September 2015

Resident Birthdays

10th-Mark

13th-Ethel

Employee Birthdays

1st-Roddie Helsel

8th-Nonie Rasmussen

8th-Vicky Wunchel

16th-Joanne Strohmer

21st-Judy Jones

25th-Kimmy Stephenson

26th-Kevin Conley

27th-Dr Mahoney

27th-Esther Miller

Your birth month is

September:

You are tolerant and

inspirational, you are wise

beyond your years.

You are universally

sympathetic and a great

humanitarian.

Your soul reflects:

Devotion, light,

and love

The Maples

Celebrations in September

Special Days in September

6th-Read-a-Book Day

7th-Labor Day

11th-Patriot Day

13th-Grandparent’s Day

16th-Collect Rocks Day

21st-International Day of Peace

23rd-First Day of Autumn

26th-Johnny Appleseed’s Birthday

28th-National Good Neighbor Day

Classical Music Month

Self Improvement Month

Better Breakfast Month

National Courtesy Month

National Picnic Month

A Note from Kathy Dube, Administrator I previously stated I would use this section for a build-

ing update. Unfortunately there is not much to report. As of the August 26th Building

Authority Meeting, a resolution to the roof issue has not been decided upon. The next

Building Authority Meeting is a special meeting scheduled for September 15th. In the

meantime, it is business as usual in our current building. Please read through this

newsletter as it is full of information regarding upcoming activities that our residents and

staff are looking forward to. If you ever have any questions or concerns regarding our

current facility, the new facility, or anything to do with staff or residents. please do not

hesitate to contact me. ~Kathy

Page 2 The Maples September 2015

Resident Reflections-Vivian Christopherson

Vivian Christopherson was born to Olin and

May in Chicago on January 21st, 1924. Her

father was a streetcar conductor and her

mother was a housekeeper. Vivian was the

oldest of two children and had a younger

sister, Violet, who was handicapped and a very

sweet girl. School was a struggle because

Vivian was distracted by protecting Violet,

something that was very important to her.

She didn’t finish high school but did go back a

few years later and finished. One memory

Vivian has of growing up was being the test subject for her older cousin who was in

beauty school. That sparked an interest and Vivian knew she wanted to do hair when

she grew up.

After high school, Vivian worked in a shoe factory for a few years during World

War II. She did hair for free during the war for anyone who wanted their hair

done. Vivian met her future husband, Norman Christopherson, when he was a new

student at school. He was the son of the new preacher for the church Vivian and

her family attended. She didn’t like him so much at first, but he pursued her,

eventually grew on her, and they were married. They raised five children—Nancy

June, Carol June, Loma Jean, Jeralyn Joy, and Christopher. Her husband was the

one who came up with the names for all the children. They lived in Jones, Michigan

which is a very small town close to the state line. She also lived in Chicago and

Georgia. She enjoyed traveling and one of her favorite trips was when she took her

stepmother to Ireland where they were able to visit her family.

Vivian’s favorite color is red and her favorite animals are cats and dogs. She enjoys

Chinese food and playing cards. One of her hobbies was painting and she has a

number of paintings in her room which she painted herself. She is very proud that

she finished high school and that she was able to do hair during the war.

Interview by Autumn Delbridge and Randi Knapp

September 2015 The Maples Page 3

The Maples Community Carnival

The Maples annual community

carnival was held on August 28

and was a huge success! There

were games for all ages,

corndogs, popcorn, cupcakes,

caramel apples and funnel cakes

to taste, face painting, and

prizes galore! There were

smiles all around as our

residents, family members,

staff, and volunteers enjoyed

all the activities. A special

thanks to the activity staff and

all the volunteers who made the

day so special.

Page 4 The Maples September 2015

Pet Therapy Visits

Manistee County Fair

The residents were able to head to the Manistee County Fair

which featured 4-H events, carnival rides and food, motor

cross racing, and a super kicker rodeo. One of our own resi-

dents even entered a quilt she had made in one of the quilt-

ing categories. Everyone had a great time taking in all the

sights and sounds of a local county fair. Many thanks to our

faithful volunteers and staff for helping with the event.

As soon as the residents see them, their faces light up. We are fortunate to have

Denny and Chaz visit every Wednesday and make the rounds with our residents.

Chaz is a 155 pound Saint Bernard who became a certified therapy dog in 2013. He

visits schools, libraries, senior centers and nursing homes with his best buddy,

Denny. Denny is a 40 pound Cardigan Welsh Corgi who was certified as a therapy dog

in 2008. Together, they have made over 450 therapy visits to date. We are grateful

to Donald and Cecelia Williams for sharing their dogs with us and bringing comfort,

kindness, and happiness to our residents.

Page 5 The Maples September 2015

The Maples Mission Statement

To provide accessible, high-quality long-term care; to meet the

evolving health care needs of the residents of Benzie County.

Sunday, September 13, is Grandparents’

Day and we’ll be having a celebration at

1:30 p.m. in the Dining Room.

Residents are encouraged to invite their

grandkids for cake and ice cream, a

grandparent/grandkid photo shoot, time

to share memories (and make a few new

ones), and BINGO with special prizes for

residents and guests.

Mark Your Calendars!

You are invited to two special events planned in September for our

residents and their families. Check out the details below:

Thursday, September 17, join us on the

patio (weather permitting) at 5:30 p.m. for

a luau! What a great way to celebrate the

last days of summer! You are invited to

bring a dish to pass and The Maples will

provide Hawaiian chicken and frozen,

non-alcoholic margaritas! Please RSVP to

the front desk by Thursday,

September 10, so we may plan accordingly.

Page 6 The Maples September 2015

Art Classes

The Activity Room has been busy on Tuesday

evenings with residents and family members

enjoying a variety of art classes. The art

classes are led by Aimee Merizon through a

grant written by Sylvia Bennett from the

Oliver Art Center. The classes offer a vari-

ety of mediums including still life painting,

sculpture, stonework, and collage. You may

see samples of the artwork displayed in the

Activity Room and throughout the resident

rooms. You can tell by all the smiles that the

residents are truly enjoying the classes.

Page 7 The Maples September 2015

A L P H A B E T Y G O L O N H C E T

P R I N C I P A L Z K R O W E M O H

L E E G Y M X A I R E T E F A C I S

A C P A P E R Q U E L O O H C S B N

Y E Y E D L U N C H C N U L T L A O

G S J A N I T O R C O O L O A E C Y

R S C H O C N I N A R T R C W R K A

O T E A C H I G X E R Y K O R A P R

U U X D Z A T L O T S B E L I S A C

N D S P E L L N S C O P C O T E C I

D Y E S X S C H E A L Z N R I R K T

C R C H A L K B R D O N E S N S P E

I A R T T A L D R Y U P I X G L U M

S R E C E A Z E A S Y T C L A S S H

U B X E X A M Q B O O K S C H O O T

M I U N D E R E D U C A T I O N Z I

Y L A N G U A G E X S R E K R A M R

G E O G R A P H Y Q Z A R B E G L A

ALGEBRA EDUCATION JANITOR PAPER SCIENCE BUS

ALPHABET ERASERS LANGUAGE PENCILS STUDENT CAFETERIA

ARITHMETIC GLUE LIBRARY PLAYGROUND STUDY CHALK

BACKPACK GEOGRAPHY LUNCH PRINCIPAL TEACHER CLASS

BELL GYM MARKERS READING TECHNOLOGY COLORS

BLACKBOARD HISTORY MATH RECESS WRITING CRAYONS

BOOKS DESK HOMEWORK MUSIC SCHOOL

September Church Schedule

Wednesday Services are at 10:45 a.m.

Sunday Services are at 2:45 p.m.

Every Wednesday: Catholic Communion at 10:00 a.m.

2nd-Trinity Lutheran Church 6th-no church scheduled

9th-Bear Lake Baptist Church 13th-Benzonia Faith Baptist

16th-St. Ann’s Catholic Church 20th-Beulah Church of Christ

23rd-Herring Lake Baptist Church 27th-Crystal Lake Baptist Church

30th-Frankfort Elberta Methodist Church

Page 8 The Maples September 2015

This edition of The Maple Leaf is brought to you through the efforts of Autumn Delbridge,

Kathy Dube, Kris Dykstra, Jennifer Flynn, Randi Knapp, and Sharon Gilbert

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: There are a number of ways you might volunteer at The Maples. Our residents love interacting with our volunteers and we appreciate the extra help. Please talk with Jennifer Flynn, Activities Director,

for more information.

The Maples, Benzie County Medical Care Facility 210 Maple Ave.

231.352.9674 http://benziemaples.org

Welcome to our

New Residents!

Bonnie, Charla,

Charlene and Phyllis

This edition of The Maple Leaf is

dedicated to the memory of

Larry Miller

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.