Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor
‘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. 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 CEO, continued on page 2
December 2014
Ruth Wilkin Resident recalls time as state representative If you’re running for a public office, there are challenges you will face that once weren’t a concern, but you’ll also have advantages that once weren’t available. Resident Ruth Wilkin served as a state representative from 1972 to 1982, and has fond memories of her first campaign and her time in office. “I didn’t know anyone who’d run before. I’d never run before,” Ruth said. “I got a committee together of friends and gave Former Kansas State them each a job. One handled the money, Representative Ruth Wilkin with a picture bearing former one the publicity and so on. We had a carefully crafted plan to go knocking door President Jimmy Carter’s to door. We knocked on every door in the signature. district. At that time, there weren’t even books available to tell us how to organize a campaign. Nowadays, there are so many resources available. “We were just a group of six or seven women who really had to make our own way. We did what we thought we should do. There were no guidelines, and the party was no help. At those times, the parties were difficult, as they had their own problems. But at least it didn’t cost much to run in those days, like it does now,” Ruth said. “I only spent a couple of thousand dollars or so when I ran. I remember the first person who spent $10,000. I thought that was terrible! Of course now, that’s not much at all! Anyway, we did it, and it worked out. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” Ruth has 96 years of experience under her belt, and her time in office is only a brief part of her life’s experience. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas and worked in business offices. Her husband’s career brought them to Topeka, and she became involved in a variety of organizations, including the PTA, Girl Scouts and her church. She was involved in all of her three daughter’s activities, and sadly, lost one daughter to cancer at the age of 35. All of her volunteer work meant she was well-acquainted with many in the community. WILKIN, continued on page 4
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CEO, continued from page 1
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. 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! 2
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
Topeka Presbyterian Manor 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 Return Service Requested
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“That’s how I got elected. I had so many connections through my volunteer work. I won the first time by 43 votes! It was a close election. So when people say their vote doesn’t count, they’re wrong,” said Ruth.
it! It was too funny, but really, I couldn’t blame her.”
The narrow margin by which she was elected was just the beginning of Ruth’s interesting career as an elected official.
“My husband and I had the idea to visit each county seat one summer. So we got in the car and went every weekend. It was wonderful. My husband was a great photographer and took photos of each courthouse. I still have the album with all the pictures. It was neat seeing Kansas from the ground level,” said Ruth.
“One of the most exciting things was meeting President Jimmy Carter. It was before he was elected, before he even was a candidate. We’d received word that he may be the Democratic front-runner, so we sent an invitation down to the governor’s mansion in Georgia. He accepted! We brought him here, and he met with a small group of us at a restaurant downtown. We asked him about his positions and what his thoughts were on running for president. He even sent me a signed image of his home after he returned. It was wonderful,” said Ruth. “A few years after his presidency, I ran into the gal who’d given him a ride from the airport to the restaurant. She told me she needed to sell her old car, but didn’t want to, because the president had ridden in
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Ruth made the most of her time in office by getting to know Kansas the best she could: on the road.
Ruth fondly recalls her time in office, and is grateful for the experience. “My husband was very supportive and very helpful. He was glad to have me doing something exciting. At that time, there were lots of parties to attend! And the Republicans and Democrats actually got along back in those days. I had to learn to do a lot of things by myself and learned to be very independent. I was even the chair of the tax committee one year. I really enjoyed all of it,” Ruth said.