Commun ty Matters Rolla Presbyterian Manor
August 2015
Do you have plenty of friends? By Allen Teal, chaplain, Rolla Presbyterian Manor
“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:31 How many friends are enough? Everyone benefits from having friends. August 2 is International Friendship Day. This can be an opportunity to make new friends. It may also be a time to reflect on great friendships that God has brought into our lives. Friends can teach us. “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” (C. S. Lewis) Over the years, I have known people whose friends have taught them to hunt and fish. Others have learned job skills from friends. When friends share their experiences with one another, many of life’s pitfalls can be skirted. Many personal problems have been solved with the advice of trusted friends. Friends care when others don’t. “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10) Proverbs even speaks of Christ as that “friend that sticks closer than a brother.” FRIENDS, continued on page 3
Bill and Ellie Higley celebrate their 73rd dating anniversary. Ellie is wearing the same dress she wore on their first date in 1942.
Bill and Ellie Higley celebrate 73 years since first date For many people, May 23 may just be another ordinary day. But for Rolla Presbyterian Manor residents William and Eleanor Higley (who go by Bill and Ellie), it’s a day that signifies a special song, a significant dress and a first dance. This past May 23 marked the 73rd anniversary of their very first date. Growing up, Ellie was close friends with Bill’s sister, and as an only child, Ellie found she enjoyed spending a lot of time with Bill’s entire family. One Thursday evening in May of 1942, Ellie, a high school senior, remembers getting a call from Bill. He asked her to go to a formal dance with him at a fraternity where he was attending school at the University of Missouri – Rolla. The dance was on Saturday, just two days away. While her mom wondered how they would find a dress on such short notice, they had success. Ellie remembers the fraternity moved all of the furniture out of the house for the dance and a band was hired for the occasion. But what may be even more memorable is that “String of Pearls” was played that night, and it became their special song. DATE, continued on page 2
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How has music been important to you? In an upcoming issue of Community Matters we will be focusing on music and its role in making our lives better. If you’ve got a story about what music has meant to you, contact Marketing Director Joelle Freeland, and your story may be selected for an upcoming Community Matters newsletter. DATE, continued from page 1
For the next four years, Ellie and Bill dated off and on because of the distance between them. Bill got a job in Chicago and Ellie went to nursing school in St. Louis. When Bill left for Chicago, a friend from Rolla asked Ellie what she was going to do now. Ellie replied, “If I don’t marry Bill Higley someday, I won’t marry anyone.” One day Ellie took a train from St. Louis to Rolla and Bill happened to be on the same train. “I ignored him for a while because he had stopped contacting me,” said Ellie.
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Rolla Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org Ann Caudill, executive director Joelle Freeland, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Joelle Freeland at lfreeland@pmma.org.
When they arrived in Rolla, both of their families were waiting for them. Ellie continued to ignore him and went home with her dad. Later that night, Bill called Ellie and said he wanted to see her, and they’ve been together ever since. The couple got engaged in 1946. Ellie still keeps a love letter that Bill wrote, counting the number of exact days they were to be married. Today, Bill and Ellie have been married 69 years. When they celebrated the 73rd anniversary of their first date this May, Ellie wore the dress that was purchased last minute for their first date.
Don’t you think it’s time to
feel the music?
Telephone: 573-364-7336 Fax: 573-364-7336 Address: 1200 Homelife Plaza, Rolla, MO 65401-2595 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. RollaPresbyterianManor.org
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Community Matters August 2015
Donate headphones, iPods and iTunes cards to residents in Presbyterian Manor’s Music & Memory program. Contact Activity Assistant Joy Parker for details.
FRIENDS, continued from page 1
Family, friends and fun Above: Betty Rosenburg snags a fish during the yearly fishing trip to Camp Brimshire.
Left: Maria shares her new puppy with Lyla McGinnis. How can you resist a cute little puppy? Lyla couldn’t. She was tickled pink to play. Below: Virgil Flanigan celebrated Father’s Day with his daughter and grandson.
Friends and especially good Christian friends frequently feel closer to us than many of our family members. Good friends defend you, help you and stand by you. A close friend will not feel a competition with you. So, he or she can rejoice with you when you succeed and cry with you when you fail. Find ways to make new friends. “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” (Abraham Lincoln) I recall a time when I was certain that a man I knew should never be numbered among my friends. He had been observed at various functions that we both attended. I was convinced he was sold on himself and considered everyone else beneath him.Years passed while I carried this poor opinion of him. Eventually, we were forced to work on a committee together. Within minutes of starting to work with him, I discovered that I had been wrong. He was actually slightly shy about meeting new people in public places. Soon, we became the best of friends. My only regret was the years I wasted until I realized how kind and caring he was. How many people have each of us passed on as friends that could have enriched our lives if we had given them a chance? Rolla Presbyterian Manor
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Community Matters August 2015