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

February has been mild which allows the residents ample time to go for their walks. We had several special visitors this month who knew most all of our residents and brought tidings from their different states.

There were not as many birthdays this month, only two — Patty Maki and Mimi Mille. Patty had quite the turn out, and we enjoyed her three layer cake of berries and lemon. Salena put dried pansies on the outside because Patty loves gardening. Here she is at the table, and again in the entrance posing with her party goers.

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Mimi Mille came to celebrate with us at the end of the month. She does so much for the residents out here and we all really appreciate her. Here she is with her French inspired Tiramisu Crepe Cake.

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Lyle Schoeber came for a visit with all of us. He was our special meeting visitor and stayed to share a few words of wisdom with our eager listeners. Afterward we had a hymn sing to close out the visit. Here is everyone at the table, and again during the hymn sing.

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Kathy’s aunt, Jane Jacobson (MT), visited for a few days. Here she is with Sue Dawson.

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Esther’s good friend Carolynn Dunn came with some of her friends, Andrew and Sherry Aragon. They drove from Albuquerque to share a leg of lamb with us, which they know is a favorite of Esther’s. Also, it just so happened to be Mardi Gras that day, so Abigail made a king cake for us. Here is everyone at the table, and Abigail presenting her king cake.

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Shawn was so excited that we were having lamb that he asked Kenny to write a poem about lamb. He enjoyed it so it was passed to everyone to read. Here is what Kenny wrote.

Clarence came to pick up Carl and take him to be at the Sathoff’s. This happened to be the same time as Elsie’s return with Becky and Lana. Joyce Lawrence was here for a quick visit and to collect her mail. Here is a table picture of everyone enjoying a good spaghetti dinner.

The Sunday morning meeting here on the farm was moved from the Hoffman’s home and into the residence. This helps the residents get to meeting without as much exertion. Marilynn, with her oxygen, appreciates the move as it does not take as much out of her to go to meeting now. Here is a photo of our Sunday morning meeting attendees missing only the Milles who were away.

The men have been working hard dealing with a lot of dead trees and downed limbs across the property. We enlisted the help of one of our friends, Andray Howell, who has been working here off and on throughout the month. We have him doing odd jobs, but mostly running a chain saw to remove the dead trees. There were two dead sweet gum trees near the Bunkhouse that had rotted so bad they had become hollow. Here is a picture of Andray up in the bucket ready to start cutting the trees.

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Dawn and Wayne had a visit from Dawns brother and his wife: Kelly and Marlene Olson, from Idaho. Here they are after our Wednesday afternoon study meeting.

Here are some miscellaneous shots of daily life here at PG. First is of Shawn cleaning the oven, next is the February study board drawn by Salena. Followed by Abigail’s’ valentine-inspired cupcakes and a happy accident that happened when Joyce tried to pass the salt but it got away from her. Also, here are the grand kids, each with one of the new puppies, and the puppies in their pen. Last, is a hand drawn picture which Marilynn asked Abigail to create in honor of the staff during our covid lockdown last year.

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Ty and Amy Nordic’s daughter Shanaye Raschein is having a baby, so they held a baby shower for her. She meets with us sometimes and knows the residents, so she invited all the ladies from PG to attend. Here you can see Marie helping Joyce with one of the baby shower games.

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Ken and Kathy took a trip to OK and AR. One place they visited was Redbud Canyon. It was good to meet the residents and staff there, and to compare notes with Rusty and Amy Willhoite. Ken liked the blood moon puzzle/picture they had on wall (behind Amy), so he ordered one. Elsie and Gwen are now challenged with a 1500 piece puzzle!

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Resident Journals

Alice Oetken

Alice has been about her usual just more tired. She seems to be sleeping a lot more during the day and staying up at night. This means that she has trouble making it out to things when she gets overly tired. Here she is in her favorite chair enjoying some one-on-one time with Kitty Kitty and again with her favorite cup.

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Joyce Naber

Joyce is still her sweet self, she likes to get a laugh when the visitors are around. She had shots in both of her eyes this month, but the doctor said that they seem to be working. So she no longer needs them every four weeks, but can get them every eight weeks. Here she is with Marie at the baby shower sharing a laugh about the answers to a quiz.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen has been growing accustomed to living here. She struggles with different food ailments and has been helping the staff to find out what she can and cannot eat. Here she is with two of her old companions, Fe Gatan and Alice Oetken.

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Marie Mounce

Marie has been doing well, the staff still continues to monitor her blood pressure several times a day. She is one that likes to get out and do things. She goes to town often for the shopping trips. Here she is happily sharing her newly blossomed orchid, and again with her new recipe: Swedish meatball pizza.

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Elsie Schroeder

Elsie was taken up to San Antonio to attend Louis interment. Becky Schroeder came the day before to pick her up and drive her there. She enjoyed seeing her family again, and having of a reunion. Here she is after returning from her trip with her daughter-in-law Becky Schroeder and granddaughter Lana Newman. Next, she is at the puzzle table with our visitors Andrew and Sherry Aragon. Lastly, with Gretchen Weiss who came for a visit after hearing how much her sister Eileen enjoyed it.

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Elton Cleveland

Elton is doing well, there is not much change in his condition. Elton’s daughter, Karen, stayed with us for a few days. His son, David, came to see them. He still plays the piano everyday and has steady correspondence that he looks forward to. Here he is with his daughter, Karen, in front of the fire place, at the entrance, and again with them both Karen and David outside.

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Ronald Elliott

Ronald has been having back pain again. The topical ointments and creams we have tried are no longer providing any relief. His nurse prescribed him a higher dose of his pain medicine which seems to be working. Here he is with his daily reading of the newspaper, and getting a dose of puppy love.

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Marilynn Frye

Marilynn has her good days and her bad days. She receives physical therapy regularly and is moving around easier, but she still uses oxygen everyday. When seated or resting she does not need to wear it, but when walking she definitely needs it. Here she is posing with her old companion, Sue Dawson.

Esther Duncan

Esther does well, she keeps up with a lot of correspondence and seemingly receives mail almost daily. She helps out around the kitchen everyday, and usually conscripts Joyce to help her set up the breakfast table. Her friend, Carolyn Dunn, came to visit and brought Esther her favorite: lamb. We all appreciated the kind gesture, and Esther made it taste fantastic. Here she is with her friend Carolyn Dunn and again with Shawn enjoying a visit from the puppies.

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Carl Hamilton

Carl has been staying with us while he received physical therapy. He was evaluated and released at the end of the month. He is now back with Clarence and they intend to hold gospel meetings soon. Here he is happily helping with the dishes. Carl was at Chad Wooten’s when he fell sick, so Chad visited him at PG.

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Gilbert Reese and Fern Duncan

Gilbert and Fern have been doing about the same. They enjoy getting mail and having it read to them. Fern is completely bed ridden but the staff keeps her clean and healthy, and often clear when we come for a visit. Gilbert’s memory is not what it once was but his spirit is sweet and endearing. Here he is in his spot by the window, and Fern happy to chat with Marie.

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In honor of February we must say we love all of you who keep up with the blog and remember the residents. We truly appreciate all of your consideration and correspondence with them. It brightens up their day to hear from you and to know they are remembered.

Kenny & Ken

Winter has finally taken hold. January has been wet and foggy, which means the residents who enjoy walking now have to pace around the table instead. You can see here our bridges they usually walk on being submerged. Pecan Grove is one of the highest points in our county, so no damage is done when the lake overflows.

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This January was Gilbert Reese’s 100th birthday! The staff made arrangements with Park Manor to have him ready so that we could bring him to celebrate at Pecan Grove. This way all of the residents could see him, as well as his close friends in the area. Look at the camera line! Genuine Paparazzi here. Here Gilbert is coyly grabbing a birthday cupcake with a grin, and lastly posing with most of the residents in front of the piano.

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We have already had some wonderful visits this year. Lyle Schober and his companion Timothy Uzzell came for a lunch visit. Lyle was kind enough to sit for a while afterward and impart some wisdom to the residents and staff. Here they are in front of the entrance.

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Elsie enjoyed a visit from some old friends Linda and Terry Boelter. They used to meet together in Illinois. They also knew Marie and Marilynn well. Here they are with Elsie, Marie and Marilynn.

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Marilynn also enjoyed a brief visit from Lyle and Roberta Overby, accompanied by Linda Sorenson. Here they are with Alice and Joyce at the table.

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Because December was really busy we had our annual holiday staff dinner in January. We often play some fun games and give gifts, then take a staff photo. Here is Abigail enjoying some coffee after lunch, and a picture of our current staff. We really appreciate their hard work!

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Shawn and Anita’s dog Bayla had a litter of 7 puppies! Here is a happy Patty holding one, and the rest in their box., and lastly a proud Bayla meeting the residents.

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Carl Hamilton had a sick spell which affected his walking. He’s with us here at PG temporarily, and making good progress in his recovery. His brother David and Virginia visited. Also, Lyn Sorenson, Lyle and Byrd Overby visited today.

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Resident Journals

Alice Oetken

Alice has been doing well this month. She still has trouble swallowing and sometimes takes her meals to her room to finish. Other than that she is in good spirits. She asked Salena to visit Fern and Gilbert after a dental appointment. Here she is posing with them.

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Elton Cleveland

Elton has been doing well. He still plays the piano regularly and keeps up with his correspondence. He misses his daughter Karen and still looks for her emails each night. Here he is with his good friend Gilbert on his birthday.

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Joyce Naber

Joyce is all smiles and sweet as can be, which is her usual. Unfortunately, she still has some eye trouble and has to get shots in her eyes routinely. She never complains though. She is one of the ones that doesn’t get out much and was so excited to have Gilbert here for his birthday. Here they are at the lunch table.

Ronald Elliot

Ronald has been experiencing back pain again. The physical therapist recommended that he get new shoes with greater support because he usually wears sandals. He switched shoes and it made quite the difference, still painful but not as bad. Here he is returning from another successful snack foraging mission.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie enjoys her visitors, she often feels lonely back in her room. She has been spending a lot of time doing puzzles and bonding with the other puzzle ladies. This brings up her spirits and you can often hear them laughing. Here she is with her two visitors from Illinois, and again with her son Don who came for a quick visit.

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Esther Duncan

Esther takes daily walks. For the few days this month that it was freezing she circled the dinning room table instead. She sticks to her routine and this actually helps Joyce Naber as well because Esther often requests her help with small tasks. Every night the ladies strip the dinner table and prepare it for breakfast the next day. It is always good to see her looking out for Joyce, working with her and reminding her of things. Here she is happy to meet the expecting mother of all the puppies.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen still enjoys coming out and working on the puzzle with Elsie. It can be quite crowded around the table sometimes because several have taken interest in the puzzle building. The ladies put them together so fast they average about three a week! Here she is with our central Texas visitors David and Virginia Hamilton.

Marie Mounce

Marie is doing great, except she has been having trouble with her blood pressure again. The doctor gave her a new medicine that has helped combat this issue, but it still persists. She has a good spirit about it and tries to obey the doctors orders. She still loves working in the kitchen, finding new recipes to try out on our hungry residents. Here she is posing with Abigail and her latest creation: Salmon Wellington.

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Marilynn Frye

Marilynn has had a rough year so far, but she keeps trying to have a positive spirit. She got off of oxygen back in December but because her levels keep dropping she is now back on it for a while. When her oxygen drops she gets really dizzy and weak. She has been trying to recover her strength by walking around the table at least once. Here she is on the right chatting with a few of the ladies during a visit.

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Fern Duncan

Fern is about the same, she stays in bed mostly and sleeps a lot. She is clear when she is awake and enjoys seeing visitors she remembers. They have her on powerful pain medications because she moans in pain when off of them. This contributes to her sleepiness, so some visits are cut short when she falls asleep. Here is a different picture of her visit with Alice.

Thank you for your interest in us here at Pecan Grove. The residents truly love getting mail from you and seeing how everyone is doing.

Kenny and Ken

The beginning of November really warmed up compared to October. We had some very pleasant fall days. We’ve enjoyed many visitors this month, not just for the memorial either. Ray and Myra Klepzig came and brought tea, so we had a little impromptu tea party at the table. Here is everyone having a cozy cup of tea.

Our workers, Clarence Mounce and Carl Hamilton, have started gospel meetings here at PG again. The residents really appreciate being able to attend instead of traveling or listening from afar.

We always look forward to visits from friends across the pond. Geoff and Linda Murray came to us from New Zealand. They lived on Lake Conroe and went to meeting with us from 1999 to 2002, so it is good to see them again after so long. Here they are with some of the ones they visited, as well as with Karin and Karla who really enjoyed growing up with their kids.

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“Many hands make light work” is the motto of all the visitors who come here. Everyone likes to jump in and help where they can. Here are some shots of our visitors helping out.

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Happy Thanksgiving! We enjoyed having the Furrows and our workers for lunch. Here are some shots of the table and our holiday spread. There is much to be thankful for around here!

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We enjoyed a visit from Andrew and Monica Newman from Atlanta, Georgia. Andrew recently retired from Ken’s old company, CTES, and came for a retirement party and to visit PG.

Resident Journals

Marilynn Frye

Marilynn had a bad fall at the beginning of the month. She was taking out the trash and lost her balance, falling hard on the stone banister before sitting down. She had a mobile X-ray come and check her out, which said she had no broken bones. However, the pain was quite severe, so Salena took her to the hospital which found that she had a small crack in her femur just below her hip replacement. She also has compression fractures in her spine but it’s not clear if they are new or old. She was able to return to us after a week of rehab, and has been doing well with physical therapy. All of this happened just before her 80th birthday which we celebrated belatedly at PG on Thanksgiving Day. Here she is with visitors in the hospital as well as at her birthday party upon her return to PG.

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Elsie Schroeder

Elsie has been having a tough time with Louis’ passing. Having Roberta here was very comforting and the two of them spent a lot of quiet time together, walking and doing puzzles. Here are the ladies deep in contemplation.

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We had a memorial for Louis on the 11th, with the family and many friends attending. Here are some pictures of the set up and of the friends and family who attended.

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Alice Oetken

Alice is doing well and she still walks with her cat everyday. She enjoyed the visitors for the memorial as well, several came from the Midwest where she grew up. She also got a special visit from her nephew-in -law and his son, Roger and Lee Fryer. Here she is walking with her cat and at Thanksgiving, and lastly with her visitors in the entry way.

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Elton Cleveland

Elton has been enjoying having Karen and David around so much. Unfortunately, he had a fall after Louis’ memorial. Nothing broken, just a scraped knee. Here he is with visitors and playing a duet with our visitor Dorothy Kleeb.

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Also our great friend and Elton’s daughter, Karen Cleveland, had a birthday this month. She turned 76! Here she is with her four quadrant cake.

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Marie Mounce

Marie was able to spend some time with family after Effie. She saw her sisters and their families for a few days before being brought back. Here she is at the hearth with her sisters and one of their husbands.

Joyce Naber

Joyce really loved a visit from her sister Diane and friend Dorothy Kleeb. Here she is reading her mail and with Diane. They took walks to feed the fish and helped Elsie with the puzzle, but mostly chatted and laughed (two of Joyce’s favorite things).

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Ronald Elliott

Ronald is doing well, just a little unsteady on his feet. The staff has been encouraging him to use his walker, and he has been for his walks to the pond. He actually prefers to carry his cane on his walker, in case he needs to go on an adventure. Here he is returning from one of his jaunts, and again with Dan Wisecup.

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Gwen Farmer

Gwen has been up and down this month. She had a bronchial cold for a while that was hard for her to shake. She still made the effort to come out and do the puzzle as well as attend all meals and studies. Here she is keeping up with her geography.

Esther Duncan

Esther has been doing well, except for some continued teeth trouble. She had a few more teeth pulled, and finally got a partial denture that fit well. She is happy to have teeth again and be back to normal food. She has had a busy end of the year. After having several conventions she went away again to New Mexico to see Caroline Dunn and is back now.

Gilbert Reese and Fern Duncan

Gilbert and Fern are doing well, they still enjoy visitors and mail. Gilbert still enjoys his treats, here he is eating a peppermint patty.

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Last month we included videos of a buck and a bobcat. Here’s a coyote taken at the same location.

Thank you all for your continued interest in the residents here. We can’t stress enough how much we appreciate the outpouring of support and love we receive, especially in times of mourning.

Kenny and Ken