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The Living Center was thrilled to present Jane Horton in concert on Wednesday, May 10th, at 2 pm. The event was open to the public, and attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a captivating performance by the country and gospel singer. Jane delighted the audience with songs from iconic artists like Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, along with classic gospel tunes. As a special touch for Mother’s Day, she also performed some heartfelt songs dedicated to all the mothers in the audience. It was a wonderful event that brought together friends and community members for an afternoon of memorable music.
Our May Birthday Honorees:
Pat Courtright ~ May 4th
Helen Harless ~ May 4th
Carol Hooley ~ May 6th
Teresa Hiles, Dietary Cook ~ May 31st
Fish Fry at The Living Center Thanks to John Studebaker
What a treat! On Friday, April 7th, everyone at The Living Center enjoyed fried bluegill fish caught and cleaned by our very own resident, John Studebaker. Our dietary manager, Teri DeBoard, talked with John for
several weeks to prepare for this wonderful feast.
John shared his batter recipe with Teri, followed it exactly, and everyone loved it. The whole dining room gave John a big round of applause and thanked him for the delicious fish. Thank you, John!
If you ever see John coming and going from The Living Center, chances are pretty good he is heading out to find a good fishing hole. He shared with us the following poem that he found in a magazine, and he said it describes him perfectly.
I am a fisherman, for life.
I will always be a fisherman.
It’s not something I do,
it is who I am.
Fishing is not an escape,
It is where I belong,
Where I am supposed to be.
It is not a place,
But a lifelong journey.
It is a passage my father showed me,
and that I will show others.
When you understand all of this, you will know me,
and we will fish together.
~ author unknown ~
Memorial Day ~ May 29th, 2023
Honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves is an ancient and worldwide tradition. In early rural America, it was usually performed in summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics.
The ritual of visiting family graves and memorials was never a morbid tradition. Rather, it was an annual act of remembrance and a chance to clean and decorate family memorials. Families often picnic as well; cemeteries were often the only open green spaces in crowded cities.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, starting with the American Civil War. It’s believed that the tradition of honoring the dead was inspired by how Southern states decorated the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags.
Several cities and towns across the country lay claim as the first to observe Decoration Day. On May 5th, 1866, Waterloo, New York, hosted its own community-wide event that, in 1966, led to President Lyndon Johnson declaring the town as the birthplace of Decoration Day.
Meanwhile, on May 5th, 1868, inspired by the suggestion of veteran Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans), issued General Order No. 11, designating May 30th as an annual day of remembrance. The idea caught on.
With the Civil War, America’s need to honor its military dead became prominent as monuments were raised and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.
After World War I, Decoration Day included all fallen soldiers, not just those from the Civil War, and the term “Memorial Day” started being used. By World War II, Memorial Day became the term in more common usage across different states adopting resolutions to make it an official holiday.
Finally, in 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress. When the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, a few federal holidays were moved to Monday to create three-day weekends; Memorial Day was set to occur on the last Monday in May.
Since it all started with the Civil War, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of this event by visiting the Library of Congress Civil War collection, which includes more than a thousand photographs from the time. ~almanac.com
Tips from the World’s Oldest Practicing Doctor
NBC’s Today Show interviewed Dr. Howard Tucker and asked him what he feels about people who want to retire early. Dr. Tucker said, “I don’t understand golfing three days a week.”
Howard Tucker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Tucker decided to pursue a career in medicine while attending Cleveland Heights High School. After graduating high school in 1940, Tucker attended Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies and Ohio State University College of Medicine for his Doctor of Medicine degree.
Tucker enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II and would later serve as Chief of Neurology for the Atlantic Fleet during the Korean War.
Guinness World Records has named him the world’s oldest practicing doctor. Tucker, who is 100, just recently stopped seeing patients. However, he still teaches medical residents at St. Vin-cent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, working two days a week.
He gives the following pieces of advice that we all can follow:
• “I’m going to caution (people): If they retire from their work, they should at least do something as a hobby, whether it be communal work or self-hobbies… you need a stimulus for the brain daily.”
• Tucker is also a lawyer, though he doesn’t practice. He went to law school at night in his 60s while seeing patients during the day because he was interested in the law. So his obvious advice is to never stop learning. Make a goal to learn at least one new thing every day.
• The doctor is very much an optimist. “I think I’ll live forever, knowing that it’s not really going to happen. But I feel that way. I never think of death,” he said. You die once, but you live daily… focus on living!”
Cinco de Mayo
May 5th is when Americans celebrate an important battle in Mexican history with so much food, music, and fun that the real story behind the holiday is often overlooked. While Cinco de Mayo is often considered a celebration of Mexican independence, it is not. Mexican independence, also called the Cry of Dolores, is celebrated on September 16th and occurred about 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.
All the festivities and fun those in North America have on May 5th is to celebrate a single battle. However, don’t let that singularity fool you; it was an important epic battle that lifted the nation’s spirits.
The Mexican government was almost bankrupt after the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Mexican Reform War (1858-1861). In 1861, Mexican President Benito Juarez issued a two-year moratorium on foreign debt payment. Mexico’s largest creditors, Spain, England, and France, sent ships to the port of Veracruz to demand payment. Mexico negotiated with England and Spain, and their ships went home.
However, French Emperor Napoleon III leveraged this opportunity to increase French power in the new world. Napoleon III sent a heavily armed fleet to Veracruz, forcing President Juarez and his government into retreat. The French force of more than 8,000 pushed on from Veracruz toward Mexico City, with their troops more than double that of Mexico’s. Napoleon expected an easy win and to overthrow Juarez easily.
To his dismay, this was not the case. Even with only 4,500 troops, the Mexican army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza Sequin, defeated the much bigger, better-armed, and better-trained French force. At Puebla, a mere 70 miles from Mexico City, the French waved the white flag. Four days later, a holiday was declared in a frenzy of patriotism.
Old Time Farm and Home Life
A big Living Center thank you goes out to Tom DeBolt from the Knox County Agricultural Museum for his presentation on “Old Time Home and Farm Life” It brought back so many memories to the residents and visitors.
Mary Spearman remembers getting so excited when the small thrasher came down the road and blew the horn. Jane Sweeney recalled that her parents had purchased an old school house and made it into a home. When they started fixing it up, they found old carvings that students had made in the woodwork. John Studebaker remembers the tiny bottles of milk that you peeled the cardboard off the top before giving to the baby. It is amazing the things we remember from our childhood.
Also, thank you to Living Center resident Paul Hothem for organizing this event. Paul, along with Tom, have been long-time members of the Knox County Agricultural Museum and have given this program
together for many years.
Small Towns in Knox County with Jim Gibson
We had another wonderful program on April 25th with Jim Gibson from the Knox County Historical Museum. Jim’s program focused on the different towns throughout Knox County, some of which no longer exist.
Two central parts of many of these towns were the train stations and the post offices. Jim shared with the group that at one time, around the early 1900s, 30 passenger trains came in and out of Mount Vernon daily. Many people commuted to Columbus by train, just as they do today by automobile.
Today, Knox County has ten post offices throughout the county. At one point, Knox County had as many as thirty-five post offices. Many were located in general stores. The postmaster position was often a political appointment. It was a coveted job to have because if you owned the general store with a post office, you would hopefully sell more merchandise to folks who came in to collect their mail.
Thank you, Jim, for visiting The Living Center, and we hope to plan a visit to the Knox County Historical Museum very soon.
Around the Center
Monday, May 1st at 4:00 pm ~ Weekly Series “Heaven” in Living Room
Tuesday, May 2nd at 2:00 pm ~ Knox County Garden Club
Wednesday, May 3rd at 9:00 am ~ Blood Pressure Checks with Knox Public Health
Thursday, May 4th at 1:15 pm ~ Bible Study with Brad Pokosh
Thursday, May 4th at 3:15 pm ~ Visit with our favorite dog, Letty
Friday, May 5th at Noon ~ Cinco de Mayo Lunch
Sunday, May 7th at 2:00 pm ~ Church Service with Pastor Ham
Monday, May 8th at 4:00 pm ~ Weekly Series “Heaven” in Living Room
Tuesday, May 9th at 1:30 pm ~ Chair Yoga with Heather Flack
Tuesday, May 9th at 2:30 pm ~ Bible Study with Brad Pokosh
Wednesday, May 10th at 2:00 pm ~ Jane Horton Performs Country and Gospel Music (Open to the Public)
Thursday, May 11th at 11:00 am ~ Visit with Students from Twin Oak Elementary, Games, and Chat
Thursday, May 11th at 2:00 pm ~ Quilt and Painting Exhibit by artist Carol Coe (Open to the Public)
Thursday, May 11th at 3:00 pm ~ Visit with our favorite dog, Letty
Friday, May 12th at 1:30 pm ~ Mother’s Day Celebration
Sunday, May 14th at 2:00 pm ~ Church Service with Pastor Ham
Monday, May 15th at 4:00 pm ~ Weekly Series “Heaven” in Living Room
Tuesday, May 16th at 2:30 pm ~ Bible Study with Brad Pokosh
Thursday, May 18th at 3:30 pm ~ Visit with our favorite dog, Letty
Sunday, May 23rd at 2:00 pm ~ Church Service with Pastor Ham
Monday, May 22nd at 4:00 pm ~ Weekly Series “Heaven” in Living Room
Tuesday, May 23rd at 2:30 pm ~ Bible Study with Brad Pokosh
Thursday, May 25th at 1:30 pm ~ Chair Yoga with Heather Flack
Thursday, May 25th at 3:30 pm ~ Visit with our favorite dog, Letty
Friday, May 26th at 2:00 pm ~ Resident Birthday Party
Sunday, May 28th at 2:00 pm ~ Church Service with Brad Ham
Monday, May 29th ~ Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 30th at 2:30 pm ~ Bible Study with Brad Pokosh
Fun Filled Day ~ Thursday, May 11th
On Thursday, May 11th, we have a jam-packed day of fun for everyone at The Living Center!
Students from Twin Oak School will visit at 11 am in the Activity Room. The students are coming up with games and activities to share with everyone. In return, maybe you can share some stories of what it was like during your school days with these youngsters.
Quilt and Painting Exhibit by local artist Carol Coe beginning at 2:00 pm. Carol is the sister of Living Center resident Mary Braddock. Mary invited Carol to display her items for everyone at The Living Center to enjoy. Everyone is looking forward to this.
And let’s not forget Letty! Every Thursday, we gather in the Living Room at 3:30 pm with Letty, a Bernese Mountain Dog, and her owner Cheryl Mathis. Cheryl always brings something clever to share with the group. Mark your calendar… it will be a fun day!
Carefree Retirement Living at its Finest!
Levering Management has developed a tradition of providing our community excellence in health care services since 1956. The Living Center is proud to expand this tradition with outstanding Senior Living Services.
From the moment you walk through our front door, you will see and feel the difference! Our friendly staff caters to first-class amenities and welcomes you to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.
Our Activities Program is developed to meet the interests of everyone.
The Living Center provides restaurant-style dining, utilities, including cable television, weekly housekeeping services, a complimentary laundry room, scheduled transportation, and a reserved parking space. Other amenities include 24-hour staffing and emergency pull cords. All of these services are included in an affordable monthly fee. Priority admission at a Levering Management Nursing Center should you ever need rehabilitation, short-term or long-term nursing care.
Experience first-hand how to live the good life by enjoying our delicious food, developing friendships, and participating in activities and outings, all provided in a safe and secure environment. Furnished apartments are also available. A furnished apartment may be rented on a short or long-term basis.
For a complimentary lunch and tour, contact The Living Center at
201 North Main Street,
Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050
740-397-3897
thelivingcenter.net
Joan Levering, Executive Director
Barb Brenneman, Manager
Teri DeBoard, Dining Services Mgr.
Amber Ebright, Program Director
