She still has that doll displayed in her room.

Have you ever wanted to build your own home? Will Charlene have the chance and took it. While living in Wi******er Bay with her boyfriend, Tom, they built their dream home. It took a year to build. It was overlooking the Salmon Harbor. This house is quite simply amazing. It was sold a number of years back. Crazy to think it cost them $85,000 to build and right now it's worth $653,000. It was a modest three bedroom two bath home. They lived in this home for 11 years before selling it. Charlene kissed the door as she left for the very last time.

Here are some extra facts, just because. The movie Grease was filmed at the high school she graduated from. Her father was in the Navy and stationed in Saipan. She retired from mervin's after 16 years. Would you believe she stood in line for 4 hours to apply for that position. Of course, she was hired on the spot. Charlene has a connection to butterflies as she felt free as one after her divorce. Her great grandfather was a prisoner of war. She misses the music from her era.

When asked what she is overcome, she simply stated having her knees replaced. She didn't have just one but both. She did one one year and the other the next year. She said she all but forgot the pain because her knees felt so much better afterwards. She has regained use of both knees and is happy that she had them replaced.

Charlene is very social at Meadowlark. She plays bingo a few times a week. And one of those times not too long ago, she got a bingo. Not just any bingo though. I had only called five numbers. Everyone was shocked. I've never seen that happen. So I told her she needed to play the lottery. I regret to inform you that her luck did not follow her to the lottery.

I really hope you enjoyed learning more about Charlene.

01/23/2026

Looking for affordable entertainment for February 14 at noon for our fancy luncheon. Harpist, violins, singers? Any volunteers?

01/22/2026

~Linda Santineau~

Today we are meeting Ms. Linda.

Linda grew up in Chicago. She had a large family with three brothers and one sister. She was very close with her siblings.

As a young child, Linda learned the importance of helping others. Her brother was born with muscular dystrophy. Linda helped take care of him from a very early age. Her brother quit walking at 5 years old. Linda's mom needed all the help she could get. Linda didn't mind helping, she loved her brother.

When Linda was 12, her family moved to California. They moved into a house that was only a couple of blocks from the beach. It was warm and sunny, completely different from Chicago and the pier quickly became her second home.

When asked if she had any regrets in her life, she told me of a family trip to Walt Disney. She was approached by Walt Disney himself. He asked her if she would like to be a mouseketeer. She was thrilled at the very thought. She turned to the Walt and said, "you'll have to ask my parents". And for whatever reason, they chose not to let her participate. She still thinks about that to this day and wonders why they wouldn't let her.

She was on the pier one day looking for a job and she met a married couple. It turned out that they owned a drop-in diner. They offered her a job in a place to stay while she was working. The couple helped her to become the strong independent woman she is today.

Linda got married when she was 19. She had three children. Her first was a girl, Tara. She lives in Georgia. James, her son, followed and he lives in Arizona. The baby of the family was a girl, Christina. She lives in Oregon.

One of Linda's proudest achievements would be graduating truck driving school. She drove for 4 years at an Air Force Base until she heard her back. She then went to Umpqua community college to become a medical technician. She would attend school all week and spend her weekends doing medical practicals. Therein getting the experience she needed to be successful. After graduating college, she studied and passed all 12 state tests to obtain her x-ray technician license. Linda is an outgoing individual. She is caring, gracious, generous and humble. She will do anything for anybody.

Linda has overcome so many obstacles in her life. Three years ago, Linda was mistakenly placed in a memory care facility. Through strength and perseverance, and with the help of her son, she was released. She decided that assisted living would be the most beneficial option for her. She then moved to Meadowlark in December of 2024. She is happy to be here and she has made some great friends. Not to mention that her health has improved significantly since her move here. She keeps busy playing bingo, doing crafts and going on outings.

Linda grew up Catholic and has always had the Lord in her life. At 38, she gained it understanding of the Bible that she hadn't had before. That allowed her to form a relationship with him. She prays daily and says she wouldn't be where she is today without him.

She misses the simplicity of the old days. When people genuinely cared for one another. When neighbors helped each other without question. She misses the music and the way people dance to said music. Slow dancing was her favorite.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Linda as much as we all have.

01/20/2026

~Louise Faxon~

Today I'm introducing you to Ms. Louise.

Louise was raised with " Leave it to Beaver " values. Her childhood was described as simple. She would go straight to school and come straight home. She didn't even date until she was around 17 or 18. She had good parents with one sister named Patricia. Her sister still lives in Toledo by the coast. Louise was raised in Southern California. She moved in the 7th grade to Toledo Oregon. She said that she liked Oregon much better than California because the people are nicer.

Louise said growing up, her role model was "Jesus". She is very strong in her faith. She attends Bible study weekly.

I asked Louise if there was a memory that still makes her smile. She says thinking about her friend, Marion, makes her smile. Her husband, Paul, had introduced them. She said that she had a bubbly personality that drew her to her. She was diagnosed with dementia years ago and no longer remembers Louise so she stopped calling. She misses her a lot. One of their favorite things to do together was going to garage sales and just laughing at the silliest things.

Babysitting was her first job. She would do this after school and sometimes in the evenings. She remembers making $20 and spending it on a coat. She wore that coat until she passed it on to her husband's youngest sister, Letha. Louise said it was the best $20 she ever spent. Letha then made a coat for one of Louise's girls.

Louise got married in 1956 with a small ceremony in the Church On The Hill. Her groom's name was Paul. Louise and his sister Blanche were friends. She met him through church. She described him as a pest and said he teased his sister and her a lot. He left for his government service and when he came back, he was sporting a red beard. Louise didn't believe his beard was real so she just marched up to him and yanked it. Much to her surprise, it was real. Later, he shaved the beard off and presented it to her in a box. How did they become a couple you ask? Jealousy of course. Louise already had a boyfriend that worked at the grocery store. Paul purchased some honey from him for Louise. The boyfriend said he thought Louise would enjoy it. And Paul replied with "you should know". Louise and Paul started dating after that. They dated for 4 months before getting married. Her marriage is what she is most proud of in her life.

Louise and Paul had three children. Firstborn was a girl named, Sharon. Next was a boy, Nathan. Lastly another girl, Kimberly was born. They all live within a very short distance to Meadowlark. They visit her often.

When asked what challenges she has overcome, I was not expecting the answer I received. Louise had only been married for three short years when her husband Paul was stricken with polio. He was hospitalized and was put in isolation at Sacred Heart for 5 months. Louise would have to suit up from head to toe to see him. By the time he was released, it was apparent that he was going to need a caregiver. He came home with crutches and could barely walk. He was in a wheelchair within months of his release of the hospital. Louise jumped into the role of caregiver at the same time being a wife and mother. It was very hard on her. She had learned how to care for others by watching her mother care for her father. And she knew she could do this. She never felt sorry for herself. She just did it.

I asked Louise what is something from the good old days that she wishes still existed. And she said in a whisper, Paul. And I started to cry. The pain of missing him still apparent in her eyes. Paul was her greatest love and she misses him everyday. At this point, I had to excuse myself and get a tissue because I couldn't hold myself together. Seeing the pain, the love, the sweetness in her eyes and voice just melted me. They were married for 57 wonderful years.

Some advice that Louise was given when she was younger was when you are holding something in this bad, write it down and burn it. It is the easiest way to release it. Helps cleanse your thoughts. Loving Jesus will get you through anything, she says. She talked of taking care of her parents, her husband and her children. I asked who took care of her to wish she replied that she survived.

Louise has lived at Meadowlark since September of 2023. She broke her back and was staying with her daughter but she needed more care than she could give so her kids set out to find someplace. And they came upon Meadowlark. She has lived here for a year and a half. She likes it here. She says the best part of living here is being close to her children.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

01/15/2026

~Loyd Tuhy~

Today I'd like you to meet Loyd Tuhy.

Loyd grew up in Springfield. He was home-schooled by a neighbor that happened to be a teacher. He had two siblings, a brother and sister. He doesn't remember his sister as she passed away right around the time he was born. Loyd spent very little time with his brother as he was isolated most of the time. Even with the limited contact, his brother made quite the impression on Loyd. And his brother became his role model.

Loyd's childhood was different from most. He spent more time at Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in Portland then at home with his family. And when he was home, he was isolated. The fear of Loyd getting sicker was unmeasurable. With his immune system being very low, his parents felt they had no choice but to keep everyone away from him. They would pick him up on the weekends to come home. But most times, they barely made it home before Lloyd was sick and had to be rushed back.

Why was Loyd sick? Why was he isolated? Well let me tell you. He told me a story from when he was between 3 and 4 years old, his mother was doing some cleaning. She was stripping their wood floors with lye. She knew it was poisonous and made the effort to put it on the top shelf of their kitchen cupboard. Where she believed it would be safe. But Loyd was curious. He thought it was soda water and he wanted it. So he pushed his high chair over to the countertop. He climbed on top of his high chair and climbed on top of the counter. He reached up and grabbed the lye and took a couple of big swallows. As soon as he swallowed, he let out a scream. His throat felt like it was on fire. His mother heard his screams and came running. She quickly realized what he had done and made him drink cold water until he vomited. His throat still burning. They then set out to find a doctor. It took quite a bit of time to find someone as they were out in the middle of nowhere. They finally found a doctor that gave Loyd something to neutralize the lye. But was told to get him to Dornbeckers. They raced a Dornbeckers where he would spend the next 12 years. He spent almost the entirety of his childhood there. Can you imagine?

He made so many friends there. He was one of the children that were capable of getting out of their beds. So he would go bed to bed handing out toys to each of his friends. His parents would come every weekend to visit Loyd. They would bring new toys and told him that he could keep them or give them away. As a small child he knew the importance of sharing. So he chose to give them away. Knowing those children wouldn't have anything to play with having not given them anything. He was very generous.

Loyd got married and had three children. He had one boy and two girls. All of which were raised in Portland Eugene Springfield area. He worked as a maintenance man in a facility a lot like Meadowlark. His first check was spent on toys and clothes for the kids at Doernbecher's. He would go back randomly and give stuff away. It's one of his favorite things to do. He loves giving back.

Loyd says he wishes his family was still around. He speaks very highly of his parents and misses them. He wishes that he had met more of his family and spent less time in isolation. Although he understands the reason why, it doesn't take away from him being lonely. He spent most of his time alone.

Loyd loves putzing around. He likes working on things. Tearing them apart and putting them back together. He likes to keep busy. He walks around the community a lot. He's always looking for something to do.

Loyd is a collector. He collects miscellaneous items and holds on to them. If he hears that someone needs something he has, he will go to his room and get it and give it to them. He has just about anything you need.

Loyd moved to Meadowlark April of 2023. He said the best part about living here is the people. He loves helping out whenever possible. He thrives when he's doing things for others.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Loyd.

01/14/2026

At Meadowlark, “We made these wooden hearts, shared laughs, and made sweet memories together.” Starting to get ready for Valentine's Day.

01/13/2026

~Terrie Arter~

Not everyone that we meet has had a happy life. Sometimes it's hard to imagine the hardships that others have endured. Terrie didn't have a wonderful childhood. She was born in Bellingham Washington. She lived with her parents only until she was 4 years old. And was then turned over to an orphanage. She then spent the entirety of her youth being bounced through 15 different foster homes and three detention centers. She said that three of the foster homes were nice. She grew up feeling like she was a burden and always in trouble. It broke my heart hearing that. At 18 she reconnected with her mom and was able to meet a few of her nine siblings. She is really close now with her brother, Barry. She spent Christmas with him a couple of years ago.

I asked if she had any memories that still make her smile. She said she remembers being around 3 years old wearing a new pink dress. She had just returned from pictures. She ran excitedly out to the garage to show off her dress to her dad. He had just taken the oil cap off the oil sprayed all over her dress. Her mom came running out and snatched her up. She spent the next 2 hours getting scrubbed from head to toe. She still has the picture of her in that little pink dress from before the oil sprayed her. (attached)

When she was 18, she met a family through the church. In fact, the father was the pastor of said church. They were looking to adopt a baby but allowed Terrie to join their family. She remained at their house until her graduation in 1977. She was 21.

Terrie met a guy named Terry Whidden. She was introduced through a cousin from a neighboring town. Her best friend, Debbie Pyott, told her all about him and told Terrie to "give him a chance ". See where it goes, she said. They didn't date at all and the next thing you know, he's asking for her hand in marriage. To which she said yes, and 5 months after graduation they were married. Terrie purchased her own wedding dress with the money she had made from her first job as a camp counselor at summer camp. It was a beautiful long-sleeved white lace dress. She had a veil and held a beautiful bouquet. She had a very small wedding with few attending. The bride and groom stood at the altar nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. Both had saved themselves for this very day. At the altar and after the "I do's" they would have their very first kiss. She said it lasted five whole minutes and it was great. She was looking forward to the future. They had two boys Jacob and Jason and their marriage lasted 19 and a half years. He was a workaholic and she still thinks often about him.
A few fun facts about Terrie. She has never traveled but would love to go to Hawaii one day. Her favorite place to eat is Taco Bell. Her favorite thing to eat is cheeseburgers. Her favorite color is pink and wears it faithfully every Wednesday. She loves butterflies. She's incredibly helpful and will help whenever possible. She offers a shoulder to cry on to her friends and puts others before herself.

I asked her the best advice she had ever been given. She said " stay faithful and don't rush into anything".

Terrie moved to Meadowlark in June of 2022. I asked her how she likes it here, and she said she doesn't like it, she loves it. She says it feels like a natural home to her. She has her own space with her own restroom which is very important. She has made some great friends and is very social. She does many of the activities and goes on a lot of the outings. She is very involved in the community. Every day without fail, Terrie exercises. She does over 5,000 steps.

Terrie has one main hobby, diamond art. She loves it. Her interest grew a couple of years ago, when a receptionist named Michelle showed her how to do it. She hasn't stopped since. She has literally done hundreds of projects. She does one after another. Her favorite place to sit and do diamond art is in the activity area. She said it allows her to see who's coming and going. Terrie will sit for hours every day doing this. Her dedication to each project is obvious. Her favorite piece was a butterfly with a rainbow behind it. She kept it for herself. Which is surprising because Terrie is very generous with her time and labor as she does most of these projects with the intent to give them away. I myself have a couple of her projects.

In 2022, Terrie was gifted a cat. The cat's name was Sailor. Terrie had wanted a cat for so long and was thrilled to get her. After a short time, Terrie realized that Sailor didn't like her name. So Terrie renamed her baby doll. To which she comes to without question, so it must have been meant to be. And let me tell you, that cat is loved and spoiled! She takes her for weekly walks around the building in a carrier.

In December of 2025, Terrie had a health scare. Her vitals were low and her energy was drained. She went to the hospital and was told that she would have to have a pacemaker put in. She has made a full recovery and is better than ever now.

Terrie is strong in her faith. She knows that God put her here for a reason and she was meant to be here. She has endured so much and still has a smile and kind word for others. She is happy now and that's all that matters.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Ms. Terrie.

01/08/2026

~Geraldine Thompson~

Today I would like to introduce you to Gerry. I want to start by saying that my cheeks hurt from smiling while doing this interview. Gerry is an absolute joy to have around. She participates in activities regularly and always has a smile to share.
Jerry grew up in Flin Flon Manitoba Canada. Never heard of it? Me either, but it turns out it's a small mining town that was formed during the depression. She had a good childhood with loving parents and one sister named Gail.
Gerry was very close to her grandparents. So close, in fact, that they lived next door and she was able to run back and forth between houses easily. When she was 11, her family moved away from her grandparents to Portland.
Gerry adored her grandfather, Kirby. He was from the eastern province. He was a kind gentleman. Her face lit up as she reminisced about him. One night her grandfather had a poker game. And he wanted oysters. So, he had a barrel of oysters shipped to the remote Canadian town they lived in. Can you imagine how much that cost? During the poker game, they ate all the oysters but one. Her grandfather had saved one special oyster for Gerry. She remembers him telling her to put her head back and open her mouth. He split open the oyster and slipped it into her mouth and told her to swallow. I asked her if she liked it and she said that she didn't want another one after that. The only reason why she had tried it was because she adored her grandfather and he had saved it for her.
Her grandmother was her role model. She knew how to do everything. One summer when Gerry was 9, her grandmother came and picked her up and took her to Island falls to visit them. It's where her grandparents lived at the time. They took a pontoon plane to get to the island. Her grandmother sat next to the pilot and Gerry sat in the back on a box of groceries. She spent several weeks with her grandparents before heading back home. The day she was supposed to fly home, her flight got bumped. She was told that she would have to travel alone by boat. She said that she would travel by boat for a distance and then get out on land and either walk or take a tractor to the next stop where they would board another pontoon boat. She had to do this nine times before getting home. The last boat was the caboose, and it had a pot belly stove. It held all the food and luggage. Jerry's grandmother had sent her home with canned fish and canned berries. And yes, they had to be moved nine times. They traveled approximately a hundred miles, and it took all day seeing nothing but wilderness. When her grandfather found out that Gerry's flight had been bumped and that she would be traveling alone he was upset he went straight to his boss and told him he didn't appreciate what had happened. And his boss fired him for it. Her grandfather didn't realize that this was a core memory for her and a highlight in her life.
Right out of high school, she got her first job as a bank messenger. She would walk from bank to bank doing deliveries. She worked at the Canadian Bank of commerce in downtown Portland. Funny enough, her co-workers name was Gerald. What are the chances? Gerry and Gerald. Well, they would collect Canadian money at this bank and mail it by special delivery to Canada. One day, Gerry and Gerald were sent with a briefcase to the post office to mail the coins. They needed protection as they were on foot with lots of money. So along with the coins was a gun in the briefcase. She had never held a gun before. She said they laughed and smiled the entire time to the post office. And no one suspected what they had in their briefcase.
I asked Jerry what memory still makes her smile. She said she went to "The Castle" to watch a jazz band in Oak Grove with her boyfriend, at the time. They had a few drinks and were just enjoying themselves. Her boyfriend got up and said he needed to use the restroom. While he was gone, a gentleman she already knew approached her and said "let's go". And she got up and left with him. Her boyfriend came out of the bathroom looking for her asking "where's Gerry"? But she had left. You won't believe this, but the gentleman she left with became her husband less than a year later. His name was Max. They got married in 1954. They raised three boys. As you can imagine her home was always busy between the boys and boy scouts. They were married for 68 years before his passing in November of 2022. What a cute love story. (Wedding photo attached)
Gerry has four granddaughters that she loves very much. Two of which she helped raise. She's very close to them. She also has seven great grandchildren. There are two boys and five girls.
Gerry likes living at Meadowlark. She has been here since June 2021. She says it has its ups and downs. Like any place. Sometimes and some days are better than others.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Gerry.

Meadowlark Senior Living

01/29/2026

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