Pecan Grove (www.pecan-grove.net) Pecan Orchard and Senior Residence

Fern became weaker until she couldn’t get out of bed on her own.  She was taken to the hospital, then to the Park Manor nursing home where Gilbert Reese stays.  Soon after reaching the nursing home she had her 92nd birthday.  Salena made her a cake, and took Marie and Marilynn in with her to have a little party for Fern.  Gilbert was able to attend also. Fern is receiving some PT and OT, but with her arthritis pain she isn’t motivated to recover her ability to get around on her own.  Unfortunately it doesn’t look like she’ll be able to return to PG.

Dominique’s father took a turn for the worse in the south of France, so Dominique went to be with him.  He passed away not long after Dominique arrived.  Dominique stayed for the funeral and to take care of things there.  He was glad the French brothers, Dean Affleck and Deon Swanepoel came to be with him a few days.  While he was gone, Mimi’s nephew, Thomas and Melissa, from France visited Mimi, as well as Pierre and Elisa

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Jack Newman turned 89 in August.  Kenny and Salena took a birthday dessert in for him.  He continues to decline on hospice.

Ken and Kathy went to France for convention and then some vacation on the Rhine river and in Holland.  When they returned they made a presentation and Gouda cheese tasting for the residents, Overby’s and Basses.  Wayne and Dawn’s son Kory and family were visiting and so were included.

Candice Sandon visited her grandparents, Louis and Elsie, along with her 3 children, AJ, Miles and Brenna, and her mother in law, Julie.  The boys made mashed potatoes.  Miles made a sign for those who are familiar with Elsa in Frozen.  Sylvia McPherson and Pauline Waterreus from San Antonio visited and brought sour dough bread!

Slade Nordic has moved into our new apartment in the barn dominium we are creating from the old wooden barn.  He’s also working on the farm and helping with the barn dominium.  He brought his dog, Bear, who enjoys playing with our dog, Bella.  Here are pictures of the barn dominium, Bella and Bear swimming, and Slade mowing “snake island” which is on the lake in front of the residence.

Since Kenny and Salena moved here they’ve been taking pictures, showing how the recent rain made things grow and the sunsets.  We do have some pecans, but don’t expect a significant pecan harvest.  The black dots are “scab” which is a fungus that hinders the growth of the nuts.

Thanks for your interest in PG!

Ken and Kenny

July was HOT.  But otherwise a good month!  The 11 residents are about their usual.  Samuel and Conchita Valdez (who lived and worked here several years) came to visit with Samuel’s brother Noe and Malena.  Gary and Susan Peter have been helping Gilbert Reese get out to meeting most Sundays.  They brought him to union meeting at PG and stayed for lunch.  The second picture is of Gilbert talking to Alice before Mimi gave him a much needed haircut.  The third picture is of Mimi, Susan, Marie, Gilbert and Gary, after Gilbert’s haircut.

Marie’s birthday was July 3rd, but we celebrated it at lunch time on July 4th.  The group at the table includes Diane Thorburn (Salena’s mother) who has been here a few weeks in July helping Kenny and Salena get ready to move into the house Goldners vacated last month.

Supper on July 4th was on the porch.  Later from the porch we watched fire works and shot roman candles.

Marilynn  was picking vegetables from the garden, which is nearly finished now.  Kenny makes up sayings he thinks the residents may enjoy.  Joyce and Della enjoy a game together.  Esther made marmalade.

Don and Becky Schroeder visited Elsie and Louis.  Rich and Malachi returned after Happy.  Here Rich is visiting with Elton.  Carmen Schluter and her children Liam and Mela visited.

Ken and Kathy’s 6 grandchildren are here often in the summer.  Here’s Evren Furrow learning to drive, Karin, Katelyn and Dylan Kelleher with Kathy and Ken, and then all 6 ready to launch a rocket.

Rich and Malachi just had a gospel meeting at the residence… maybe 80 or so there.  One family we’re glad to have back in the US after 4 years in the far east is Jon and Gianine Peterson and their sons Julian and Jordan.

Thanks for your interest in Pecan Grove!

Ken, Kenny and Salena

June has been a hot one! Which means endless mowing and watering in the orchard. Because of the extra time spent in the orchard we have kicked up a few interesting critters. Left is Bella with a few day old fawn. We believe it was left by its mother in the tall grass but once that was gone it had to run for the woods. Bella did not hurt it, but got close enough to give it the fright of its life! On the right is a very confused box ear slider, we found it wandering in the orchard far from home. Kenny thinks that it would make the perfect mascot for the residents, call us the “Faithful Turtles”!

We have had some special visits this month of the human variety. Ronald’s nephew Bud Neff brought Ronald back from his family reunion in Missouri, and stayed for a visit. As well as some old friends who used to meet with us: Dorothy, William and Gage Sutton. They know several residents quite well so they dropped in to say hello, pictured right.

We had a wonderful visit with Amparo Gonzalez from Guatemala, Jennifer Downs and Ruth Taplin. Jennifer and Ruth are in the south Houston field. Here they are posing in front of the fire place as well as in a group chat.

We’ve had a few surprise visits with children as well. Pam Lacock joined us for a few days with her two grandsons, Asher and Willum, seen here in front of the entrance, as well feeding fish with uncle Ronald and Elsie on the deck.

Anita’s family came for a day visit, here they are in a paddle boat on the pond. Her daughter, Connie, and husband, David, and their son, Noel. Ed Smalley, who worked with Ken and Wayne, also came for a lunch visit. He got a kick out of Elton’s stories!

Rich was kind enough to stop by with one of the friends from Louisville Kentucky, Lisa Daly. She knew Esther from her time there, and remembered Fern from way back. Unfortunately she was on a five hour lay over so her visit had to be brief. Here she is with Esther, Fern and Della.

The Schroeder’s granddaughter, Candace Sandon, brought her three kids AJ, Miles, and Brynna for a few days visit of their great grandparents! Elsie got busy and made dinner and cherry pie for dessert! Here are Candace and baby Brynna, then all of the children with grandma Becky and great grandparents.

Only one birthday this month, our newest resident Joyce Naber turned 79! We celebrated a few days early in order for everyone to be able to join us for a nice steak lunch with all the fixin’s. Here is Joyce with her “Lemon Tower” cake and the biggest grin you’ve ever seen!  This was also a going away lunch for Bettie and Jerry Goldner, posing with Abigail in the last picture.  They had been living in the house Jack and Leona lived in, but moved this month to Pearland to be closer to their daughter, Michele Rodriguez.  Kenny and Salena plan to move into that house after some upgrades.

Esther received a very thoughtful gift this month, an entire tea set! Along with enough tea to last two years! She had a tea party in Marilynn’s room using her new tea pot just to stay fancy. Here she is beaming with her nice gift. On the bottom is Esther’s tea party, notice all of the festive hats! Della’s daughter, Henrietta, sent them for just this kind of occasion and they arrived the day of the tea party! How nice!

Shawn had the great idea of having “Resident Saturdays” for the kitchen, where he asks those who are interested to make a dish of their choice. He had several takers on the first go around.  Here are Elise and Marie making Moon Pies and Shrimp Etouffee, respectfully. Marylinn had fun making pancakes one morning. Another day Marie made Swedish meatballs.

All the kids are off for summer break, so Ken and Kathy have been having some fun in the sun with each one. Maren and Maven both have come to spend a night with the grandparents, and even got an opportunity to drive grandpa’s buggy! On the right are all 6 of the grandkids visiting their great-grandpa Jack, it looks like Dylan is really having a good time!

We hope everyone is staying cool in this heat! Thank you for your interest in us, we appreciate it very much.

Kenny, Salena and Ken

In the April update we forgot to mention that Leah Bolt passed away near Newry PA on April 8th.  The Bolt and Newman families have been close since the gospel came to the northeast corner of Maryland in 1936-37.  Ed and Leah helped get PG up and running in 2009.  Later they came as part-time residents for a few months at a time. Here’s Ed and Leah when leaving in March 2009, and then Leah the last time here in April 2015 with her grandson Travis Bolt.  David Bolt, Ed and Leah’s son and Travis’s father, visited PG in May, shown here with his aunt Della Bolt, Elton and Esther.

Joyce Naber came from North Carolina to PG as our newest resident in May.  Here she’s with Suzanne McCorkell who brought her from NC.  The next picture is of our 11 residents with 2 visitors.  The visitors are Rich Raschke and Suzanne.  The residents are: (back) Marilynn Frye, Ronald Elliott, Esther Duncan, Marie Mounce, Elton Cleveland: (front) Della Bolt, Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Joyce Naber, Elsie and Louis Schroeder.

Three birthdays were celebrated together for Dominque, Kathy and Ken.

There was another birthday party at Mille’s home for Dominique including their children, Pierre and Elisa Herd, and several of the friends from this area.

Several Schroeder relatives visited in May.  Randy Satterfield brought Roberta Stipp back from LA.  Jim Stipp drove down.  The first picture shows them with Amanda Darby who was visiting from Austin.  The second picture shows Jim with Louis and Elsie and their daughter Carol and husband Troy Aarestad from CA.  In the third picture, Jim left taking Roberta back to her field, and taking Ronald Elliott with them.  Ronald is going to a family reunion in Missouri in June.  The 4th picture is the Schroeder family including Don and Becky, their son Theron and daughter Lana Newman with her daughters.  The last picture is of Lana and Chase Newman from ID, and their daughters Lucy and Ellie.

Mary Hammack, Millie Robinson and Sharon Wahlin visited from GA.  Here they are with Rich Raschke and Judy Timmersman who was visiting from Euless TX.

Salena’s mother, Diane, aunt Doris and sister Shanda and Doug Thompson visited.  Doris, Shanda and Diane are shown with Marilynn and Joyce.  The second picture includes them with Ken and Kathy’s family, Karin Kelleher, Karla and Brendan Furrow, Kenny and Salena and our 6 grandchildren.  Two of Marie Mounce’s sisters, Verena McFadden and Annette and Lecil Bassett visited and took Marie to see Clarence in Georgetown.

Della’s daughter Chris and Mike Gerstenberger visited Della on Mother’s day.  Overby’s daughter Kari and Del Campbell from AR visited.  Dennis and Susan Thompson from TN visited, shown here with Esther.

Fred, Julie and their son Benjamin Adadjo (NY & TX) visited, shown here with Fern.  Alice’s cat is very much at home now.

Thanks!

Ken, Kenny and Salena