Pecan Grove (www.pecan-grove.net) Pecan Grove and Senior Residence

September 30, 2025

September 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove — knewman @ 5:52 pm

September has finally started to cool us off around here, with mild mornings reminiscent of Fall . The humidity is still very high, which is great for foggy lakes and rings of mushrooms. Also, it must be peak season for humming bird migration because we now have at least five full time humming birds near our feeder. Here are some of the wonderful Fall phenomenon we are enjoying .

Naomi’s piano has finally arrived, and it is gorgeous! She wants to let it settle in before tuning it and then being able to play it. For now it makes for a shiny new piece of furniture. Here are some pictures of it being put in place. Once it had been here a few weeks, Regi Hedahl came and tuned it.

Naomi celebrated her first birthday with us, and it was a big one! She turned 89 years young, and was so pleased to have her son and his wife here to join in the festivities, and the table of party goers.

Carol Aarstad came for a long visit to see her mother Elsie. She enjoys helping her with her favorite past time: making puzzles.

Resident Journals

Emma Perez

Emma has had a great month with several special visits. She got a quick visit from Emily Garcia and William Nichols, two young friends who know her well. She also got new hearing aids! Just in time to go to convention! She is very pleased to be able to attend both Spanish and English Georgetown and then remain in that area for further visits. Here she is with her young visitors.

Naomi Watson

Naomi’s first full month with us has been very eventful. Not only did she move in, change rooms, and get her piano moved in. She also turned 89! Where does she find the time? Even with all this excitement she finds time to laugh or tell jokes. She decided to play a little prank on Clarence because he usually doesn’t drink his water with meals (so she gave him less). Here she is testing her piano, and Clarences plate.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen continues to do well, she spends a lot of her time at the puzzle table with Elsie. She was very curious to see what was going on when Naomi’s piano arrived. Here she is supervising its delivery.

Esther Duncan

Esther had a wonderful month, she was invited to conventions once again and was in 3 in KY and TN. We received a lunch visit from Ruth Taplin and Sue George. Here is Esther with Ruth.

Ruth Henderson

Ruth does well although she struggles with stomach problems. She takes them all in stride, and was quick to learn her knew medication regiment (and keep us on top of it too!) Here she is chatting with Sue George.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen also was invited to return to her home convention in Boyden IA. She was so excited to see everyone again, but suffered from a pretty bad cold the entire time. She could not seem to shake it for days after her return. She had gotten better by Naomi’s birthday, and can be seen here beaming with her Gwen and Joyce.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie really thrives when her family comes to town. She does puzzles with them and plays games back in her room, often sharing memories or stories as well. Here they are in front of the fireplace.

Clarence Mounce

Clarence does well, he takes walks every day and chats with Marie. He was invited to go to both Spanish and English Georgetown and then on to Mountain Peak. Here he is waiting to leave on his journey.

Marie Mounce

Marie still likes to bake her sweets, but she has other projects as well. She went and bought some very comfortable shoes, but they just were not the right color. So she took matters into her own hands and painted them herself! Here she is making some blue shoes.

Joyce Naber

Joyce was so tickled to be able to join us for Naomi’s birthday. It was as much a surprise to her as it was to our residents! They each took turns hugging her and exchanging love. She kept saying how great it felt to be with friends, and repeating how surprised she was. Here she is with Gwen and Doreen again.

Gilbert Reese, Alice Oetken, Fern Duncan and Ronald Elliott

These 4 in the Park Manor Nursing home had several visitors this month, but no pictures were taken! Gilbert is eating well, so we were asked to bring him some larger clothes. He sleeps more, but otherwise remains the same. Alice is her usual happy self, glad to see anyone that visits. Fern is about the same, sitting in her special chair sometimes, communicating very little. Ronald remains quite confused. He walks around the home a lot with his walker or pushing a wheel chair.

Thanks for your interest and care in us here!

Kenny and Ken

August 31, 2025

August 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove — knewman @ 8:14 pm

We had two major birthdays this month. Emma turned 83 and had many well wishers calling or texting her with accolades. Her brother knew that she wanted to do something special for everyone on her birthday so he gave her some pizza money. We had a pizza party with everyone from the farm as well as the Opels! Here she is with her cake, the pizza, and everyone at the table.

Fern Duncan turned 95 this month. The staff at Park Manor Nursing Home have been getting her into a special chair they can wheel her around in, so they had her prepared and ready for us when we arrived to celebrate with her. We were even able to pick up Joyce Naber on the way and have her share in the festivities. Here is Fern with her cupcake, the party goers, again being read to by Salena. Sherdenia sent a picture of herself holding a birthday message for Fern (2nd picture). We called Sherdenia and she talked some to Fern. Also, after the party we all went to Luby’s Cafeteria for lunch which is a fun treat for the residents and especially Joyce. The last few photos are of us at the tables in Luby’s and everyone posing in the lunch room with the Park Manor residents.

Ronald has been moved to Park Manor. We had to wait for a few things to clear up before he could be moved but now he is settled in over there. He took the move very graciously and has been very accepting of the staff there. Here he is being sent off and visiting Alice.

Stetson Nordic has been helping us with some tree work that needed to be done. Several of our larger trees on the property have been in the slow process of dying, and with our frequent thunderstorms they like to drop limbs everywhere. Here he is cutting up one of the largest trees we felled, and again looking triumphant.

August brought many visitors, Don and Becky came to visit Elsie with their daughter, Lana, and her two children, Lucy and Ellie. Here they are in front of the fireplace, and again with Ronald on the bridge.

We always appreciate some repeats! Ken and Mary MacAdams came with Don and Becky Schroeder to visit Elsie again. They were recently on a safari in Botswana where they were able to capture beautiful photos of the wildlife. Ken put together a nice presentation for us, and walked us through some of the different species, their habitat, and interesting facts about each one. Here he is giving the presentation to everyone, and again with Elsie, Mary, Don, and Becky.

Rick and Pat Bishop came to visit Esther. Here they are in front of the piano.

Emma and Ronald shared a visit from Leonel, Rosa and Frida Gomez. Here they are in front of the piano.

Val Killam has been working with us for the month of August. Her daughter-in-law, Kristie Killam, brought her grand children, Devyn and Spencer, to see her for a day. Here they are in front of the fire place happy as can be.

Val and Marie were invited to take a weekend getaway by the Hottells. They had intended to visit some of Val’s family but they were sick, so instead decided to have a fun weekend in College Station at the Hottells. Here they are about to embark on their weekend with Tony and Donna Hottell.

For a short while this month we had 10 residents! That, coupled with our new staff members, we decided it was time for another Pecan Grove photo. Here are most of the staff with the residents and all 10 residents by themselves.

As we mentioned, Val Killam came for the entire month to help us out. She stayed in Gwen’s room, having known her from a visit to Korea many years ago. She enjoyed the work and the atmosphere, but mostly the company and catching up. Here she is posing with Becky and then with Jerry and Becky, and again with everyone wishing her farewell.

Steve Peirson came this weekend and visited the folks in the nursing home, and then us here at PG. Fern recognized him and spoke a little. He called Sherdenia for her and she lit up when she heard her voice. Here is Steve with Clarence and Carl. They had a gospel meeting this afternoon, but 4 inches of rain in a few hours caused localized flooding, so the meeting was smaller than usual.

August has been hot and very wet, but beautiful. Here is a picture of one of the sunrises we have been enjoying, the wildlife enjoying our ample grass, and some of the flooding mentioned above.

Resident Journals

Ronald Elliott

As we mentioned, Ronald has moved on to live at Park Manor Nursing Home. The ladies had been paying especially close attention to him out of concern that he might fall. They were all relieved to hear that he was accepted at Park Manor and would be getting more care. He took the move very well, knowing that he needed the extra eyes on him. Here he is walking with Doreen one last time to feed the fish, and again in his new room at Park Manor.

Esther Duncan

Esther was invited to go to Kentucky for conventions again this month. Here she is so happy to be a part of the convention photos, and happier still for dessert. Sue Culver (sister to John and Lois) had made this coconut cake for Esther before, and knew it was one of her favorites. She kindly made it again to welcome her to Kentucky.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie always does great when she gets visitors, especially grandkids. It is so nice to see everyone pitching in on her favorite past time: making puzzles. She even tries to forgo her naps, just to get every precious moment of time together with her family. Here they are crowding around the puzzle working away.

Clarence Mounce

Clarence does well. He usually skips breakfast and has put himself on a relatively strict diet of less (not none) sugar. Being across from Marie’s room gives him ample opportunity to drop in and chat with her. Here he is with Marie, Gwen, Ruth and Val at Fern’s birthday party.

Marie Mounce

Marie keeps about the same, still interested in helping out in the kitchen or making a Cajun dish when the mood strikes her. She enjoyed her time at the Hottell’s with Val. Here she is saying farewell to Val with some of the other residents.

Emma Perez

Emma has many people calling, texting, or sending her letters. She makes it a point to see Alice and the others as often as possible. Here she is sitting with Alice during Fern’s birthday party, and again with Lounell and Ruth about to visit Alice and Joyce.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen is a big help in the kitchen, and a good help to Ronald. She made time to walk with him daily, speak with him often, and check on him regularly. Here she is with Joyce at Fern’s birthday party. She really loves to get Joyce laughing, and we all appreciate seeing her big smile.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen keeps about the same. She recently received a nice package from Korea containing the workers list and convention photo of the entire staff. She was thrilled to share them with us and point out a few of her companions. Here she is leaving the puzzle table, Kenny tried to snap a candid photo but she turned too fast.

Ruth Henderson

Ruth is still doing great, nothing slows her down! She gets up and walks just before dawn every morning. Like Emma, she enjoys taking every opportunity to go and visit those at Park Manor. She was companions with Alice. Here she is with Emma and Elsie.

Naomi Watson

Naomi has been fitting in splendidly here. She is so looking forward to the day all of her things can be moved into her room, but above all, she is looking forward to the delivery of her prized piano. She talks often of wanting to play it, and all the memories she has associated with it. We look forward to hearing her play! She has also graciously offered her tutoring services, she is willing to teach anyone to play piano if they are inclined. Here she is chatting with Salena.

Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Gilbert Reese, and Joyce Naber

As you saw, we all celebrated Fern’s 95th birthday this month. We got all of the residents there for the festivities and the Park Manor residents were ready to greet us when we arrived. Gilbert is doing about his usual, he recognizes us and smiles when we talk with him. Alice really loves to see her old companions and is eager to talk with each one that comes near to say hello. Fern is mostly non-responsive, but does smile and seems alert when we speak or read to her. Here she is with Ken and Kathy, and the others during the birthday party with Ruth.

As always, we cannot thank you enough for your continued love and care for each one here.

Kenny and Ken

March 31, 2025

March 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove,Senior Residence — knewman @ 12:38 pm

The biggest event in March was the passing of Elton Cleveland peacefully in bed March 6th. He was 107.5 years old, and had been with us here at PG 10 years. About 115 were here for his memorial service March 15 and many more listened by phone. About 50 attended the burial in Fairfield Pennsylvania March 22nd. Here are links to his obituary and to the notes from the memorial service.

We miss Elton’s zeal and joy very much at PG, but we are glad he finally was able to go on to the reward he has been waiting for so long. Here are pictures from the memorial service, the lunch afterward and of Elton’s family that was here.

At the end of March Ruth Henderson came from New Mexico to be our 43rd resident at PG. Ruth is 95, and has spent 68 years in the work. Here she is surveying the view.

Owen Henderson and his wife, Susan, brought his aunt Ruth here. He was a coworker with Gilbert Reese many years ago. He got him laughing about some old times in Colorado. He seemed to know him just by seeing him, which is really good for Gilbert these days.

Emma has only been here a short while but she has already had several visitors. Here she is with Geili and Rubi Gomez and again in the kitchen with Sara Husers.

We had a revolving door of visitors this month! Almost too many to keep track. Luckily, we had quite a few birthdays so many opportunities to take photos and jog our memory. Here is Esther on her birthday, 91 years young!

Doreen just arrived and we already got to celebrate her birthday! She turned 80, what a milestone. Here she is with her well wishers and walking through the buffet line.

Salena’s aunt and uncle, Doris Kopitke and Les Craighton, stopped by for the night before heading out on their vacation. Here they are in front of the fireplace with Gwen.

We had two families come that know most of the residents. They were RVing around the South and wanted to stop by and say hello. They are the Lairds and the Taylors, seen here in front of their RV and in the kitchen respectively.

Everyone has been getting a special visit recently. Esther had some friends from Georgia come, Walker and Pam Wood. Here they are with Esther in her room, and again with Abigail.

Andray still comes to work with us when he can, this time we had lunch at the cabin! Also, Emma asked for root beer floats on Sunday and they were a hit.

We are always enjoying the nature here, but spring has really vibrant colors. Here are some shots of the nature, sunsets, a bald eagle and the twins with a duck they found.

Resident Journals

Gwen Farmer

Gwen got a special visit from her sister Wenona.. from El Paso, which brightens up her day. She keeps faithfully making the puzzles with Elsie, even if some of them are harder to see. Here she is with her sister Wenona, enjoying some chicken and saying farewell to Karen Cleveland.

Esther Duncan

Esther still does great, especially for 91! She still walks everyday and helps out in the kitchen. She keeps up a healthy correspondence, even more so now that it was her birthday. Here are some shots of her with her cake and some of the festivities.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald has slowed down some, he gets frequent bouts of pain in his back. This causes him to not sleep so well which contributes some to his decline. He still gets many visitors who love to come and chat with him. Here he is with the Lopez’s and again chatting with Doreen.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, still likes to cook in the kitchen from time to time. She enjoys the frequent company, especially any Spanish speakers, or someone she can talk about the islands with. Here she is with Leroy and Sara Husers, and again at the table with Javier and Nohemi Lopez.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie still does well, still finishing puzzles with relative ease. Her granddaughter, Candace Sandon, and family came for another great visit. Here they are in front of the fireplace.

Emma Perez

Emma is our new little celebrity, with so many visitors in just a few short weeks! She loves to wash dishes. Kenny told her if she kept washing so many dishes we would have hire her! Here she is reading to Alice.

Doreen Beyer

Doreen fits in great! It feels like she has been here all along. She enjoys working in the kitchen too. With her, Emma, Marie, and Esther all working in kitchen we feel well staffed! Here she is with her birthday cake, and in the kitchen chatting to Gwen and Marie.

Ruth Henderson

Ruth is getting moved in nicely. She shared many years with most of the workers here so she is always willing to chat. She has already made a quick visit to those at Park Manor. Here she is excitedly talking with Joyce at the Willis Nursing home. She is always up for a laugh!

Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Gilbert Reese, Joyce Naber

Each one does well, keeping on being peaceful and gentle souls. Joyce is always so alert and smiling when we come to visit. She remembered Ruth right away, even called her by her nickname! Her brother Galen Naber and his wife Marilyn came for a visit. Gilbert lit up when he saw his old friend and coworker Owen Henderson. Fern has had some very good days, even talking some on the phone when we are with her. Alice is always so sweet, and wanting us to come by more often. Here they all are with various visitors.

Thank you for your interest and love for those here at Pecan Grove.

Kenny

January 31, 2025

January 2025

Filed under: Pecan Grove,Senior Residence — knewman @ 1:24 pm

A lot happened early this month. Elton had a bad fall, hit his head, and we thought we would lose him. Karen was called and she headed here from Colombia. He was awake for most of a day, but very confused. After that he went to sleep and was unconscious for most of a day, breathing sporadically. Then, while we were eating lunch, he got up, came out, ate some lunch and played the piano! He’s still not doing as well as he did before the fall, but his mind is good and he gets out to most meals and meetings. We’re glad Karen can be here with Elton and David for a few weeks. She’s heading back to Colombia in early February.

Emma Perez joined us as our 41st resident since we started in 2009. Now we have 8 residents and 3 in the Park Manor nursing home. See the updated “residents at PG” link in the upper right corner for more details. Here is Emma with Aislynn Stanton and Anna Rutherford who brought her here.

Gilbert Reese turned 101 this year! The staff had him spiffed up and dressed like his old self. Here he is at the table with his cupcake, and some of the birthday attendees, and our lunch together afterward.

Kim Schneider, Kathy’s sister, came from Minneapolis for visit. She was actually invited by Katelyn, and the kids really enjoyed their time playing with her. Here she is with Joyce, and the whole family out together at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It is always fun to learn!

Every month Mimi comes to cut the men’s hair. They always look forward to the attention and fresh grooming. Here are Ronald and Elton getting their recent haircuts.

Joyce had a visit from Wayne’s cousin, Lyle and Roberta Overby, from North Dakota. She spent time laboring in that state and was fondly remembering her time there. Here they are at the the table.

We have a monthly staff meeting to keep up with resident information and learn about specific topics. This time Salena did a little show-and-tell about falling to make sure we got the message, also Salena playing with some snow, and our very happy squash.

Kenny always appreciates any help he can get in the kitchen. This time Katelyn and Dylan gave a helping hand. Here are Katelyn and Kenny at the sink and Dylan cutting chicken. Can’t have chicken tortilla soup without the chicken!

Kent and Linda Opel came for a quick visit. Here they are with Karen.

Resident Journals

Ronald Elliott

Ronald continues to struggle with his voice. On his good days he can take part in meetings and studies. Other days he just passes the mic. Here he is with Wayne in front of the bookcase, and again reading the paper.

Emma Perez

We enjoy having Emma here. She works hard in the kitchen helping the staff. She really likes to wash dishes. Here she is with our visitor Lynn Sorensen, and with Anita.

Joyce Naber

Joyce had several visitors and did well reminiscing with them. Here she is with Anna again with Karen. She had a bad spell yesterday (the 30th). She was very weak in the morning. She spent much of the day in the hospital having tests (which showed nothing). During the course of the day she revived and is doing much better today.

Marie Mounce

Marie does well, she attends all of her brother’s gospel meetings that she can, no matter how far away they are. While making buckwheat bread the rising dough got away from her but it turned out great! Here she is with Ronald at the table, discussing current events with Elsie and Joyce, and with overflowing dough.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie does well and is always glad to see her son Don and his wife Becky. They come often but cannot stay long. She says, “It’s nice to see them come but I hate to see them go.” Here they are chatting on her couch, and her with her morning coffee.

Elton Cleveland

Elton does what he can. He sleeps a lot more throughout the day but is up some at night. He still plays the piano when he feels able, mostly from memory. Having David and Karen here has been a great help. Here he is with Karen and David, again with Kimmy, and watching one of his favorite things: trains.

Esther Duncan

Esther does well, she enjoys a clear night sky and a large moon. When it gets really cold she likes to say, “I am going out for some FRESH air,” and then remarks how fresh it was when she returns. Here she is out for her walk.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen is doing great. She receives regular correspondence from her friends in Korea and New Mexico. She still does the puzzle with Joyce and Elsie and they enjoy changing them out for new ones often. Here she is after the Wednesday study with Anita and baby Evelynn Nordic.

Fern Duncan, Alice Oetken, Gilbert Reese at Park Manor, Conroe

Fern didn’t come out to be with us at Gilbert’s birthday party, but we still brought the party to her. Here she is smiling with Salena, who has been her most frequent visitor. Alice does well, she still likes to sit with Gilbert and chat. Gilbert seemed a little taken aback by Abigail reading him his mail, but always has a sweet spirit.

Nature at PG

January is always one of our coldest months. We had several days below freezing and actually had some snow! That doesn’t stop the wild life from flourishing, though. Here are some pictures of the snow, a beautiful winter’s night and our newest neighbors, a beaver and a red shoulder hawk!

We appreciate your continued interest in our residents. Please call the main line if you would like to chat with any of them.

December 31, 2024

December 2024

Filed under: Pecan Grove — knewman @ 11:50 pm

The cold wet weather in December prompted some new decorations from Abigail. Mr. Prickles has never looked so good!

If you have been following along, our roof has been in bad need of repair. We finally bit the bullet and decided to call in the professionals. Here they are getting started on our roof. So long leaking roof!

Trevor, Heather and Winston Chenault from Newry PA came for a brief visit. Here they are chatting in the living room.

This month only had one birthday, but it was a big one, Ronald turned 97! He joked that his birthday last year should have lasted a few more years. Here he is with his cake and his annual birthday present of fruit.


Amy and Rusty Willhoite from Redbud Canyon came to see us. They brought with them one of their newest residents: Reta Fuhrman. She was able to stay the week with us as they went on a family cruise. She really enjoyed her stay and finding out all the little connections she knows here. She had never been to Texas before! What a shame! Here she is with Vanessa Pfingsten and her three children Lindsey, Abigail, Barrett, and again with Amy and Rusty in front of the fire place.

Glenn and Shirley Spunaugle came to pick up Reta after their cruise. Here they are with most of our residents.

Kathy’s sister, Pat Johnson and aunt Jane Jacobson came for a Holiday visit. Here they are with the Furrows.

Elton’s granddaughter, Leah and Daron Griffin and two kids, Isla and Felix visited. Here they are with David and Elton.

We had several of our sister workers, Joyce Lawrence, Mona Reese and Aiyslann Stanton come for a few days at Christmas.

Resident Journals

Elton Cleveland

Elton does well, especially with the added help of Shawn, David, and Hospice. He plays the piano and continues to correspond with Karen over email. He still tries to get some time in the sun. Here he is with “Professor McGonagall” (the new name for kitty kitty now that she lives with Kenny and Salena)

Esther Duncan

Esther is doing well, she keeps up with her daily walk and correspondence. She looks after Joyce and keeps her occupied with different tasks. She took the time to make some orange marmalade.

Gwen Farmer

Gwen did some reminiscing this month. We got a free calendar from a local Chinese restaurant, and it triggered memories of her time in Korea. Here she is recalling a few good memories.

Elsie Schroeder

Elsie does well, as per her usual. She focuses most of her time on the puzzles, while enjoying any company that wants to join her. She just got new hearing aids and her hearing is much improved, especially in our meetings. Here she is playing scrabble at the table with a few of our guests.

Ronald Elliott

Ronald is growing more and more deaf. He is struggling to get his thoughts together when speaking with the staff. He still has good thoughts in meeting though. Ronald also received several visitors and phone calls for his birthday. Here he is with friends Jeff and Patricia Oliver, and again with his niece, Marva Kleine and her daughter and son in law Darcy and Scott Evers.

Marie Mounce

Marie still does well, despite her deteriorating sight. She made chocolate pies using up some of our older Christmas cookies. Here she is with Reta Fuhrman, and again with Mona.

Joyce Naber

Joyce requires more supervision these days. Thankfully, Esther is happy to keep an eye on her. She enjoyed the visits with Pat Johnson because they were co-workers in 1972-73. She said “every time I think of Pat, I giggle.” Here they are on the couch catching up on some giggling.

Fern, Gilbert and Alice

Fern is so tired these days we barely get time to talk before she nods off again. Gilbert does well, hardly changes at all. He seems to enjoy Alice’s company at meal times. Here he is with Marie and Joyce, and Fern in her bed.

As usual, we had a blast celebrating the coming New Year! Sue Dawson joined us and brought Fred Skalitzky. We had a meal, a hymn sing, some fireworks and then Fred had a story for the kids. Here are some photos of our get- together and celebration.

The PG Staff had a holiday dinner together. Here Salena and Abigail are preparing the desert, sticky toffee pudding!

Here is a staff picture taken at the dinner.

Thank you for all your continued interest in us here at Pecan Grove! We wish you all a wonderful New Year! From the staff and all your friends here.

HAPPY 2025 NEW YEAR!

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