Currentmature6 19 14

Page 1

Edina physician finds new ways to promote wellness BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dr. Alyse Hamilton had been a longtime internal medicine doctor and Emergency Department physician when she discovered she “just didn’t feel well.” “I was in my early 50s, and I was going through menopause,” she said. “I noticed I was losing energy, was tired, couldn’t remember things and had a lot of hot flashes. My gynecologist told me I was just getting old. So I started on a quest to improve my health on my own.” Through a colleague, she found the A4M, the American Academy of AntiAging and Regenerative Medicine, and knew she’d discovered a new way to resolve her problems. “I looked into the curriculum and found that it was a new way of looking at medicine and of promoting wellness,” Hamilton said. “I wanted to offer that to others. As I practiced conventional medicine, I felt like a drug-pusher. I felt dissatisfied with medicine because patients weren’t getting answers or help. I decided I was done with conventional medicine. I wanted to be open-minded to other forms of treatment that were not drug-centered.” After two years of study, training and testing, conferences, textbooks, oral and written boards, and continuing medical education, she made the decision in 2012 to leave emergency department medicine and become the founder and medical director of the Advanced Health and Vitality Center in Edina. “It’s a different way of thinking, and it’s been very rewarding,” said Hamilton, who is not a primary care physician. “It’s more proactive. I can give patients more education about health care and wellness.” Now, Hamilton works with her patients to help them reclaim their energy, memory and sexual health through a

comprehensive medical assessment, bioidentical hormone therapy, micronutrient infusions and high-grade nutritional supplementation. She specializes in the treatment of underlying causes of menopause, andropause (male menopause), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic and undetected Lyme disease, thyroid and adrenal gland restoration, and nutritional supplementation, as well as treating energy, memory and sexual health issues. Hamilton said she is seeing a wide range of ages in her patients these days. She has some patients in their late 70s. “The benefit of maintaining hormones is that it prevents bone loss, and maintains sexual health and memory,” Hamilton said. “Some women are still having hot flashes in their 70s.” The emphasis is finding the cause of their problems, Hamilton said. “I don’t just treat the symptoms,” she said. “I look at deficiencies, lifestyle, and how the thyroid, adrenal gland and gastrointestinal tract are working. Everything is interrelated.” A patient’s first and second visits with Hamilton will be about one hour each, while she completes a comprehensive assessment, saliva testing and blood work. “I need to know what’s going on in the body so I can make some recommendations,” Hamilton said. “I want to get my patients back to feeling their best. I want them to be symptom-free with no side effects. I want to help them reclaim their good health.” And once she makes her recommendations, unlike her work in the Emergency Department, she is rewarded with the chance to do follow-ups on her patients, to see how they’re improving and feeling better. Patients are monitored every three or four months for the first year, she said. DOCTOR - TO PAGE 5

Dr. Alyse Hamilton is the founder and medical director of the Advanced Health and Vitality Center in Edina. (Submitted photo)

Page 2 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

% %' # ! !%* # # # ( # # # # # # # # ( %* $ # #

current.mnsun.com

Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, June 19, 2014 Page 3

The Retreat: A place for older adults to solidify sobriety BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Fay M., now 64, said she had been “drinking and having fun for 45 years.” But then it wasn’t fun anymore. “As you get older, it doesn’t get better,” said Fay, whose first marriage ended as a result of her drinking. “I didn’t want to do it the rest of my life. I wanted to enjoy life and not be a hopeless drunk.” In April 2013, Fay decided to join the Older Adults Program at The Retreat in Wayzata. The Retreat is a residential recovery program that relies on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is not a treatment center, nor does it offer clinical or medical services. It is designed to offer support and education to people over 60 who have been addicted to alcohol or drugs. The Retreat’s Older Adults Program is an eight-week outpatient program offered each Monday and Wednesday. “It’s based on spirituality, serenity and service, something I’d never found before, even though I had quit drinking several times,” Fay said. “This time I accepted and embraced addiction recovery and it finally made sense to me. It’s the best thing I’ve ever discovered.” The first person she met when she came to The Retreat was Mike Jamison, director of Non-Residential Programs. “He asked me to stand up and push A peaceful pathway on the grounds at The Retreat is a place where older adults can seek against the wall as hard as I could,” Fay serenity. (Submitted photo) said. “Then he said, ‘Did you move it?’ When I told him I didn’t, he said, ‘See, part of my life,” Fay said. mood-altering sleep and pain medicayou can’t do it alone.’ The Retreat’s program stresses service tions and combining those with alcohol,” “That has always stuck with me,” she to others, and Fay has found that giving he said. “Maybe Dad has four or five said. back makes her feel better, too. So she drinks a day, but now his body is less able Fay has been married to her second volunteers through her church and other to metabolize that. Now one drink may husband for 12 years, and she continues organizations. have a much more significant effect.” to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetJohn Curtiss, president of The ReIn addition, those seniors have gone ings. treat and the Community of Recovering from running businesses, raising families Even though Fay has completed The People board of directors, said the board and being active in the community, to a Retreat’s program, she continues to re- spent a year researching everything they time when the phone has stopped ringturn as an alum. could find on senior citizens and chemi- ing, he said. “I’ve made so many friends there,” Fay cal dependency. The Retreat wanted to do something said. “Going back keeps me in the pro“We found that aging is a tsunami as to offer support, Curtiss said. gram. The more people I tell about what baby boomers approach 65 and over,” he “We want to help redefine the next step I’m doing, the better it is for me. This is said. “There will be 10,000 persons turn- of life for them,” he said. “We want to really the ticket. I can’t say enough about ing 65 every day for the next 19 years. help them find meaning, purpose and it.” That will amount to a huge shift in aging mission.” She and other alums like to welcome and complexities of society.” The Retreat has found it is dealing new people to the program because they That population is much more likely to with three critical levels of denial in soknow it’s sometimes hard to face a new take multiple prescription drugs and be ciety: group when you have physical, emotion- much more vulnerable to addiction, Cur• People who are used to using alcohol al and even legal issues to handle. tiss said. every day say, “I don’t have a problem.” “We’re a welcoming group; that’s a big “Seniors are using more and more They see it as a moral failing and sign of

weakness. • The family is in denial and shies away from addressing the problem. • Institutional denial sometimes even occurs, for example, at an assisted living facility that refuses to accept the fact that there might be a problem in their community. “They have happy hour from 5-6 p.m. that puts everybody to sleep, but no one wants to face it,” Curtiss said. The Retreat’s Older Adult day program runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday, and includes lunch. “You get to be surrounded with others in your same age group, and they’re talking about real issues like dependence, loneliness and anxiety,” Curtiss said. Some AA meetings at The Retreat are specially designed for older adults, ages 55 to 80. The average age is upper 60s and into the 70s, according to Curtis. Participants must be at least detoxified and sober, and must be physically and psychologically stable, he said. Steve Crane, coordinator of the Older Adults Program, said participants often come to The Retreat as an after-care program, following a stint in a detox facility or a 30-day residential program. “Our Older Adults program has a really good track record of helping people stay sober longer,” Crane said. Mike Jamison, director of The Retreat’s Non-Residential programs, said some participants are motivated to join the program because of legal trouble, such as a DWI. Others may come because a son or daughter will ask them to get help for their addiction. “My satisfaction is seeing people who have found long-term relationships and friends to do things with,” Jamison said, adding that many alumni come back regularly for well over two years after leaving the program. Statistics show that 57 percent of the general population at The Retreat is clean and sober 12 months after leaving, Curtiss said. Half of the facility’s inpatient program serves people from outside Minnesota; 10 percent are from other countries. The cost of the eight-week program is $1,500, and scholarship help is available. The Retreat is at 1221 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata. Information: 951-476-0566, www.theretreat.org, or www.facebook. com/theretreatonline

Page 4 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

Mobility assist dog brings daily joy to Apple Valley woman BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER When Sue Youngberg moved into a retirement center in Lakeville, she said, “I had an empty hole in my heart. I’d always had a pet.” Youngberg uses a power wheelchair because she has had syringomyelia for almost 40 years. It is a rare neuromuscular disorder that has resulted in her now having triplegia. She has lost the use of both legs and one arm. She’d had a pet Sheltie dog that had to be put down, and then she tried to work with a little dog she adopted from a shelter, but she wasn’t able to train it. “I was resigned to thinking I couldn’t get another dog because the training was so difficult,” Youngberg said. But then a maintenance man who worked at her retirement facility and is a member of the Lions told her about Can Do Canines, a New Hope-based firm that trains mobility assist dogs. Youngberg applied and was accepted, and then moved to an Apple Valley living facility in 2011. She waited a year before meeting her new canine partner in 2012. “It was hard not to call every day,” Youngberg said. The wait was well worth it, she said. Her partner, Bali, a black Labrador retriever who was 16 month olds old when Youngberg got her, was the first Can Do Canines graduate dog to be raised by inmates at the Sandstone Federal Prison in Sandstone, Minn. While Bali worked with inmates at the prison, the dog got furloughs to go home with prison employees and become more socialized in stores and restaurants. The prison inmates who worked with Bali taught her to give puppy kisses, and the dog has stuck to her regimen of a kiss for her owner each night before bed, always rewarded with a doggie treat. A Minnesota native with a degree in international relations from the University of Minnesota, Youngberg worked in marketing and sales during what she calls the computer industry’s “heyday” in Silicon Valley until her disability meant that she could no longer do the extensive offsite traveling that was part of her job. She quit working in 1997 and returned to Minnesota later to be closer to family. When she first went to meet Bali,

Youngberg said, “She was everything I’d wanted. We had instant bonding. Bali came up and put her head on my lap and that was it.” What followed was some specialized training at Youngberg’s home, so Bali could adapt to her needs. “I’m paralyzed on my right side, and sometimes my arm slips off my wheelchair,” Youngberg said. “Bali was trained to put her nose under my arm and lift it so I could grab the arm with my other hand and pull it over.” At first, Bali thought it was a game, and then Youngberg started laughing. The fun and laughter has continued to be a big part of their relationship. “After you get used to the dog, you take a public accessibility test at the mall,” Youngberg said. Bali had to be able to push handicapped buttons. In the food court, she had to follow instructions to leave a bag of French fries on the floor where she found them, rather than to pick them up. Now, the dog is able to retrieve water from the refrigerator for Youngberg by tugging on a rope tied to the handle, opening the door, getting the water, and nosing the door shut. Bali also retrieves Youngberg’s phone for her. Bali helps with the laundry, too, by tugging a rope tied to the laundry basket in the bedroom and pulling it through Youngberg’s apartment to the washer. Then she removes each piece of dirty Sue Youngberg gets lots of affection from Bali, her black Labrador retriever. Bali, who was clothing and gives it to Youngberg to raised by inmates at the Sandstone Federal Prison, came to live with Sue Youngberg in 2012. place in the front-loading washer. (Submitted photos) “When the wash is done, Bali pulls each piece out of the washer one by one and gives it to me to put in the dryer,” Youngberg said. “She’s literally my right hand. I can’t imagine life without her.” Now that she has an assist dog, Youngberg is able to go out more. She is available for demonstrations, speaking to Lions groups, and other public appearances as needed. In the meantime, she and Bali continue to perfect new ways of working together. And they have fun at the same time. “She loves going to the dog park, and she has play dates with another assist dog that lives in the building,” said Youngberg, who has enlisted the help of a friend to make a video about Bali. “Bali is like my child,” Youngberg said. “She’s a real ham.” DOG - TO PAGE 9

Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, June 19, 2014 Page 5

current.mnsun.com

Doctor FROM PAGE 1 “I love what I do,� she said. “I love to see the transformation.� Although Hamilton’s services are not covered by private insurance plans, the lab studies, blood work and saliva testing can be covered by insurance, depending on a patient’s coverage. Along the way, Hamilton has gained endorsement from actress Suzanne Somers’ ForeverHealth organization. “I’ve gotten a lot of patients through her website,� Hamilton said. “A lot of people read her books.� When indicated, Hamilton does talk with a patient’s primary physician to review the treatment she is recommending. “A lot of physicians are on board with the natural things I have patients doing,� Hamilton said. “I haven’t had a lot of resistance. I encourage my patients to let their primary doctor know what we’re doing.� Michael Boxenbaum, director of the Advanced Health and Vitality Center and a 40-year veteran in the health care field, said he has been working with an-

ti-aging and regeneration for 12 years. He has a graduate degree in business, formerly was a professor at Hamline University, and has been in management and administration at similar centers in other parts of the country. “No one is better trained and equipped to do this than Dr. Alyse,� he said. “She tells patients she’s not their boss or their mom, but a partner with them in helping to reclaim their health. She works at fixing the underlying cause of problems and preventing things from happening.� According to Boxenbaum, “Conventional medicine doctors do basic tests and then stop. Dr. Alyse hunts down the problem and corrects it. She looks at hormones that are critical for health. A lot of the work is done through diet. When everything is in balance, a person starts to feel good again.� A resident of Apple Valley, Hamilton graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul with a degree in biology and completed her medical degree in 1982 at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. She did her residency in the University of Minnesota’s Internal Medicine Program at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in 1985. She has board certification in Internal Medicine through the American Board of Inter-

Actress Suzanne Somers’ ForeverHealth organization has endorsed Hamilton’s work. (Submitted photo) nal Medicine. anti-aging, regenerative and integrative She was a member of the medical staff medicine through the American Acadat Abbott Northwestern from 1985-92; emy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative from 1992-2012, she was a staff mem- Medicine, Hamilton attained Advanced ber and senior partner with Emergency Fellow status and was ultimately board Care Consultants, P.A. practicing emer- certified in Anti-Aging and Regeneragency medicine. tive Medicine. After completing extensive training in

&KRRVLQJ D 0HGLFDUH SODQ PD\ VHHP FRPSOLFDWHG %XW 0HGLFD PDNHV LW VLPSOH IRU \RX :H KDYH DGYLVRUV WR JXLGH \RX WKURXJK WKH SURFHVV DQG SODQV WKDW SURYLGH WKH SHUVRQDOL]HG DQG DIIRUGDEOH FRYHUDJH \RX QHHG

&DOO 6,03/( D P WR S P &7 GD\V D ZHHN 77< XVHUV SOHDVH FDOO WKH 1DWLRQDO 5HOD\ &HQWHU DW $FFHVV WR UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV PD\ EH OLPLWHG RQ ZHHNHQGV DQG KROLGD\V GXULQJ FHUWDLQ WLPHV RI WKH \HDU

2U YLVLW ZZZ PHGLFD FRP 0HGLFD LV D &RVW DQG 332 SODQ ZLWK D 0HGLFDUH FRQWUDFW (QUROOPHQW LQ 0HGLFD GHSHQGV RQ FRQWUDFW UHQHZDO < B &06 $FFHSWHG

Page 6 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

Mary Jo Copeland: ‘Minnesota’s Mother Teresa,’ Ramstad says

Mary Jo Copeland, left, prays with clients at Sharing and Caring Hands, after washing their feet. She provides new shoes and socks for clients, if necessary. (Submitted photos) BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Mary Jo Copeland, a 25-year resident of Brooklyn Center, arrives at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church by 2 a.m. each day. She spends the next five hours praying and then attending daily Mass before her workday of service to the needy begins. “My energy comes from God,” said Copeland, 71, who has been serving the poor for decades. She founded Sharing and Caring Hands 29 years ago in Minneapolis. Before 8 a.m., Copeland arrives at the location on North 7th Street near downtown Minneapolis where she feeds and ministers to poor people – especially children – each day. The facility serves 20,000 people a month. Clients in need can get help there with clothing, shelter and bill-paying assistance if necessary. Before 1985 Mary Jo had been a regular volunteer at Catholic Charities, an organization that helps the poor. She was recognized that year for her volunteer service by KARE-TV, as one of their “Eleven who Care.” Using a $2,200 stipend that came with the award, she began her own outreach to the homeless and poor.

Her plan was to provide services through volunteers, from local churches and organizations. Sharing and Caring Hands’ first location was in a storefront on Glenwood Avenue on the edge of downtown Minneapolis. To gain support for the operation, Copeland undertook a campaign of preaching to church congregations at their Sunday services. She set up showers and a free clothing store in the basement of the building, where the poor and homeless could clean themselves. She bought gloves, mittens and shoes to supplement the donated clothing in the Free Store. Sharing and Caring Hands bought its first building in 1988, and its clientele changed from predominantly male street transients to mothers with small children. “People come to us so sad and broken,” Copeland said. “We talk with the people who come to us and try to give them some joy and peace.” In the early days, Copeland began a tradition she carries on even today. She washes the feet of the poor, and provides new shoes and socks if necessary. “It’s a humbling way to serve,” she said. “Their feet are so bad; sometimes in the winter they’re frostbitten.” In 1990, the facility was expanded; the work was

completely paid for by private donations. Copeland is, as she always has been, the main fundraiser, the recruiter of volunteers and director of the shelter. She has recruited different church groups for each day of the month to buy, prepare, bring in and serve 1,000 noon meals each day. After 29 years, some of the original groups still are serving today. In addition to meals and housing, the facility offers free dental and medical care, and helps clients buy eyeglasses. Copeland also assists some needy people with buying uniforms, work boots or bus cards so they can work. She has even paid for caskets and funeral flowers for families who are unable to afford them. Her facility receives no funding from the state or federal government, or the United Way, she said. “Everything is from individual donations,” said Copeland. “I just need to keep focused on opening the doors and taking care of my people.” A native of Rochester, Minn., Copeland graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield in 1960. She and her husband, Dick, a DeLaSalle graduate and St. Thomas College student, were married in 1961. The couple has 12 children, and Mary Jo stayed COPELAND - TO PAGE 9

Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, June 19, 2014 Page 7

current.mnsun.com

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

/ -/) @';% % 7'+$ )-88 ) ?& '+$ ;% * *-7 ?>)+ 7 ) ; * +;' 2 B )8- 8/ >) ; ;% ; % 7'+$ )-88 ->) ) ; * +;' B * ('+$ '+ '?' >& )8 *-7 8- ' ))B '8-) ; (+-@+ 7'8( ;-7 -7 * +& ;' + -;% 7 -$+';'? '8-7& 782 % ; ? 7 ;% >8 ;% 8 '& +;'8;8 7 /-7; ;% '7 !+ '+$ * B - 7 8; 7;'+$ /-'+; -7 '+; 7? +;'-+8 ? + 8 8'*/) 8 % 7'+$ ' 8 ;% ; ->) ) B -7 /7 ? +; & * +;' B '*/7-?'+$ / ;' +;86 % 7'+$2 4 8 7 % 78 % ? )--( ; @% ; ;8 % 7'+$ )-88 >; @ % ? )--( ; %-@ % 7& '+$ )-88 ;8 -$+';'? 7 '+

>+ ;'-+ 5 8 B8 8;> B ) 7 7 +()'+ 2 2 %2 2 88'8& ; +; /7- 88-7 '+ ;% '?'8'-+ - ;-)-$B ; -%+8 -/('+8 +'? 78';B %--) - '& '+ 2 4 7 % 8+6; + *> % 7-88; )( ;@ + -;-)-$'8;8 + $ 7' ;7' ' +8 8- ';68 + >+ ) 7 @% ;% 7 % 7'+$ )-88 + * +;' 7 7 ) ; 25 - * ( ;% -++ ;'-+ '+ + %'8 -)) $> 8 >8 ; 7-* ;% );'*-7 -+$';>& '+ ) ;> B -+ $'+$ 0 12 '+';' ; B ;%

;'-+ ) +8;';>; -+ $'+$ '+ .," % 8 ;7 ( ? 7'->8 % );% ;-78 '+ ;%->8 + 8 - * + + @-* + -? 7 82 + @ 8;> B /> )'8% '+ ;% 7> 7B 7 %'? 8 - >&

7-)-$B - >8 -+ 9<, / -/) @%-8 % 7'+$ + -$+';'? ')';' 8 @ 7 ; 8; 8 / 7; - ;% ;@ + .,,C + .,,#2 %') ->; 3> 7; 7 - ;% ?-)>+; 78 % 8-* % 7'+$ )-88 ; ;% 8; 7; - ;% 8;> B +-+ % * +;' 2 8 ?-)>+; 78 @ 7 ;% + )-8 )B -))-@ @';% 7 / ; A *'+ ;'-+8 ? 7B -+ ;- ;@B 78 + B =CC " - ;% * % ? )-/ * +;' 2 7 8 7 % 78 ->+ ;% ; 8;> B / 7;' '/ +;8 @';% % 7& '+$ )-88 ; ;% $'++'+$ - ;% 8;> B @ 7 8'$+'! +;)B *-7 )'( )B ;- ? )-/ * +& ;' B ;% + 2 -*/ 7 @';% ?-)>+; 78 @';% +-7* ) % 7& '+$ ;%-8 @';% *') *- 7&

; + 8 ? 7 % 7'+$ )-88 % ;@- -) ;%7 -) + !? -) 7 8/ ;'? )B ;% 7'8( - ? )-/'+$ * +;' -? 7 ;'* 2 *-7 % 7'+$ )-88 ;% B % ;% %'$% 7 ;% '7 )'( )'%-- - ? )-/'+$ ;% * *-7B&7- '+$ '8 8 2 ? + 7 ;% 7 8 7 % 78 ;--( '+;- ->+; -;% 7 & ;-78 ;% ; 7 88- ' ; @';% 7'8( - * +;' '+ )> '+$ ' ; 8 %'$% )-- /7 88>7 $ 8 A + 7 '+ A/) '+8 % 7'+$ )-88 + * +;' @ 7 8;')) 8;7-+$)B -++ ; 2 4 )-; - / -/) '$+-7 % 7'+$ )-88 >8 ';68 8> % 8 )-@ + '+8' '->8 /7- 88 8 @ $ 5 '+ 8 B82 4 ? + ' / -/) ) 8 ' ;% B 7 +-; ;

@ 67 8%-@'+$ ;% ; '; * B @ )) *-7 8 7'->8 /7- ) *25 7+'+$ 8'$+8 - % 7'+$ )-88 '+ )> ' ! >);B % 7'+$ '+ +-'8B 8';> ;'-+8 )'( 7 8; >& 7 +;8 ;7-> ) >+ 78; + '+$ @-* +68 + %') 7 +68 ?-' 8 + '+$ ;- 8( / -/) ;- 7 & / ; ;% *8 )? 8 /7- ) *8 % 7'+$ -+ ;% ; ) /%-+ + % ?'+$ ;- ;>7+ ;% 7 '- + ; ) ?'8'-+ )-> 72 B-> 8>8& / ; ;% 7 * B /7- ) * '; '8 7 -** + ;% ; B-> $ ; B->7 % 7'+$ ; 8; 2 7 8 7 % @ 8 8>//-7; B ;% '+;7 *>7 ) 7 8 7 % /7-$7 * - ;% ;'-+ ) +8;'& ;>; -+ $'+$

ÂŻÂŽsßßÂŽĂ&#x;Ă&#x; ÂŽĂ&#x;Ă—¤~

Page 8 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

New Brighton minister retires after 55 years of church service BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER After five tries at retirement, the Rev. Veryle Henriksen, visitation pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton for the last three years, is marking the end of 55 years of church service. “Remember what Gen. Douglas MacArthur said: ‘Old soldiers never die; they just fade away,’” Henriksen said. “It’s time for me to fade away. I’m knocking on the door of 85.” He leaves a long and storied legacy behind. After attending a one-room schoolhouse and high school in Clear Lake, Iowa, Henriksen got a degree in history and religion at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. He served in the Navy during the Korean War. “I joined the Naval Reserve in 1950, and went on active duty in 1953 as a line officer,” Henriksen said. “I got in on the prisoner exchange in Korea. I was present when the first prisoners came back from North Korea. They were so thin they could have stood sideways in the rain and not gotten wet.” His plan to return to the family farm in Iowa was jettisoned when an accident with a manure loader broke his jaw in two places and ended his plans to be a farmer. “I was going to stay on the farm, but God told me I was supposed to be a minister,” Henriksen said. He heeded that call. After attending Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Henriksen was ordained in 1959. He served as a chaplain in the Navy, on both active and inactive service, from 1959-1980, based out of Florida and then Maryland. He then served in the Marine Corps in North Carolina, followed by two years of service as the naval base chaplain in Iceland, and

The Rev. Veryle Henriksen of New Brighton is retiring this month after 55 years of church service. (Submitted photo) three years spent in Rhode Island. He and his wife, Peggy, whom he married in 1950, returned to Minnesota, where they raised a family of three daughters and a son. The Henriksens spent seven years serving at a church in Hoffman, Minn., followed by ministry at the State Hospital in Fergus Falls. Henriksen then served as the visitation pastor at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Mounds View and First Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights, before coming to Christ the King Church in New Brighton three years ago. His duties as visitation pastor for the New Brighton church include bringing communion to shut-ins at home and also visiting patients in local hospitals and nursing homes. “I just have wonderful people to visit,” Henriksen said. “They are just great.” Henriksen also leads services at area health care centers, including Trevilla and the Benedictine Health Care Center

in New Brighton. Chaplain Fran O’Connor, who serves at the Benedictine Health Care Center, said Henriksen has come to that facility to visit members of congregations he served in Columbia Heights and New Brighton. He also led worship there once a month. “He is known for his humor and his stories; he’s able to poke fun at himself,” O’Connor said. “He relates well to the residents, many of whom are in his peer group. He’s comfortable talking to anyone. He is a very free spirit. I have a hunch he may still come back to visit here.” Henriksen’s father was a patient at Benedictine Health Care Center for two years in the 1990s, according to O’Connor. “So he knows this experience from the perspective of a family member, too,” she said. The Rev. Hannah Johnson, pastor for children, youth and family ministry at Christ the King Church, said she and Henriksen share the same birthday and like to joke that they are “twins separated by age.” “He’s absolutely incredible,” Johnson said. “He’s been a great mentor, friend and pastoral colleague to me.” A 22-year resident of New Brighton, Henriksen has been playing duplicate bridge each Wednesday and Thursday for many years, and plans to continue doing that in retirement. “I’ve really had fun with that,” he said. He also does all the grocery shopping and even prepares some of the meals at home, he said. During their 63-year marriage, he and his wife have traveled to all seven continents, he said. They have four children in the Twin Cities area, plus 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The birth of triplet boys to his daughter 22 years ago meant, Henriksen said,

that “life has never been the same since.” But what he calls his “claim to fame” occurred during a July 4 parade in Clear Lake, Iowa, about 30 years ago, when five presidential candidates were part of the festivities. U.S. Sen. John Glenn, a former astronaut and retired U.S. Marine Corps pilot, was one of them, Henriksen said. “He was about 50 yards away from me on the back of a convertible when the parade stopped. It was all quiet and I shouted out, “USS Noa.’ I gave him the high sign, and he waved at me. My family and John Glenn knew what I was doing, but the Secret Service didn’t.” (The USS Noa was the Navy destroyer that hauled Glenn out of the Atlantic Ocean after his Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft splashed down following three orbits of the Earth on Feb. 20, 1962) According to the Rev. Deborah Birkeland, Christ the King’s pastor for outreach, who wrote a tribute to Henriksen in the church’s newsletter last month, “Pastor Veryle always has a fun story, quip or joke to lighten any heart, but his humor is made rich by the amazing depth of his understanding of God’s love and grace. As our visitation pastor, Veryle has brought compassion, love, humor and care to many people.” As for his visitation duties, Henriksen told Birkeland, “I love to visit the people, for they are God’s people: a product of God’s creation; recipients of Christ’s love; and set free by his forgiveness.” In the newsletter, Henriksen is quoted as saying, “I think Lutherans are a little too good at condemning ourselves. When I lead a communion service, I always stress that we are forgiven all of our sins, not part of our sin, and forgiveness is for everybody.” Although he is retiring, Henriksen says he’s in “no hurry to leave this Earth.” Until he’s called, he said, “I’m having a ball.”

“I love to visit the people, for they are God’s people: a product of God’s creation; recipients of Christ’s love; and set free by his forgiveness.” - Rev. Veryle Henriksen

Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, June 19, 2014 Page 9

current.mnsun.com

Dog

Copeland

FROM PAGE 4

FROM PAGE 6

Can Do Canines provides five different types of specially trained dogs: Mobility Assist, Hearing Assist, Autism Assist, Seizure Response, and Diabetes Assist, and works one-on-one with each client and his or her dog. Dogs are placed with clients free of charge. The only thing the client pays is a $50 application fee. Each client must be responsible for the care of the dog once it is placed, so they must have the financial ability to buy food, and cover veterinary expenses once the dog is with them. Julianne Larsen, director of training at Can Do Canines, said all of the clients have to go through an application process before they are accepted into the program. “Once the paperwork portion is complete we schedule an interview with them in their home,� Larsen said. “During the interview we discuss the applicant’s individual situation and how a dog might be able to help them in their daily life. We also answer any questions they may have and discuss what working with an assistance dog entails. At that time we also assess their ability to care for a dog and their living environment to ensure it is safe for a dog.� There is monthly follow-up on each Can Do Canines client for six months, either by mail or by phone. After that, follow-ups are conducted yearly. Help is available anytime a client needs assistance, Larsen said.

home with them until they were all in school. “When the kids were all in school, I needed to give to the world,� she said. “So I started volunteering.� She said she promised God that she would further his kingdom if he would give her a spot in which to do it. “God has blessed this work,� she said. Her work has been noticed nationally. In February 2013, Copeland got a call from the White House, saying she’d been selected to receive a Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian honor. It was given to just 17 of 6,000 nominees in 2013. The plaque Copeland received from President Barack Obama credits her with “sparking hope in those who need it most.� “Her unyielding vision for stronger neighborhoods has inspired people nationwide and her compassion for the poor and the marginalized speaks to the depth of the human spirit,� the plaque said. Copeland said she cried on stage when the president presented the award to her. “I didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t help it,� she said. “I couldn’t believe I was there. It was God’s honor. He’s given me the grace to do what I do. I told the president I prayed for him.� Jim Ramstad of Wayzata, who represented Min-

nesota’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991-2009 (and also served in the Minnesota Legislature from 1987-90), said he first met Copeland in 1991. According to Ramstad, Copeland “really is Minnesota’s Mother Teresa.� “Mary Jo personifies the words of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961, when he said, ‘Here on Earth God’s work must truly be our own,’� Ramstad said. Copeland subsequently was one of two principal speakers at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., when George W. Bush was president. “She did a magnificent job,� Ramstad said. “It was so inspirational. I’ll never forget it.� “Retirement� is not a word in Copeland’s vocabulary. “You can rest in eternity,� she said. “I won’t retire. I’ve got to complete the work God gave me to do, and then he will take me home.� Until her work with the needy is done, Copeland relaxes by walking and watching a little TV, and she and her husband spend some time at their “hideaway�: Broadway Pizza in Maple Grove. She’s in bed by 6 p.m. each night, ready for an eight-hour respite before she rises again to go to church and then on to work. Copeland’s husband Dick, formerly a buyer at Rainbow Foods, joined the Sharing and Caring Hands staff 13 years ago. “I needed someone to help me,� Mary Jo said. Currently, Sharing and Caring Hands has 14 paid staff members. Copeland takes no salary for her work.

7+( 9(5121 7(55$&( &$0386 2))(56 ‡ 0HDOV LQ RXU HOHJDQW %LOWPRUH 'LQLQJ 5RRP ‡

6FKHGXOHG YDQ VHUYLFH

‡

:HOOQHVV FHQWHU

‡

)LUHVLGH 5RRP

‡

6XSSRUWLYH VHUYLFHV DYDLODEOH

‡

6RFLDO RXWLQJV DQG HYHQWV

‡

UHQWDO FRPPXQLW\

&$// 72'$< 9HUQRQ $YHQXH (GLQD 01 ZZZ YHUQRQWHUUDFH FRP

3URSHUW\ PDDQDJHG E\

Page 10 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

Five ways to set yourself up for a secure retirement Approximately 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 every day until around 2030. If you’re part of that group, or if you’re planning ahead for a comfortable retirement, the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants offers this advice for securing your financial future.

Fund your 401(k) Sign up for your company-sponsored retirement plan and watch as automatic payments deducted from your paycheck add up to a hefty nest egg over the months and years. Try to donate at least as much as required to qualify for the matching donation from your employer, if one exists. That employer match is like an added bonus, and along with your own contributions it will grow over time as it earns dividends and interest. Remember, too, that your contribution is excluded from your taxable income, which helps lower your tax bite. If your company doesn’t have a 401(k), consider setting up your own tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. You can contribute up to $5,500 a year (up to $6,500 if you’re age 50 or older). With a traditional IRA, you can deduct your contribution from your taxable income, but distributions are taxable. For a Roth IRA, your contribution is not tax deductible, but qualified distributions are not taxable.

Don’t raid your nest egg This is particularly tempting when you switch jobs and have access to money you may have accumulated in a 401(k) or other company-sponsored retirement vehicle. Your options typically include leaving the money in your old employer’s plan, rolling it into an IRA or into your new employer’s program, or receiving a check from the old plan. There are several good reasons to resist simply asking for that check and spending it. First, your old employer will withhold 20 percent of the money for income taxes, and you may end up owing more in taxes depending on your bracket. If your service with the company ends before you turn 55, you’ll also face a 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty, which means onethird of your money is gone before you even cash the check. Finally, since the money was never in your budget in the first place, it’s better to leave it in a tax-advantaged retirement account and reap the benefits later on rather than splurging today.

Set up an emergency cash reserve People often dip into their retirement or other longterm savings during an unexpected financial setback. To avoid doing so, it’s a good idea to create a special savings account that’s dedicated to emergency spending when you need it.

How to handle the telephone scam call The favorite tool of many scammers is the telephone. Each and every day, shady operators work the phones to defraud consumers and business owners. Though there’s no way – short of disconnecting your phone – to protect yourself completely from phone scams, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of becoming the next victim, according to the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. If you receive a phone call from someone who makes threats, tells you that you’ve won a cash prize (or sweepstakes) or demands immediate payment in regards to a debt you’re unfamiliar with, those are all signs the call is likely fraudulent. If you receive calls like this, or requests for personal information, BBB advises the following: • Don’t panic. If the calls are abusive or if the callers threaten you with arrest, stay calm. Keep in mind that scammers are hoping that you’ll pay them off quickly just to make the matter go away. Always get verification of any alleged debts in writing. Remember, legitimate collection agents cannot threaten you with arrest, and even if you owe a debt, you still have rights through the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. • Never give out any financial information, such as your bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers over the phone. • Be realistic. You can’t win a lottery or contest you

didn’t enter, and if you have to pay money upfront to receive your “winnings,” you haven’t won anything. • Think about what you’re being told. If a caller claims to be with your bank or your credit card company and wants your account information so they can verify it, they aren’t telling the truth; your bank and your credit card company already have this information. • Listen closely. If the caller uses poor grammar and/ or has a heavy accent, be on alert. Many fraudulent calls originate overseas. • Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t seem right to you, end the call or ask the caller to call back later, after you’ve had time to research their claims. • Don’t rely on caller ID. Another phone scam which has been making the rounds again lately is the “onering” scam. This scam targets cellphone owners and tries to entice people to dial an unknown number back by ringing just once and then disconnecting. People who return these calls don’t realize they’re calling international numbers – with normal-looking prefixes such as 473, 809, 876, 284 and 268 – in the Caribbean, where charges can add up quickly. If you receive a call from an unknown number, it’s best to ignore it and let it go to voicemail. Suspicious phone calls can be reported to BBB (bbb. org) or the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov). Contact the BBB at bbb.org or 651-699-1111 for more info.

Even a few dollars a month can add up to a substantial amount when your car needs repairs or you face unexpected medical bills. With that money in hand, you can preserve your retirement savings.

Sort out Social Security planning Tapping into Social Security as soon as possible may sound like a great idea, but remember that you won’t qualify for your entire Social Security retirement benefit until you hit full retirement age, which will vary based on the year you were born. If you start receiving payments before that age, they will be less than you would have gotten if you’d waited. If you postpone retirement until age 70, your benefits will rise even more. Is it better to receive lower payments over a longer period or hold out a few years for higher benefits? That’s a complicated decision that will depend on many issues, such as your own health, financial situation and other considerations.

Your local CPA can help CPAs help clients tackle a wide variety of financial challenges every day, including retirement planning. Turn to your local CPA for advice on all your financial concerns. He or she has the experience you can count on for your important financial decisions. Don’t have a CPA? Visit www.mncpa.org/referral to find a CPA in your area.

Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, June 19, 2014 Page 11

current.mnsun.com

iÀ Ì>}i v ` >

à «À Õ` Ì «ÀiÃi Ì Ìà x ÃÌ>À Ãi ÀÉ>Ãà ÃÌi` Û } V Õ ÌÞ°

i>À >À >\ >ÃÌ Ì Þ Li Ûi` Ì iÀ] â>LiÌ `i i Õ iÀ] ji à ] «>ÃÃi` >Ü>Þ >Ì Ì i >}i v £ä£ Þi>Àð À Ài Ì > > `iV>`i v iÀ v > Þi>ÀÃ] à i VVÕ« i` > >«>ÀÌ i Ì Þ ÕÀ ,i LÀ> `Ì LÕ ` }°

ÕÀ } Ì Ã «iÀ `] à i ÀiVi Ûi` iÝi « >ÀÞ V>Ài vÀ Ì i ÃÌ>vv v iÀ Ì>}i v ` >° iÀ i> Ì `iVÀi>à } }À>`Õ> Þ] Ì i iÛi v V>Ài Ü>à >` ÕÃÌi` >VV À` } Þ Ì > Ü>Þà Àiv iVÌ iÀ ii`ð Ì i v > «iÀ `] Ì Ã Ü>à ÃÕ«« i i Ìi` LÞ > ë Vi V>Ài° Õi Ì Ì i v iÝ L ÌÞ Ì i >««À >V v iÀ Ì>}i v ` >] Ì Ü>à vi>à L i v À iÀ Ì Ài > iÀ ÌÀÕÃÌi` ÃÕÀÀ Õ ` }à ի Ì Ì i Ì i v iÀ `i>Ì ] Li } V>Ài` v À LÞ V «iÌi Ì > ` Û } > `ià à i Ü>à v> >À Ü Ì ° À i > ` Þ v> Þ] v>À >Ü>Þ ÕÀ «i] Ì Ã v>VÌ > ` Ì i V v `i Vi Ì >Ì Ã i Ü>à Üi V>Ài` v À ÜiÀi > }Ài>Ì V v ÀÌ° "ÕÀ « Ã Ì Ûi iÝ«iÀ i Vi V Õ V>Ì } LÞ i > ­`Õi Ì Ì i Ì i ` vviÀi Vi®] Ü Ì iëiV > Þ Þ ÕÀ ÕÀà } ÃÌ>vv] vÕÀÌ iÀ i>Ãi` ÕÀ `ð * i>Ãi >VVi«Ì Ì i `ii« }À>` ÌÕ`i v ÞÃi v > ` Þ v> Þ Ì Þ ÕÀ À}> â>Ì > ` > ÃÌ>vv i LiÀÃ Û Ûi` v À Ì i V>Ài Þ Õ «À Û `i` ÛiÀ > Ì iÃi Þi>Àð - ViÀi Þ Þ ÕÀÃ]

;¸ Ó ¦ ¸ddÊÑd¸ º/ Ãi Üi Ûi ` ½Ì } >Ü>Þ

/ iÞ Ü> Lià `i Õà iÛiÀÞ `>Þ 1 Ãii ] Õ i>À` LÕÌ > Ü>Þà i>À -Ì Ûi`] ÃÌ ÃÃi` > ` ÛiÀÞ `i>À» p ÕÌ À 1 Ü

iÀ Ì>}i v ` > Ã *,"1

Ì À Ì i vi v

â>LiÌ `i i Õ iÀ] ji à £É£É£ £ä q ÇÉÓÓÉÓä£Ó

0 j jÁ Í?~j Ájja 7i Li iÜi\

, ÞLiÌ

,i LÀ> `Ì

/ >Í ÖÁ ,iÄ `i ÍÄ >Ái Í i Ái>Ä v Á ÖÁ iÞ ÄÍi Vi± / >Í Íi `iÁ Ü } V>Ái Í `>ß i> Ä LiÍÍiÁ i> Í > ` >¬¬ iÄÄ Í ÁÁ ݱ / >Í ÖÁ }Ö ` } ¬Á V ¬ i Ä , 6 , ", ± / >Í Lß ÄiÁÜ Vi Í ÖÁ vi Ý > Ýi Ý ÖÄÍ vß Í i V v `i Vi ¬ >Vi` Öı iLÁÖ>Áß ¤ Éx 7>ß i i ` º-iÀÛ } -i Àà - Vi £ È£»

iÀ Ì>}i v ` >] V°

/ > i ÀiÃiÀÛ>Ì Ã v À > Ì ÕÀ > ` V « i Ì>ÀÞ Õ V V> xÓ Óä £{x

> À

/ vv> Þ

Page 12 Mature Lifestyles• Thursday, June 19, 2014

current.mnsun.com

' ). ) ' .% ' . ' . ) 1 %

.&) 3 5 3 &2 ) 1' ' " ) . . . ) ') ) " 5 ' 5%

' ' 1. . .) 1' 3 1 . ' . % ' #. ' $ ! ** 0/ ! ! #

$ ! 66 + 0 / % % . "% % 5%

.) 5 1 ) ' " ) . . 2 ' "' ) ' ". '1 ) .' 2 5 3 ' . . )) "' ' ) 2 ' ')( ' % ' ' " 5) ' "' '5 ' 2 ) .) 3 . ). " )% 5 1& . . . . ' " ') 0 ,* 3 5 1 1). ' ) '2 % .&) 1). 3 . 5 1& 4" . ' . ' . . ). '.) 3 . 5 1% " " % " & " " " " " " " " & #' # # '$' ' #

" ' '#' #

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.