Summer 2015

Volume 1, Issue 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Summertime Fun………...1

Benevolent Care…………..1

Marian Schiller ................ .2

We Thank You……………..3

Leave Your Legacy..........4

Tree of Life Sponsors..….4

SUMMERTIME...AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY...

BENEVOLENT CARE: COMPASSION IN ACTION

SEASONS

What is “Benevolent Care”…?

Be-nev-o-lent (adj.): “kind and generous”...“organized for the purpose of doing good.” These phrases apply to our

non-profit organization and its mission as much today as to our six women founders and the home they created in

1909. At Willson House, kind welcome to all is a key value of everything we do, from the health services aides who

take care of our residents, to the educators who teach the next generation in our Child Development Center. Here

at the big green house on Center Street, expert minds and warm hearts tend some of our most vulnerable citizens,

a number of whom receive financial assistance from various government and government-supported sources. In

particular, our Benevolent Care Fund can allow us to help a resident stay here through end of life, in the home

they love, with caregivers they trust, in the event that they have outlived their means and can no longer afford the

level of care they need. We hope you believe—with us—that aging with dignity should not be a matter of finances.

Summer’s warm days and long light lend themselves to a certain

leisurely feeling in all the comfortable community areas here at

Willson House. Our residents have been indulging in ice cream

socials every other week—out on the back garden patio when the

weather’s just right—and gathering for delightful afternoon musi-

cal entertainment; two favorites are Dick Riley on the accordion

and Rob Magee on the trombone, each playing beloved tunes that

get everyone toe-tapping and singing along. Bingo never wanes in

popularity, and Dominoes is so much fun that sometimes the

players have been known to go for six consecutive games! Senior

Cinema returned this summer as well, with Charlie Fox from

KBZY bringing Midnight Lace for everyone to enjoy.

Willson House Child Development Center students benefit from a

thematic curriculum year-’round, and are having tremendous fun

with summer theme weeks such as Oceans (including a luau, hula

dancing, shave ice), Space (the anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk

on the moon, a mini-space suit to try on, photos and stories from the

National Air and Space Museum in DC), and Community Helpers

(the Salem Police and Fire Departments, Fish Wildlife and Parks, a

Salem-Keizer PE instructor and our own culinary team). August is

Cultures Month; this year features social studies of Hispanic, Asian,

and African cultures. Willson House residents get well involved with

this program as they share about their own unique cultures and her-

itage, storytelling and reminiscing about traditions to the students.

Willson House is a home full of

rich stories, and many of our dear

residents can still tell their own,

including Marian Schiller, who

has enough stories to fill vol-

umes!

Born in July, 1924 in Lamont, IA,

Marian was the youngest of three.

Her early years were spent on a

farm, from which she could take

the bus to school in good weather;

in the snowy winter months, how-

ever, she rode a horse-drawn sled

to school, staying cozy under

horse blankets. The family

moved into town when Marian

was five, and she enjoyed a thriv-

ing school community. Then, at

the start of the Great Depression,

her family acquired a 320-acre

farm 12 miles outside the tiny,

largely German Catholic town of

Zell, SD; the town had one store,

one big dance hall, a saloon and a

grain elevator. Her father bought

10 wild horses (instead of a trac-

tor) to help him work the farm,

and grew wheat, oats and corn.

Marian attended “country school”

in overalls with four other girls

and ten boys. She learned her

catechism starting in seventh

grade; her mother was a pianist

and played the pump organ at the

Catholic church, and Marian sang

in the choir, although she never

converted to Catholicism. Once

she was in high school, she

roomed with her married older

sister in the town of Redfield, SD,

11 miles east of the farm, and

came home to her parents only on

the weekends. Then, junior year,

her sister moved to OR, so Mari-

an moved into the dorm (which

was a converted old hotel) and

made a treasured, lifelong friend

in her roommate.

Spring 1941 was the catalytic

family visit to Oregon: Marian’s

mother wanted to move here, to

be near her grandkids and off of

the SD farm, so Marian—now

17—began attending school in

Gresham, studying shorthand and

typing, and she worked in every

department of an aluminum plant

in Troutdale. At the plant, a fe-

male colleague urged, “Let’s join

the service!” At age 20, Marian

enlisted in the Navy, although her

friend then changed her mind and

backed out. Marian--a Second

Class Yeoman--was stationed in

San Francisco for 20 months. She

came home after the war on a

Monday in May and—as fate

would have it—met her future

husband, Don, that Friday. Don,

who had recently finished serving

in the military police of the Air

Force, hailed from Whiteson

(between Amity and McMin-

nville), had come home to OR in

January; the two were engaged in

November, 1946 and got married

in April, 1947. Don’s father gave

the young couple a little more

than half an acre in Gresham; they

lived in the “chicken house” on

the property until they got their

house built there, in which they

raised two daughters and a son,

and lived—between the homes of

Don’s parents and sister—for 38

years.

Marian and Don stewarded their

resources carefully, buying all

second-hand furniture and using it

for years, and eventually buying

1.5 acres in La Pine for summers;

they lived in their 10’ x 50’ travel

trailer, and then built a little house

and stayed there year-‘round.

Over the years, Marian was al-

ways a devoted knitter, creating

countless handmade sweaters,

afghans, etc. for family and

friends; she has a stash of yarn in

her room, and still knits small

blankets for the Gresham Police

Department to distribute for those

in need. Marian has created elab-

orate family history books with

photographs, writing, artifacts,

and clippings that tell the story of

her life and her family’s lives; the

INSIDE STORY

MARIAN SCHILLER

2

project took a great deal of work

and she really enjoyed doing it.

Marian smiles when she speaks

of Don, saying, “I had a great

husband. We had a few differ-

ences, but we never let it bother

us. We lived life our own way,

the two of us. Part of what kept

us together, healthy and wise was

our 40 years of square-dancing

together!” After retirement, Mar-

ian and Don kept on dancing and

would stay in AZ in a trailer park

and connect with the square-

dancing community there, danc-

ing four times/week and making

friends from all over the country.

Don beat cancer once when their

three kids were small; after the

couple sold their place in La Pine

and moved to a wonderful retire-

ment community in Bend, cancer

returned. After a terrible fall two

years ago that required immediate

hip replacement surgery, Marian

was moved into Willson House

(sight unseen) and Don accompa-

nied her; he was to spend much

of the last six months of his life

in the hospital, eventually passing

away there in his sleep “just as he

had wanted” during Marian’s 90th

birthday celebration after having

been taken there by ambulance

just the day before. Marian and

the other party-goers raced there

from her festivities but couldn’t

get there in time.

Don is buried at Willamette Na-

tional Cemetery, and someday

Marian will be there with him.

She says, eyes twinkling, “I am

so fortunate to have such a great

family—children, grandchildren

and great-grandchildren—people

who are devoted to each other,

who serve our country, who have

traveled, who are making the

most of life. My son worked in

England for 20 years; my older

daughter (now retired) was a life-

long teacher; my grandsons grew

up in Salem, and one was Athlete

of the Year in 1995; one grand-

son is in South Korea in the ser-

vice; my granddaughter is in Sin-

gapore, etc. Don and I would

have been married 68 years this

year.” Marian enjoys staying

busy, spends plenty of time with

the active residents of Jason Lee

Manor, and appreciates how staff

“took such good care of Don…

and they even refill my hum-

mingbird feeder outside my win-

dow.” We appreciate you, Mari-

an, and are thankful you’re part

of our Willson House family!

3

INSIDE STORY, CONTINUED

MARIAN SCHILLER

We Gratefully Acknowledge these Generous Donors for their Support Since May 1, 2015:

$1000 and up Up to $249 (Up to $249, continued) (Up to $249, continued)

Byron and Nancy Hendricks Eileen Barrios Mary and Gary Macnab Royal and Phyllis Tarter

Lee Mission Cemetery Joseph and Edith Benninghoff Harriette Mandel James Thompson

Betsy Stuller Donald and Helen Carey Thomas Morawski Joan Townsen

Susan and Alan Forkner Sally Neff United Methodist Women

$500-999 Bruce and Judith Gilbertson Paul and Doreen Negstad of Forest Grove

Patricia Clark Sid and Judy Halse Hugh Nelson United Methodist Women

James Hook Cindy Hannum Earl Riddle of Wilsonville

Happy Hands Circle/Asbury Shari and Mark Ridings Henry and Renate Woods

$250-499 Victor Hatten Rev. Stuart Shaw Linda and Robert Wright

Beverley and Ralph Faulkner Alice Hendricks Arleen Smith Georgette Yoshikai

Nadine and Edson Gilmore Nettie Karr Ramona Summers Larry Young

Arlen Hollinshead William and Kriss Lawyer Dennett Taber Donna and David Zeit

Willson House is deeply grateful for each dollar of your charitable support. We want to know the best way to thank you

for your generosity; please let us know if you prefer your name to be listed differently in future acknowledgement lists.

WILLSON HOUSE

Founded in 1909, the

not-for-profit 501(c)(3)

United Methodist Retirement

Center (UMRC) in Salem, Oregon,

has shared more than a

century of compassion and

commitment to serving the needs

of older persons. UMRC is a place

where life-enriching services are

provided to people of all faiths and

beliefs. Independence is

supported here and people are

treated with dignity and respect.

UMRC is a community where peo-

ple come to live, and where gifts of

time and self are

appreciated and valued.

The United Methodist

Retirement Center is not a

"home," rather it is home.

WILLSON HOUSE: A GREAT

PLACE TO LEAVE YOUR LEGACY

TO:

WILLSON HOUSE 1625 Center Street NE

Salem, or 97301

Phone: (503) 585-6511

Fax: (503) 585-8775

E-mail:

info@umrcsalem.org

Would you like to make a significant invest-

ment in the lives of seniors and children in our

community? Consider naming Willson House

in your estate plan, or as a beneficiary to a

donor-advised fund. The legacy you create

today is guaranteed to make a meaningful

difference for our residents and our students.

For more information, please contact Helen

Shafran, Development Director, at (503) 585-

6511 or helens@umrcsalem.0rg.

We gratefully acknowledge our Corporate Sponsors for the 17th Annual

Tree of Life, which was held on May 17 in the Willson House Dining Room:

City View Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematorium Propac Pharmacy

Concepts in Community Living Select Impressions

Grove, Mueller & Swank, P.C. Willamette Valley Hospice