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

March 31, 2025

March 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove,Senior Residence — knewman @ 12:38 pm

The biggest event in March was the passing of Elton Cleveland peacefully in bed March 6th. He was 107.5 years old, and had been with us here at PG 10 years. About 115 were here for his memorial service March 15 and many more listened by phone. About 50 attended the burial in Fairfield Pennsylvania March 22nd. Here are links to his obituary and to the notes from the memorial service.

We miss Elton’s zeal and joy very much at PG, but we are glad he finally was able to go on to the reward he has been waiting for so long. Here are pictures from the memorial service, the lunch afterward and of Elton’s family that was here.

At the end of March Ruth Henderson came from New Mexico to be our 43rd resident at PG. Ruth is 95, and has spent 68 years in the work. Here she is surveying the view.

Owen Henderson and his wife, Susan, brought his aunt Ruth here. He was a coworker with Gilbert Reese many years ago. He got him laughing about some old times in Colorado. He seemed to know him just by seeing him, which is really good for Gilbert these days.

Emma has only been here a short while but she has already had several visitors. Here she is with Geili and Rubi Gomez and again in the kitchen with Sara Husers.

We had a revolving door of visitors this month! Almost too many to keep track. Luckily, we had quite a few birthdays so many opportunities to take photos and jog our memory. Here is Esther on her birthday, 91 years young!

Doreen just arrived and we already got to celebrate her birthday! She turned 80, what a milestone. Here she is with her well wishers and walking through the buffet line.

Salena’s aunt and uncle, Doris Kopitke and Les Craighton, stopped by for the night before heading out on their vacation. Here they are in front of the fireplace with Gwen.

We had two families come that know most of the residents. They were RVing around the South and wanted to stop by and say hello. They are the Lairds and the Taylors, seen here in front of their RV and in the kitchen respectively.

Everyone has been getting a special visit recently. Esther had some friends from Georgia come, Walker and Pam Wood. Here they are with Esther in her room, and again with Abigail.

Andray still comes to work with us when he can, this time we had lunch at the cabin! Also, Emma asked for root beer floats on Sunday and they were a hit.

We are always enjoying the nature here, but spring has really vibrant colors. Here are some shots of the nature, sunsets, a bald eagle and the twins with a duck they found.

Resident Journals

Gwen Farmer

Gwen got a special visit from her sister Wenona.. from El Paso, which brightens up her day. She keeps faithfully making the puzzles with Elsie, even if some of them are harder to see. Here she is with her sister Wenona, enjoying some chicken and saying farewell to Karen Cleveland.

Esther Duncan

Esther still does great, especially for 91! She still walks everyday and helps out in the kitchen. She keeps up a healthy correspondence, even more so now that it was her birthday. Here are some shots of her with her cake and some of the festivities.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald has slowed down some, he gets frequent bouts of pain in his back. This causes him to not sleep so well which contributes some to his decline. He still gets many visitors who love to come and chat with him. Here he is with the Lopez’s and again chatting with Doreen.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, still likes to cook in the kitchen from time to time. She enjoys the frequent company, especially any Spanish speakers, or someone she can talk about the islands with. Here she is with Leroy and Sara Husers, and again at the table with Javier and Nohemi Lopez.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie still does well, still finishing puzzles with relative ease. Her granddaughter, Candace Sandon, and family came for another great visit. Here they are in front of the fireplace.

Emma Perez

Emma is our new little celebrity, with so many visitors in just a few short weeks! She loves to wash dishes. Kenny told her if she kept washing so many dishes we would have hire her! Here she is reading to Alice.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen fits in great! It feels like she has been here all along. She enjoys working in the kitchen too. With her, Emma, Marie, and Esther all working in kitchen we feel well staffed! Here she is with her birthday cake, and in the kitchen chatting to Gwen and Marie.

Ruth Henderson

Ruth is getting moved in nicely. She shared many years with most of the workers here so she is always willing to chat. She has already made a quick visit to those at Park Manor. Here she is excitedly talking with Joyce at the Willis Nursing home. She is always up for a laugh!

Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Gilbert Reese, Joyce Naber

Each one does well, keeping on being peaceful and gentle souls. Joyce is always so alert and smiling when we come to visit. She remembered Ruth right away, even called her by her nickname! Her brother Galen Naber and his wife Marilyn came for a visit. Gilbert lit up when he saw his old friend and coworker Owen Henderson. Fern has had some very good days, even talking some on the phone when we are with her. Alice is always so sweet, and wanting us to come by more often. Here they all are with various visitors.

Thank you for your interest and love for those here at Pecan Grove.

Kenny

February 28, 2025

February 2025

Filed under: Senior Residence — knewman @ 2:52 pm

February continued to be wet and cold, but not enough for more snow. We have had a very busy month anyway, with several big birthdays and some major changes happening.

First, our birthdays! Both Patty Maki and David Cleveland had birthdays on the third. Patty was out of town to celebrate so the girls went all out for David. Here he is with his guitar cake, and the cake again.

We did two birthday celebrations together for Mimi and Salena today. Abigail went all out again for them. Here they are with their tiramisu- macaroon cake.

Joyce was having a few bad days of weakness and confusion, which made the staff very concerned. They took her to the ER and found nothing out of the ordinary, but because of her being physically weak the doctor ordered some rehabilitation. During rehab she was given physical and occupational therapy everyday, but once she was given a cognitive assessment it was clear she could not return to us. We were able to move her to a memory care place in Willis Nursing and Rehab that we have used before. She took the news well and the move went smoothly. Several of the residents and staff have been to see her in the new place and she is doing well. Thankfully, the new place is only 15 minutes away, which makes for easier visits. She has the same great spirit, lights up when she sees us, is happy and laughing when we talk with her. Here she is with her dear friend Esther, again with Kathy, and again with her new room equipped with some reminders of home.

We have another new arrival: Doreen Beyer, from Iowa, is our 42nd resident! She has labored all over including: Iowa and the Caribbean, mainly in the French speaking islands! Here she is with Marie, Esther, and Emma in the entry way.

We had many visitors this month. Fred Adadjo came again bringing his wife, Julie, and son, Benjamin. They really enjoyed talking with Ronald and getting around to some of the others here. Here they are in the entry way.

Ken and Mary MacAdams came for a few days with Don and Becky Schroeder. Becky and Mary are sisters. They all came to see Elsie for awhile. Here they are visiting the residents at Park Manor, and again at the table.

Elise’s’ daughter and granddaughters Carol, Amelia, and Sara Aarestad came for visit. They take special interest in spending one on one time with Elsie and playing as many games as she can handle. Not to mention, they are a whizz at puzzles! It must run in the family! Here they are…

A few friends of Fern came by to meet the residents on their way to see her. Joy Jackman with grand daughter, Mariel, sister, Wendy Rudolph and Wendy’s daughter, Rebecca.

We decided to have a little hymn sing, with Doreen playing the piano (unfortunately Elton is no longer able). Here is everyone singing around the piano.

The boys have had enough of dealing with clogged drain pipes. This time they took out the backhoe! Here they are figuring out what to do when we finally get down to the pipe. Hopefully this won’t happen again!

The Texas workers staff have been on special meeting rounds this month, and they planned another workers meeting here. We really enjoy having them, and they really enjoy the time all together. Here are some pictures of the lunch afterward and the 2025 Texas Workers photo.

Even with all the rain and snow we still see some wildlife pictures.

Resident Journals

Emma Perez

Emma is doing great, she gets daily phone calls and correspondence from her many friends. Sadly, her brother in Chicago passed away this month so she spent the over a week up there. She was able to spend a few hours with him in the hospital before his passing, and attend his funeral. Here she is at special meeting being greeted by some dear friends, and again with Mary MacAdams. This young boy was pretending to be her cane!

Doreen Beyer

Doreen has fit in seamlessly, and really enjoys her new life here. She enjoys talking with Marie about anyone they would know together from their time in the islands. Here she is happily settling into her new room.

Esther Duncan

Esther does well as usual. Still keeps busy with correspondence and phone calls or emails. She is often wanting to go into town, especially to visit Joyce and the others. Here she is with Joyce being best of friends, and with Mary.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen stays the same, still corresponding with her friends in Korea as often as possible. She liked having the Uzzell girls here for a visit, and took them to her room to see some of her treasures.

Elsie Schroeder

As always, Elsie really perks up when she has company. This month she had two separate visits to enjoy. Don and Becky coming with Ken and Mary was a welcome change of pace. She really loves to play games, and hardly ever loses! Here she is at the puzzle with son, Don, and Dawn Overby.

Elton Cleveland

Elton has gone down a lot. He sleeps most of the day and then is sometimes up at night. When he does come out it is for meals, and very briefly. He did come to see what all the fuss was about when the workers were here. Here he is sitting at the piano with Jade Carolus, sunning outside with David, and again relaxing on the floor after a small fall.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald is slowing down quite a lot. Mostly, he deals with memory issues and incontinence. He has a vivid imagination sometimes, and the staff gets to go along on some of his mental journeys. He recently got prepared to have a baptism here in the pond. All we would like to know is, who is getting baptized?! Here he is celebrating David’s birthday.

Marie Mounce

Marie is her usual jovial self, and still cooks up a storm. She still struggles with her blood pressure and sometimes has to lay down because of dizziness. Here she is with some of the Uzzells who came for lunch.

Joyce Naber (Willis Nursing Home)

We have been able to visit Joyce several times already. She is always happy to see us, and seems to remember who we are. Shawn and Anita visited most recently and she knew their names. Here she is with Anita, and again with a few other visitors.

Fern Duncan, Gilbert Reese, Alice Oetken (Park Manor Nursing Home)

All of our away residents are doing quite well. Fern has even been talking when we go to visit! Gilbert still doesn’t say much, and now has Alice to watch over him and keep him company. Alice is always happy to receive visitors, but does worry about Gilbert a bit. Here they are happy to see Shawn and Anita, and Fern with her clean hat, then Doreen, Gilbert, Marie and Alice.

We have a sign over the coffee pot that gets updated regularly. Here’s the current sign:

Thanks again for your interest in us here!

Kenny and Ken

January 31, 2025

January 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove,Senior Residence — knewman @ 1:24 pm

A lot happened early this month. Elton had a bad fall, hit his head, and we thought we would lose him. Karen was called and she headed here from Colombia. He was awake for most of a day, but very confused. After that he went to sleep and was unconscious for most of a day, breathing sporadically. Then, while we were eating lunch, he got up, came out, ate some lunch and played the piano! He’s still not doing as well as he did before the fall, but his mind is good and he gets out to most meals and meetings. We’re glad Karen can be here with Elton and David for a few weeks. She’s heading back to Colombia in early February.

Emma Perez joined us as our 41st resident since we started in 2009. Now we have 8 residents and 3 in the Park Manor nursing home. See the updated “residents at PG” link in the upper right corner for more details. Here is Emma with Aislynn Stanton and Anna Rutherford who brought her here.

Gilbert Reese turned 101 this year! The staff had him spiffed up and dressed like his old self. Here he is at the table with his cupcake, and some of the birthday attendees, and our lunch together afterward.

Kim Schneider, Kathy’s sister, came from Minneapolis for visit. She was actually invited by Katelyn, and the kids really enjoyed their time playing with her. Here she is with Joyce, and the whole family out together at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It is always fun to learn!

Every month Mimi comes to cut the men’s hair. They always look forward to the attention and fresh grooming. Here are Ronald and Elton getting their recent haircuts.

Joyce had a visit from Wayne’s cousin, Lyle and Roberta Overby, from North Dakota. She spent time laboring in that state and was fondly remembering her time there. Here they are at the the table.

We have a monthly staff meeting to keep up with resident information and learn about specific topics. This time Salena did a little show-and-tell about falling to make sure we got the message, also Salena playing with some snow, and our very happy squash.

Kenny always appreciates any help he can get in the kitchen. This time Katelyn and Dylan gave a helping hand. Here are Katelyn and Kenny at the sink and Dylan cutting chicken. Can’t have chicken tortilla soup without the chicken!

Kent and Linda Opel came for a quick visit. Here they are with Karen.

Resident Journals

Ronald Elliott

Ronald continues to struggle with his voice. On his good days he can take part in meetings and studies. Other days he just passes the mic. Here he is with Wayne in front of the bookcase, and again reading the paper.

Emma Perez

We enjoy having Emma here. She works hard in the kitchen helping the staff. She really likes to wash dishes. Here she is with our visitor Lynn Sorensen, and with Anita.

Joyce Naber

Joyce had several visitors and did well reminiscing with them. Here she is with Anna again with Karen. She had a bad spell yesterday (the 30th). She was very weak in the morning. She spent much of the day in the hospital having tests (which showed nothing). During the course of the day she revived and is doing much better today.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, she attends all of her brother’s gospel meetings that she can, no matter how far away they are. While making buckwheat bread the rising dough got away from her but it turned out great! Here she is with Ronald at the table, discussing current events with Elsie and Joyce, and with overflowing dough.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie does well and is always glad to see her son Don and his wife Becky. They come often but cannot stay long. She says, “It’s nice to see them come but I hate to see them go.” Here they are chatting on her couch, and her with her morning coffee.

Elton Cleveland

Elton does what he can. He sleeps a lot more throughout the day but is up some at night. He still plays the piano when he feels able, mostly from memory. Having David and Karen here has been a great help. Here he is with Karen and David, again with Kimmy, and watching one of his favorite things: trains.

Esther Duncan

Esther does well, she enjoys a clear night sky and a large moon. When it gets really cold she likes to say, “I am going out for some FRESH air,” and then remarks how fresh it was when she returns. Here she is out for her walk.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen is doing great. She receives regular correspondence from her friends in Korea and New Mexico. She still does the puzzle with Joyce and Elsie and they enjoy changing them out for new ones often. Here she is after the Wednesday study with Anita and baby Evelynn Nordic.

Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Gilbert Reese at Park Manor, Conroe

Fern didn’t come out to be with us at Gilbert’s birthday party, but we still brought the party to her. Here she is smiling with Salena, who has been her most frequent visitor. Alice does well, she still likes to sit with Gilbert and chat. Gilbert seemed a little taken aback by Abigail reading him his mail, but always has a sweet spirit.

Nature at PG

January is always one of our coldest months. We had several days below freezing and actually had some snow! That doesn’t stop the wild life from flourishing, though. Here are some pictures of the snow, a beautiful winter’s night and our newest neighbors, a beaver and a red shoulder hawk!

We appreciate your continued interest in our residents. Please call the main line if you would like to chat with any of them.

October 31, 2024

October 2024

Filed under: Pecan Grove,Senior Residence — knewman @ 6:39 pm

October is our busiest month with conventions, birthdays, and visitors the month seems to fly by. Several of the residents were able to attend convention this year. Andrea Jensen came between conventions to visit her good friends, Dominique and Mimi. Here are a few photos.

We have four major birthdays this month, but first up was the biggest. Elton turned 107 years young this month! David was already here but his daughter Sarah and her family came to stay with us for a few days. Elton’s grand children Libby Wimmer (VA) and Matt Hutchison (WA) came as well with his family. Matt and David wasted no time holding our first Pecan Grove arm wrestling match. Here they are talking with Karen on David’s phone, and agai at the arena A.K.A the piano bench.

Salena thought it would be fun for the kids to have a campfire day. All of Elton’s family were present to try their hands at sparklers, making s’mores and playing cornhole.

Abigail turned 26 this month, here she is with her cat themed birthday. Cats galore, she was also very pleased with her Sonic balloon. She does so many nice cakes for the residents that we feel she deserved a good one.

Elsie turned 96 this month! She always loves to see her family, and what better time for a visit than a birthday? The day before her birthday they took her to a book store and out to eat. Even though she doesn’t ask, she really enjoys going out to do just about anything with family. Her birthday theme was hummingbirds this year. Here she is being flanked by her flowers and gifts.

Anita had a fall themed birthday this year. Here she is with Shawn and her cake.

Alice still has a room full of things to go through, which her niece so kindly offered to start on. Carol along with her husband Mike Martin came for a few days to take on this project and to see Alice. Here they are posing in front of the fireplace.

Resident Journals

Marie Mounce

Marie went to three conventions this month. She went with Patty and Ronald to Georgetown Spanish and English, and then with Ken and Kathy to Effie. After Effie Marie is spending a few days with her sister, Varena McFadden, who is recovering from a stroke. Marie should be back to PG next week.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald was looking forward to going to both Georgetown Spanish and English. Unfortunately, he overestimated just how much he could handle the extra stimulation of visiting with so many people. He made it through the part of the Spanish convention but then needed to come home. He was not up for returning for the English convention, but instead rested and went to Mountain Peak. Kenion Coleman came to see him with our friend Max Montenegro from south Houston. Here he is with them in front of the piano, and again Ronald in our children’s play area reliving his younger years.

Elton Cleveland

Elton had a whirlwind couple of weeks. His family kept him going with stories and chatting, but he still got his much needed rest. Here he is with the Furrows, writing his daily letter to Karen and eating some pie outside and with his family.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen does well, and enjoys being part of the puzzle crew with Elsie. She enjoyed listening to the conventions over the loud speaker here. She said “even if I only get one sentence it is a bread basket”.

Joyce Naber

Joyce has had some discomfort on her scalp. The staff is regularly applying ointment to help sooth the red areas. She does not complain and takes it all in stride. She also had the shots done in both of her eyes for wet macular degeneration. Like usual, she needs her routine to keep in good spirits. Alas, she is needing more and more reassurance as to what day it is, or what she should be doing.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie does great for 96. She really thrives on her family coming to visit. Here she is admiring her humming bird cake.

Esther Duncan

Esther has had a wonderful month. She got to both Georgetown English and Mountain Peak. Esther has had several conventions already this year in Ireland, Kentucky and Tennessee, but she says “I am still hungry for more”.

Fern Duncan and Gilbert Reese

Fern recognizes us when we come to visit. This month Kenion Coleman paid her a visit and she knew him. Gilbert is mostly quiet, but still appreciates visitors. He often can be found sitting with Alice at his table. She does most of the talking.

Alice Oetken

Alice has high spirits when we come to visit her. She loves chatting with visitors, and often asks about the residents. She also asks when her parents are coming to get her, so somethings are a little missing. Here she is with Gilbert at his table.

We are thankful for your continued interest in our residents here.

Kenny and Ken

September 30, 2024

September

Filed under: Senior Residence — knewman @ 5:23 pm

We had several visits this month, starting with a holiday visit from Don and Becky Schroeder. They had labor day off so stopped in for the night. Here they are with Elsie in the entry way.

Elton’s son David has returned and decided to move in for a while to help with Elton. He helps with Elton’s appointments, works on whatever he can, and cheers up the place. Here he is on his newest toy, an electric unicycle.

Proof That Age Is Just A Number

We had a visit from our friends Wendall and Gillian Wilson, and Fred Adadjo. Fred returned to stay with us for a few days. He spent some time visiting those on the farm and those at Park Manor. Here they are in front of the piano.

September has been wetter than normal, and it still steaming hot. Everything is still growing like crazy, so we stay very busy. Here is a picture of a rainbow lighting up the sky, and Andray with a fish he caught and filleted, and lastly a turtle we caught crossing the road.

Kitty Kitty is still living in Alice’s old room and sometimes she tries to “pay rent”. These critters are usually dead, but this time she brought in a living snake! Here she is playing with her catch and Salena using her special tools to get rid of it.

Tomorrow (Oct 1) is Andray Howell’s 20th birthday but we celebrated today. Here he is with Joyce, Ronald and Dominique.

In August Ken and Kathy went to convention in France and then to Portugal. They showed pictures to the residents. Marie saw several people she had helped in the French islands. Esther and others saw many workers they know. All 7 current residents are in the picture below.

Resident Journals

Elton Cleveland

Elton is slowing down. With his son, David, here he has been getting more personal attention, which he thrives on. He still plays the piano when his feet aren’t bothering him, and enjoys sunbathing with Kitty Kitty. Here they are together in the entry way relaxing.

Alice Oetken

Alice has been taken off of physical therapy at Park Manor. This means she won’t not be returning to PG. She always enjoys her visitors and wants them to come back more often. Here she is with Elton, the Hoffmans, Fred and Gilbert.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well. She still loves to bake in the kitchen. Her favorites are corn bread and banana nut muffins. Here she is visiting Alice with a big grin.

Esther Duncan

Esther has been gone all month to conventions in Tennessee. She returned with good stories and thankfulness for getting to see her friends again. She said they all heard “very sound doctrine”. Here she is at convention with her classic cup of tea.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie stays busy at the puzzle table, she is the mainstay of the puzzle crew. When Don and Becky come they always play a few rounds of Hand and Foot, which Elsie almost always wins.

Gwen Famer

Gwen is doing well, she has some eye trouble but is determined to not let it slow her down. She likes her optometrist and is positive about her eyesight staying about the same. Here she is visiting Alice.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald is slowing down but still does well. His iPhone has given its best but he’s beyond being able to use it. The staff is making calls for him if he needs, and he seems happy with this arrangement. Please feel free to call the main number if you want to speak with him. He’s looking forward to Georgetown Spanish and English.

Joyce Naber

Joyce stays about the same. She still struggles with her memory but she is set in a good routine that keeps her positive. She likes when people call to talk with her, although she doesn’t always remember who they are. Here she is again at Andray’s birthday lunch.

Fern Duncan and Gilbert Reese

Fern and Gilbert remain the same. Gilbert enjoys company but does not know who the visitors are. Fern seems to remember the residents better but is mostly quiet. Here’s Gilbert with Elton and Fern with Fred and Andray.

We appreciate your continued interest in our residents here. Please feel free to call our main number if you would like to chat with anyone of them.

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