Safe at home again

When Mary Lou Haldorson moved into The Pillars of Mankato a few months ago, she experienced a warm and personal welcome that quickly put her at ease.

“There was a framed message on the lobby desk, ‘Welcome to Mary Lou Haldorson,’ my first day here, and everybody knows my name in the halls and

By Jane Turpin Moore

dining room,” said Haldorson, 83.

“How in the heck do they all remember my name? I can’t get over it, but boy, that’s a welcoming feeling to have your name spoken to you.

“They’ve got it down pat how to make people feel at home, I’ll tell you.”

After living with her husband Nordeen in the greater Mankato area since 1962,

Haldorson is relieved to have found a comfortable, supportive residence at The Pillars as she transitions into a new phase of life.

“I was a teacher for 100 years,” joked Haldorson in jovial fashion. “I was teaching at Washington Elementary when I retired and I went out on such a high; I had a wonderful career and have nothing but positive memories.”

Haldorson’s husband, Nordeen, was a beloved science teacher who spent the bulk of his career at Mankato East High School. Her tale of meeting Nordeen while attending workshops for her first teaching job at Buffalo Center, Iowa—a location about which she was initially skeptical—belies her ever-present humor and optimism.

“In comes this tall blond in a navy blue suit and I thought, ‘Hmmm, this might not be so bad after all,’” quipped Haldorson.

The pair married in 1960, and after short stints of teaching in Faribault (him) and Owatonna (her), Nordeen accepted a position in Mankato, their hometown ever since. Their children, Michael and Jane, are Mankato East High School graduates.

In recent years the couple lived in an accessible patio home in the Diamond Lake Road area.

“It’s across from East, all on one level, the doors were a little wider—we loved it,” said Haldorson.

SiestaHillsisSouthern Minnesota’sfirstadult lifestylecommunity structuredaround maintenancefreeliving andanemphasisonfitness andactivity.Choosefrom primesitesforbuilding patioorwalkouthomes, in acommunitypacked withamenities.

“But life took a little turn there.”

Haldorson had been serving as the 24/7 caregiver for Nordeen, who has Alzheimer’s, when the couple was struck by COVID last September.

“I ended up in the hospital for five days,” said Haldorson.

“I was so sick I couldn’t make decisions—I didn’t know what the heck I was doing—but while I was in the hospital, the kids were busy.”

Haldorson only knew that returning to their previous living situation was not sustainable.

“I had become too run down, I was under too much stress, and I think that’s one of the reasons COVID hit me so hard,” said Haldorson. “I didn’t want to live in the house alone anymore, having to worry about the heat, the water and tweedledy-dee, tweedledy-dum.”

Nordeen was able to move to Generations Child & Memory Care on Hoffman Road, and Haldorson’s children asked if she was interested in living at The Pillars, since many friends and acquaintances were already residing there.

“We made a decision, and I’m so glad,” said Haldorson.

“I had to ask myself if I’d make two more moves in what I have left of my life, or if I’d make one move to The Pillars, enjoy it and be content,” she continued.

“So that’s what I decided to do.”

With Generations and The Pillars so close to each other, Haldorson is able to easily drive the short distance to frequently visit Nordeen.

“My car is parked inside where it’s nice and warm, so there’s no chipping ice off the windshield before going,” said Haldorson.

“But I don’t have to get in that car and go anywhere if I don’t want to—and that’s comforting, too.”

Haldorson likes her spacious one-bedroom apartment; she says the living room can easily accommodate up to six people.

“It’s very comfortable,” she said. “I’ve had help moving in and getting things up on the walls,” mentioning that not only The Pillars staff but also her children and grandchildren have provided great support.

While Haldorson still has some belongings in storage as her former house is in the process of being sold, she has found a community The Pillars—friends and people with multiple connections to her years as a teacher or to Nordeen.

“Patience is a wonderful virtue when going through this,” said Haldorson, “and I seem to have quite a bit of that—so that’s good.”

Since moving to The Pillars, Haldorson has improved “120%” over the state in which she found herself after battling COVID, when she was weak, coughing and not eating well.

With meals provided, caring staff on site and fewer personal responsibilities, Haldorson feels better with each passing day.

“I still have some lingering effects from COVID, but here I am watched and supported, and if you have an ache or pain they’re on it immediately,” said Haldorson.

She is also relieved that her adult children can focus more fully on their own lives without added worries about how she and Nordeen are doing on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s good for the kids because they know we’re safe,” said Haldorson. “They don’t have to check in all the time or wonder ‘What in the heck are we going to do with mom and dad.’”

Moving to The Pillars, where everybody knows her name, has been a wise move for Haldorson.

“A lot of it is about your attitude,” she said. “You can fight it and keep calling the shots, but I have peace of mind.

“I’m settled and I’m happy.”

LET'S EAT!

By Dana Melius