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Photo 1 - Parkway Place resident Jane Wulf in Gard Parkway Place resident Jane Wulf stands near her rose bushes in the resident garden at the senior living community.

Seniors at Parkway Place in Houston are staying busy this spring by tending to the senior living community’s flower, plant and vegetable garden. Not only does the outdoor space help the residents remain active, the dining team actually cooks with the herbs from the garden when preparing a rosemary sauce for a popular pork tenderloin dish. Residents also share their harvest of figs, kumquats, beans, tomatoes and flowers with their friends and neighbors at the community. The outdoor space creates an additional social oasis that allows the residents to use their green thumbs. To pay tribute to the Earth and its gardens, and further preserve its foliage, residents at Parkway Place will gather together during National Garden Month on Earth Day, Friday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. for a planting party. That day, the residents will be maintaining their gardens and coming together to ceremonially plant a local flower. The residents want to share their love of gardening with others and encourage them to give back to nature no matter their age.

 

Parkway Place Resident Jo Darrow moved to Parkway Place five years ago. She chose her apartment due to its close proximity to the garden. Darrow grew up gardening, and her grandfather was a landscaper for many city properties in her hometown. She worked alongside him and always had a green thumb. Her favorite things to grow are climbing beans, and she loves to eat them and share them with fellow residents.

 

“Gardening is a lot of fun to me; I’ve been gardening my whole life,” said Darrow. “I visit my space about 3 to 4 times a week to maintain and water everything. I love growing vegetables, and I give them to my neighbors or dry them in a food dehydrator and eat them as snacks. I am delighted to experience all that the garden has to offer, like the wild butterflies the garden attracts.”

 

Gardening is scientifically proven to reduce stress and provide exercise and stimulation for seniors. The bending motions and other activities the hobby requires can increase muscle mass, and the opportunity to be outside and moving increases the heart rate and blood flow throughout the body.

 

Parkway Place resident Jane Wulf moved to the senior living community over 13 years ago. She had a rose garden at home and was thrilled to learn about the garden at Parkway Place. She planted a rose garden shortly after moving in, and when the bushes bloom, she shares the extra flowers with her neighbors.

 

“I love the garden because it gives me another activity to do outside and keeps me busy,” said Wulf. “I love being around the other gardeners and meeting new people who garden.”

 

“Gardening is a well-loved activity for the residents, and we are glad to have a place for them to experience a favorite pastime,” said Sunny Chatagnier, executive director of Parkway Place. “It’s a great activity for our gardeners, and a wonderful space to sit outside and appreciate the beauty. We are thankful to have the expertise of lifelong gardeners to keep the area looking lovely.”

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As the famous quote says, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” If that is true, then seniors at Parkway Places have read enough books to fit in a library. Some traveled for pleasure, business or personal missions, but there is one common thread these adventures share: the experience changed them for the better.  As international travel becomes more accessible than ever in our society, these seniors encourage people of all ages – including fellow seniors – to follow their desire to explore things they’ve never seen before, learn about different cultures and experience worlds they may have only read about in books or online.

 

Parkway Place resident Joan Varner has lost count of the number of countries she and her husband have visited, which she guesses is 65 or 70. She’s been to six continents throughout her lifetime, most due to her husband’s job in the missionary field. She first traveled out of the country in graduate school after she and her husband were married less than two years. The couple spent the summer in Europe with a teacher and several students. From that point on, Varner was hooked, and that particular trip made a huge impact on her life.

 

“Traveling was a life changing experience for me and my family,” said Varner. “It gave me a different perspective. After observing other cultures, I began to approach life differently. There are many places I’d love to visit again because they hold special memories for my family. We spent five years in Brazil, and now that my children are adults with children of their own, they consider it such a positive experience. It broadened their world view and showed them how vast the universe truly is.”

 

Likewise, Wanda Cameron, a Parkway Place resident, found valuable experiences across the pond. She has traveled to Europe, Russia, Italy, Israel, Scandinavia and Ireland, just to name a few, mostly with three other couples who lived near their home. She still has vivid memories of these travels today, and some of those couples live at Parkway Place where they often reminisce about their time together abroad.

 

“We consider our travels to be money well spent,” said Cameron. “You can’t put a price on the experiences we had and the people we met. It opened my world to so much and gave me a deep appreciation for the history of our world. I would encourage people of all ages, especially those who haven’t traveled internationally, to look into it. We were surprised, even as a young married couple over 50 years ago, that we could afford to travel overseas. It’s important to take advantage of those opportunities while you have the time and ability to go.”

 

For those who still have the itch to travel or recall their favorite destinations, Parkway Place shows a video series call “Armchair Travels” which provides virtual tours of well-known locations. Cameron enjoys watching the videos of countries she has never visited before so she can learn more about their culture and customs. The residents discuss the travel topics and bond during their time together. Many residents proudly display their travel treasures in their apartments, which make for wonderful conversation starters, and Parkway Place frequently places these pieces in common areas for residents to browse.

 

“There are so many residents at Parkway Place who still have a love of travel and enjoy discussing their favorite trips,” said Sunny Chatagnier, Parkway Place executive director. “We have residents from every walk of life here – some traveled internationally as CEOs and executives, others in the trenches as missionaries – and they all bond over their experiences around the world. We wanted to create a space for residents to share these memories because we know how important these experiences are to them personally.”

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Living to 100 years old is a milestone not experienced by many, but one centenarian in Houston, Wilda Wilson, attributes her long life to her overall perspective and attitude. She has overcome challenges, including being widowed twice and losing a son, and her positive, uplifting, and carefree way of living has helped her persevere in good times and difficult times. She eats what she wants, participates in activities when she wants to and enjoys life to the fullest. Wilson is the oldest resident at Parkway Place, though you’d never know it. She is constantly trying new things, such as Wii bowling, to keep herself busy. To acknowledge this tremendous occasion, the senior living community is throwing her a special celebration Tuesday, February 9 at 3:00 p.m. The party will honor Wilson through a photo display, and family members will be present along with her fellow residents to share in the occasion. Wilson will receive a special plaque recognizing her accomplishment, and birthday cake and punch will be served.

Wilson has witnessed history and seen the world change dramatically since 1916, and she has continued to change with it. While she doesn’t own a cell phone or computer, she still keeps up with current events and follows her favorite football team—the Denver Broncos. Wilson grew up in Reamsville, Kansas on a corn and wheat farm, back when crops were harvested by a mule instead of a combine. She attended school through school in a one-room schoolhouse, and there were only two or three people per grade. She later moved to Denver, Colorado where she attended cosmetology school. She worked in a salon in Pueblo, Colorado until she retired in 1980, and still cherishes her graduation certificate as a keepsake.

 “I’m so thankful for the life I’ve had,” said Wilson. “My mother lived to be 102-years-old, which I think helps with my longevity, but I’ve tried to be as healthy as I can be so I can enjoy my life. I’ve been very blessed to come from a family that has lived long lives and to experience life this long. I’m looking forward to celebrating this time with my family.”

 Wilson moved to Parkway Place 12 years ago where her days are full of activities. She wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day to read the paper, press her shirts and walk the hallways; only needing the assistance of a walker. Wilson also enjoys spending time with her family, which includes five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. If she had one piece of advice to pass along to others hoping to make it to 100 years old, it would be to not smoke, eat the food you like and how you like it, and realize that life doesn’t always go according to plan—you just have to move on and be grateful for what you have.

 

“We’re looking forward to celebrating and honoring Wilda at her upcoming party,” said Sunny Chatagnier, executive director of Parkway Place. “She has witnessed so much history, and her presence and knowledge adds so much to our community—you’d never know she was almost 100 years old. We want everyone to know how special she is and that she continues to contribute greatly to our community.”

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The magic of books is truly ageless. They have the ability to transport the reader to moments and places in time never before imagined. When Parkway Place resident Barbara McNeir retired last September, she began her “golden years” by enjoying one of her favorite pastimes: reading. But her love of books quickly grew to mean much more. She became involved in the senior living community’s book club, and when the book was chosen for the month, the group ran into an issue–there was no audio book available and the sight-impaired residents could not participate. McNeir took it upon herself to include them, and she began reading to sight-impaired members three times each week so that they could engage in the book discussion. Word quickly spread about her willingness to read aloud to others and demand for her commentary increased. Soon she will begin reading news articles and short stories to other at the community, upon their request. McNeir is a powerful example of how seniors are using their retirement to give back to others–even their fellow seniors.  

“Reading books is something I have loved all of my life,” said McNeir. “One of the things I looked forward to in my retirement was reading more often. When it came up that the book club couldn’t get a book on audio tape for our sight-impaired members, I knew it would eliminate them from participating and I wanted them to be able to enjoy the book. I didn’t want their inability to read the page to prohibit them from enjoying the journey a book can give them, nor the insight and challenge to their imagination.”

McNeir has a background in the performing arts and drama, so to her, reading aloud is just like preparing for a play. She uses theatrical flair and techniques when she reads aloud to make the stories sound engaging to the group. McNeir reads to residents with macular degeneration and other eye impairments. Residents like Betty Bryant wouldn’t be able to participate in the book club without her help.

“I can read some, but my eyesight isn’t very good, which makes reading very strenuous for me,” said Bryant. “Barbara brings the books alive the way she reads the stories with so much expression. I think it’s great that she volunteers her time to read to those of us who have trouble with reading. One of my favorite parts about being in the book club is the discussion each month, and because of Barbara I didn’t have to miss out on that.”

“This is something I love doing, and what I was looking forward to the most in my retirement was doing things for others,” said McNeir. “I love getting to know the residents here and listening to their stories. I know that there are many other residents here who could benefit from being read to, and I’m excited to explore that option in the coming months.”

“Barbara’s creativity in helping her fellow residents is truly extraordinary,” said Sunny Chatagnier, executive director of Parkway Place. “We cannot thank her enough for the time and effort she puts into making sure that the residents who want to enjoy written stories and articles are able to.” 

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We often picture retirement as a time to relax and take it easy, but a group of senior men at Parkway Place senior living community are hard at work making toys for children in Houston. Recently, Parkway Place opened a woodworking shop on its campus, an idea that came from the Men’s Activity Club. The new workshop not only gives residents a creative outlet for their skills or allows them to learn a new hobby, but it creates an opportunity for them to give back to the surrounding community. The men have been busy hand-making small wooden toy cars for a greater purpose–the toys will go to the children participating in Buckner Family Pathways in Houston, a transitional program for single parents and their children. These generous, heartfelt donations mean as much to the men who make them as they will for the children who will receive them. The toys are especially needed during the Christmas season, as parents at Buckner Family Pathways are looking for toys to give to their children on Christmas morning. Parkway Place and its Men’s Activity Club are excited about this new offering that will allow the senior living community to have an even bigger impact in the Houston area.

 “The goal of the Men’s Activity Club at Parkway Place is to foster relationships, and one of the ways we like to do that is through community service,” said Aaron Mendoza, Parkway Place resident and the club’s moderator. “This is one of our major accomplishments, and we worked for about nine months to get the workshop up and running, with the support of the staff here. Making these toys together and giving them to the children of Buckner Family Services is a goal we’ve had in mind for a while, and I’m happy we can come together to make a difference in their lives.”

 The workshop sits in a garage on the Parkway Place acreage, and many of its tools were donated by residents who weren’t using their own tools any longer. The men meet in the shop several times a week and build the toys from patterns created by one of the members. While some of the members’ woodworking knowledge is more advanced than others’, they most enjoy the camaraderie of creating and learning together.

 “When the Men’s Activity Club approached us about creating a woodworking workshop on campus, we were so excited about their goal and wanted to help them reach it in any way possible,” said Sunny Chatagnier, Parkway Place’s executive director. “These men have such giving and generous spirits, and I know their creations will bring joy to so many children.”

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Photo 1 - Parkway Place resident Jeanette Eaton.JP

When we think of those fighting for our country in World War II, we typically think of men overseas on tropical islands or European countries in the line of fire. However, it is estimated that some 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. One of those women is Houston and Parkway Place resident Jeanette Eaton, who volunteered to join the Navy along with her twin sister in 1945 from Tulsa, Oklahoma. When some of her male friends were anxious about whether they would be drafted or should voluntarily join the military, she thought that if they could do it, she could do it too, and the rest, as they say, is history. Eaton thought military experience sounded like an exciting adventure, and it didn’t disappoint her expectations. She recalls the memories with fondness and especially thinks about her time in the military around Veterans Day each year. Parkway Place senior living community is proud to be home to 64 veterans who have fought for our country’s freedom and will honor all veteran residents at their community with a special luncheon on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th at 11:00 a.m., with special guest musician Rodney Raspberry, and will share military memorabilia in display cases at the community. After the luncheon, the veterans have been invited to West Briar Middle School, just across the street from the senior living community, where the students will recognize area veterans and thank them for their service.

 

After enlisting, Eaton traveled to New Jersey for Navy school. There she took aptitude tests to determine the best job for her skill set, and she was assigned to be an aerographer’s mate. Eaton, who had already been studying accounting, was interested in this position after hearing of it and excited to get started. It was during her training that an announcement came in: the war was ending.

 

“I don’t think you could really understand how relieved everyone was unless you were actually there,” said Eaton. “My brother was on a destroyer in the Pacific, and my sister had met and married a man who was a prisoner of war in Europe. To know that it was finally coming to an end was an amazing feeling.”

 

While it was official that World War II was ending, Eaton still had a job to perform to get the military personnel safely home. She was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, where she fulfilled her role in tracking and observing weather patterns. Providing these accurate details was vital to planes successfully landing and taking off and required four months of tedious training. Eaton and her fellow aerographers took precise measurements of the wind speed and direction, temperature, cloud coverage, humidity and air pressure each hour. These measurements were then circulated to incoming and outgoing airplanes through the Navy’s communication system and provided to the military airplanes in the area.

 

After a year and a half in the Navy, Eaton returned home as an aerographer’s mate third class, which is equivalent to a sergeant. She recalls that there were other women who worked around her, and typically at least one of the officers on duty during a shift was female.

 

“The country needed people, so I did what I could to help in any way,” said Eaton. “It was a very positive experience for me and a chance to travel and see more of the world. I think young people should do all they can to get out of their comfort zones and have new experiences. My time in the Navy is something I look back on with great pride and happiness. It taught me how to work with different people and gave me independence and a sense of service. It was a one-of-a-kind experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.”

 

After she returned from Jacksonville, Eaton received her master’s degree in accounting from Northwestern University and returned to Tulsa, where she worked for national accounting firm Haskins and Sells (now known as Coopers and Lybrand) and was the first female CPA the Tulsa office hired. Eaton still has an active CPA license to this day. She married a fellow World War II veteran of the Army Corps of Engineers who was in Normandy on D-Day.

 

“We are so honored to count veteran residents like Mrs. Eaton amongst the remarkable residents at Parkway Place,” said Sunny Chatagnier, Parkway Place executive director. “All of the residents have individual stories to share of how wars have impacted their lives, and this day is a time to remember and honor those who have sacrificed for our country. While we strive to honor their service daily, we hope they especially feel it on Veterans Day as we take time to thank them for their contributions to our country’s history.”

 

Photos Courtesy of Parkway Place:

Photo 1: Parkway Place resident Jeanette Eaton in her Navy uniform during World War II.

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Residents and staff at Parkway Place, a Buckner Retirement Services community, are preparing to participate for the first time in Buckner’s “Run for Shoes” event. Annually, this event brings awareness of vulnerable populations of children around the world, raises money and sends new shoes to children in need. The senior living community invites their friends and neighbors to walk with them, in person or virtually, to increase recognition of these children in need. Donations from the walk will benefit orphans in developing countries around the world by providing them with new shoes, which will improve their daily lives as they help the children get to school and decrease the chance of disease. The Parkway Place team will gather together at the senior living community (1321 Park Bayou Drive) on Friday, October 23rd at 1:30 p.m. to walk together, celebrate giving back and share the unforgettable feeling of changing the lives of others. Members of the public who would like to register to walk virtually or at the senior living community must register by visiting www.shoesfororphansouls.org/runforshoes and search “Parkway Place” to be added to their team by October 16th. Registration is $15 and includes a t-shirt.

 

“In previous years we have done shoe drives to collect new shoes for orphans across the world, along with other donation efforts,” said Sunny Chatagnier, executive director of Parkway Place. “This year is the first time we’re participating in Buckner International’s “Walk for Shoes” event, and the community is thrilled to participate in a bigger way this year. Many of the residents have led inspiring, mission-based lives through local and international mission work, volunteering, foster care or leading corporations. A person’s desire to give back doesn’t stop at any age, and impacting even one life through this event will mean so much to us.”

 

To make this event even more meaningful, Parkway Place is preparing to turn the walk into a fun and interactive event. Throughout the walk around the Parkway Place campus, walkers will be wearing stickers with the faces of the orphans they’re supporting on their shirts to bring a face to the cause. Team members who are not able to participate in the walk will be stationed throughout the course at water stations and serve as “cheerleaders” for their fellow teammates. After the walk, the fun will continue with live music from Red Hat DJ, who will be playing a variety of music, ranging from the residents’ favorite tunes from the 40s and 50s to contemporary music.

 

“We invite our friends and neighbors in the community to join us in the walk, virtually or at our community,” said Chatagnier. “We’re continually looking for ways to extend our ministry beyond the walls of our community and across the world. This is just one small way to give back, and the time investment is minimal for the large impact this event will have. We’re looking forward to cheering our team on later this month as we walk together for a greater cause.”

 

If you are interested in donating to the cause, Parkway Place will accept donations at the event or you can visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org to donate online.