Commun ty Matters Manor of the Plains
December 2014
‘Believe’
By Bruce Shogren, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America president and CEO
As I look forward to the holiday season, one word is key to this season: “believe.” I truly believe in three key people: Jesus Christ, Santa Bruce Shogren Claus and the employees of the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America system. What could be more important than Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ? I grew up in a church in which every Sunday we would state our belief by reciting the Apostles’ Creed.
Norma Daniels, seated, and her children Jeff Daniels, James Daniels, Teresa Walters, John Daniels, Mary Johnson and Joel Daniels celebrate her 90th birthday.
Norma Jane Daniels Resident uncovers family history
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of theVirgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
Norma Jane Daniels had never heard of researching family histories until she saw a blurb about it in a newsletter from Victory Electric. History has always fascinated her – it was her major at Fort Hays State College in the 1940s. She decided to check into her family’s background locally, and the genealogy bug bit.
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Daniels soon joined the Kansas Genealogical Society in Dodge City and dug a little deeper, then started working on her husband’s family. By 1980, she had discovered an ancestor that granted her admission into the Daughters of the American Revolution. She kept all of her records by typewriter until 1990, when one of Daniels’ grandsons said she should get a computer. A few years later she learned to use the growing number of resources on the Internet. “When people used to do these family histories they would have to write
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sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. This belief statement says it all for me and has been the guiding statement throughout my life. It has given me the ability to believe in the power of prayer, which has really been needed daily as my wife was healing in the hospital and at home. This Christmas season, I pray you reflect on that night long ago when Jesus was born and you continue to realize the impact his birth has had on all our lives.
Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Manor of the Plains by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.
Jerry Korbe, executive director Kurt Lampe, marketing director Lisa Montoya, activities director Jacque Soltero, health care activities director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Kurt at klampe@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-225-1928 Fax: 620-225-3982 Address: 200 Campus Dr., Dodge City, KS 67801-2760
Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. ManorofthePlains.org
My second key belief is in the spirit of Santa Claus. Santa has always been a big part of my family’s Christmas celebrations, dating back to when I was a little one. Santa has always come out of the fireplace in the house I grew up in in Lindsborg, Kansas. It is quite the spectacle to see the Jolly Old Elf come out of PaPa Har’s (my dad’s) fireplace to deliver gifts to all the good girls and boys of the Shogren family after losing his pants once again. “Har, when are you going to fix your chimney,” Santa states every year to the delight of all in the room.You have to be there to really experience it and believe it. But the actual thrill in believing in the spirit of Santa Claus is to be a “Santa Helper.” To see the joy in the eyes of a child when he or she sits on Santa’s lap, to experience a surprise appearance by Santa is unforgettable whether it is to children or adults, to give an unexpected and thoughtful gift which says “I know you” is pure happiness for the giver, the receiver and those watching, and the best is when someone will ask with a wink and whisper in Santa’s ear, “Who are you, really?” and Santa gets to tell them the truth: You are really Santa Claus. Priceless! Finally, my third and final belief is in the employees of the PMMA system in providing the care and services to you. Being on the side of receiving care in the past year by a caring hospital nursing and health care staff, I appreciate even more the PMMA staff throughout our system that daily provide the health care, friendship, caring and a whole lot more to you, our residents. Please join me in thanking your community’s staff for their commitment to our mission, providing quality senior services guided by Christian values. As I close my letter, let me wish that you know the blessing of being a child of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the joy of caring for others, and that you still hear the bell ring and truly believe. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Independent living drives expansion plans This month, we continue to look back at our history as Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America celebrates 65 years of the art of life. The desire for more independent living drove expansion for Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America in the late 1980s. Duplex or apartment projects were approved for the campuses in Sterling, Wichita, Topeka, Parsons, Arkansas City and Lawrence. Existing spaces were renovated in Sterling, Arkansas City, Kansas City and Newton, and a new health care center was constructed in Newton. Wichita received funds for and constructed a chapel. Community interest and persistence led to the development of a campus in Emporia. Ground was broken on May 22, 1984, and Emporia Presbyterian Manor campus opened in 1986. Construction started on a new campus in Dodge City in a joint venture with the CSJ Health System of Wichita, Kan. The new campus, adjacent to St. Mary of the Plains College, was named Manor of the Plains. In conjunction with the closing of St. Mary of the Plains campus in 1992, Presbyterian Manors Inc. acquired CSJ Health System’s joint venture interest in Manor of the Plains and became the sole owner. PMMA’s dream of providing services for severely physically handicapped adults became a reality when Hutchinson Heights opened in 1986. The 1980s also brought serious conversations about the relationship between Presbyterian Manors of Mid-
America and the synods of the Presbyterian Church as well as increased competition in the senior care market. Board minutes from 1986 demonstrate PMMA’s desire to keep the ties with the Synod of Mid-America and individual Presbyterian churches strong. In 1989, the original United Presbyterian Foundation of Kansas Inc. (Newton), and the other separate Kansas Manor corporations, (Arkansas City, Clay Center, Emporia, Kansas City, Lawrence, Manor of the Plains, Parsons, Salina, Sterling, Topeka and Wichita) and Presbyterian Manors of Missouri Inc. (Farmington, Fulton and Rolla) were merged to form Presbyterian Manors Inc. In 1990, an office building was constructed in northeast Wichita and the headquarters of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc. moved from Newton to Wichita.
Seeking ‘angels’ for Good Samaritan Program Christmas angel ornaments – each representing a gift to the Good Samaritan Program for Benevolent Care – are adding to the holiday decorations at Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s senior living communities.
Donors responding to the annual Christmas Angel Appeal letter mailed in November include paper angel ornaments with their gifts. Each ornament will then be displayed at the PMMA community designated by the donor. During the past two years, angel donors have given more than $94,000 to the Good Samaritan Program, which assists PMMA residents who have run out of funds through no fault of their own. 3
Manor of the Plains 200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 Return Service Requested
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letters, make calls and go places. But people don’t write letters like they used to,” she said. “You have to be careful because some of the material on the Internet is incorrect.” She has recorded her father’s account of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to serve in France and Germany during World War I and of seeing Gen. Pershing on parade in Paris. She learned that her great-grandfather was in the Civil War and found photos of him. Daniels was born in Cimarron, Kansas, and graduated from Garden City High School in 1941. She had one memorable moment in history in 1935, when her parents took her to Dodge City to see the train bearing President Franklin Roosevelt, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Agricultural Secretary Henry Wallace make a short stop. Later, during her government class at Fort Hays, she remembers listening to a radio broadcast of the president declaring war on Germany and Japan. In October, Daniels celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by six of her seven children (one son died as a child). So far, none have caught her enthusiasm for genealogy, she said, but she believes the records will be meaningful to her family in generations to come. If you are interested in researching your family, visit the Kansas Genealogical Society at the Village Square Mall in Dodge City or contact 620-225-1951, kgslibrary@gmail.com or kgs-genlibrary.com. 4
Time for treats On Halloween, residents were invited to the community room for a trick or treat parade by the employee’s children. This year, more 40 children went through a friendly maze of residents for a treat during our annual tradition. Above, Desiree, the daughter of independent and assisted living nurse Alicia Stude, receives a treat from independent living resident Joan Cox.