Emporia Presbyterian Manor
NOVEMBER 2019
Nina Gragg in the Flint Hills during a recent trip to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve with Presbyterian Manor.
Resident spotlight: Nina Gragg About 11 years ago, Nina Gragg made the move from Venice, Fla., to Emporia Presbyterian Manor to be closer to family. Last year’s luminarias at Emporia Presbyterian Manor.
Luminarias to return for second year Plans are underway to raise funds for the Good Samaritan Fund and honor family members during the holidays. The luminaria program will return for a second year to Emporia Presbyterian Manor. “This is our second year to have the luminarias and is an exciting new project of Emporia Presbyterian Manor’s mission committee,” said John Sanderson, mission committee member. “Our goal is to raise awareness and funds for the Good Samaritan Program, a PMMA effort, which helps residents who have outlived their financial resources by no fault of their own.” If you are not familiar with a luminaria, the luminarias consist of Ball® jars filled with small lights and a photocell battery on the lid that absorbs that sun’s rays during the day and turns the lights on at night. The jars hang from shepherd hooks that are placed along the sidewalk on the LUMINARIAS - continued on page 2
“I needed to get back to Kansas. I have two sons here, I also have grandchildren and greatgrandchildren are arriving. I thought Emporia was a good place to be, that way I’m in between the two boys, and I won’t drive anybody completely crazy. The Presbyterian Manor was the right place to be,” said Nina. Nina had an aunt who lived here when it first opened, so she was familiar with the community. “I used to visit her a lot and she was always very happy here,” she added. “But the main reason I chose the Presbyterian Manor is it is the only GRAGG - continued on page 2
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southwest corner of campus. It’s beautiful to see the twinkling lights in the winter evening. “We learned from a mistake last year—part of the ground was frozen solid when we started putting in the hooks. It was hard to put them in. This year, we’ll put them in earlier so they’re better anchored,” said John. The luminarias can be purchased for $25 each to honor a loved one. A tag is placed on each luminaria to personalize it with the honored name. “Last year was the first year, and we
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one that has four levels of living. We also have three separate dining rooms, and we have another option from the special of the day, we can choose something else.” Having choices is important to Nina. Especially when thinking about the right place to live in the senior years. “You don’t want to wait until you’re too old to make the move. You need to make friends wherever you are. It’s easier to make friends when your mind is still fairly stable. And you don’t want to wait until your children tell you that you have to
didn’t have a lot of publicity, but we had over 150 luminaries sponsored. This year our goal is to have more than 200. The season is a wonderful reason to raise awareness and funds for this amazing cause. Our purpose on the committee is to help the mission grow and sustain so that residents can benefit for years to come.” said John. While adding beauty to the campus and raising money for a good cause, the project has also been a bonding experience for the mission committee. “It’s a fun project because the mission committee rallied together
move and then you’re unhappy because it’s not your decision. You really know yourself when it’s time to do it,” said Nina. Her brother, Arlo Bell, took a little more convincing. “About three years ago he was still on the family farm. All the family he had left was me, so I kept telling him to get off the farm before something happened. One winter he gave in and he’s been very happy here,” said Nina. Seeing her brother around the community is just one of the things that keeps Nina active. “I eat lunch at the Presbyterian
to roll up our sleeves and assemble the luminarias and hang them. The employees were terrific in helping us with this project, too, particularly the groundskeepers,” said John. To purchase a luminaria, contact Crystal at 620-343-2613 or stop by the front desk. You can donate online: https://giving. presbyterianmanors.org/ event/emporia-ks-luminarylighting/?event_date=2019-12-07. Your support will go to a very worthy cause—one that has allowed PMMA to proudly say it has never asked a resident to leave based on their inability to pay. ◆
Manor every day and I just enjoy being there and seeing people. If I need any help at the villa, somebody comes up and does what needs to be done. I just like that. There’s so much help available. And they have activities—things I wouldn’t drive to anymore (my vision isn’t great) and they have a bus to take us on trips.” Nina plans to spend Thanksgiving with her family, most likely in Osage City. To learn more about how Emporia Presbyterian Manor could be the right choice for you, contact Crystal Stock, marketing director, at 620343-2613 or cstock@pmma.org. ◆
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EMPORIA Presbyterian Manor 620-343-2613 ◆ Fax: 620-343-9195 2300 Industrial Rd. Emporia, KS 66801-6636 EmporiaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | November 2019
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Emporia Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizaton.
To submit or suggest articles: cstock@PMMA.org Susan Siepelmeier, executive director Crystal Stock, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Staff spotlight: Lori Maxson There’s a good chance you’ve already met our community’s newest staff member.
Lori Maxson is the administrative assistant in administrative services and can be found working fulltime at the front desk. She joined the team on September 10 and was previously an administrative assistant for KVOE/KFFX Radio. So far, she hasn’t found a thing she doesn’t love about her new job.
“I love everything! The residents, my co-workers, the work, the business and the craziness … it’s always different and I love the interaction with everyone,” said Lori. When she’s not at work, Lori enjoys listening to KLOVE, taking road trips, teaching water aerobics and talking with friends. Lori has been married 20 years to Heath Maxson and they have one son, Matthew, who is 17 and a senior in high school. They have a Bushland Terrier named Scottie and a cat name Sassy. They all live
in Americus, Kan. “We love to take our pontoon boat out to the lake and spend the day on the water. In the evenings, we enjoy card and board games and watching movies on the weekends, complete with popcorn. We attend Council Grove Community Church, where I help with the AWANA program,” said Lori. In addition to teaching water aerobics in the evenings, she’s also working to become a Weight Watchers coach. Welcome, Lori! ◆
Veterans Day Breakfast November 11
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Join us for our annual Veterans Day Breakfast and pinning ceremony in appreciation of the service of our local veterans at 7 a.m., November 11. We invite all area veterans, spouses and surviving spouses to enjoy a complimentary breakfast as we honor the men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces, past and present, along with their families. RSVP by November 6 to Crystal Stock, marketing director, at 316-343-2613 or cstock@pmma.org.
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EMPORIA Presbyterian Manor
2300 Industrial Rd. Emporia, KS 66801-6636 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
Linda Morgan retires After working in our community for 28 years, our campus celebrated Linda Morgan’s retirement on September 13. Staff and residents enjoyed cake and light refreshments. “We will miss seeing her at the front desk, as she was the first face and first voice our residents, staff and guests got to see and interact with,” said Caitie Stineman, human resource director. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | November 2019