Month: June 2020

John Noer displaying finished puzzle #8

Staying at Home…More Time for Puzzling?

The 40,000 piece puzzle begun by The Mayflower Community resident, John Noer, in February 2019 is now 8/10th complete. The 10-frame Disney characters puzzle produced by has been in process in the Mayflower Basement Craft Room in sections. John just finished “Fantasia.” John has completed eight of the frames and stored them in preparation for

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Beryl, Bill, Bob Grey, Luther Erickson, Charlie Duke, Jack Mutti, Bill Pollak, Gene Wubbels, and Gene Rohr meet for coffee via Zoom.

The Mayflower Coffee Group Keeps Talking

With social distancing in place, the Tuesday/Thursday morning coffee group at Mayflower continues to meet. They no longer can gather in person and honor their motto: “Where two or more are gathered, Scott provides coffee!” (“Scott” is Scott Gruhn, Mayflower’s Director of Food Services.) Nevertheless, the group can meet via Zoom®, a video conferencing application

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Neil Hewitt performs at Mayflower

Three Times in One Year: Neil Hewitt at Mayflower

The Mayflower Community is lucky. We seem to be on Neil Hewitt’s concert tour. Besides a gig last December and one last January, both in the Carman Center, Neil honored Mayflower residents by playing today (June 16th). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Neil accommodated folks by setting up on the sidewalk in front of the Health

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John and Pasha Buck playing duet for Mayflower Residents

The Bucks Blow Hard

John and Pasha Buck have lived in The Mayflower Community since July of 2018. Pasha is currently serving as Mayflower’s interim chaplain, a challenge in these times of social distancing. Both John and Pasha have rich instrumental music backgrounds. John played trumpet and baritone in junior high and high school. In the 1950’s, he played

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Sadi Flanagan's letter to Mayflower Community

Sadi’s Thank-You

An unsolicited letter from a Grinnell High School junior has brightened the day for many healthcare workers in The Mayflower Community. Sadi Flanagan was moved to write about what she has been observing about life in Mayflower’s Health Center by witnessing her mother Kristi, an LPN (licensed practical nurse) and Mayflower employee. In Sadi’s letter,

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covid-19 graphic

Continue To Be Careful

The Mayflower Community, Grinnell IA, is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic “reopening” process in Iowa. (“Reopening” in quotes because some of us never closed. Actually, it is really a relaxation of restrictions.) As a populace, we know a lot more about COVID-19 then we did last January. However, assumptions and discoveries are still being made.

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Betty Schamber photo

Mayflower Honors Retirees

86 years of faithful service! Veiled by the isolation that has resulted from the pandemic, four long-serving Mayflower Community employees retired in May. They are (years of service in parenthesis): Janet Neff, executive secretary (35) Betty Lou Schamber, Beebe Assisted Living certified medication aide (33) Chery Nelson, Health Center and Beebe Activities Director (11) Anne

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Diana Long holding the US flag craft she created.

Getting Ready for the 4th at Mayflower

The fun just doesn’t stop in The Mayflower Community Health Center. In the pictures included with this post, residents made 4th of July décor for their suites. The flag project is a kit that includes a sticky foam sheet and foam stickers for the stars and USA letters and sparkling pom poms along with a

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Residents Suzanne Schwengels and Arnie Adelberg engaging in the first plantings in the new Watertower Square garden

Life Goes on In The Mayflower Community

285 people living in senior living and healthcare on the Mayflower campus just south of downtown Grinnell during the pandemic…There is a lot happening. Sure, all group activities and dining has been suspended. People are encouraged to limit physical interaction with others. Face masks are being worn when out and about. Nevertheless, there is a

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Paper flowers in a basket

FANS’ Flowers for Mayflower Residents

An anonymous group of residents in Grinnell’s The Mayflower Community continues to do craft and other caring work to support Mayflower’s healthcare residents in quarantine. They call themselves FANS (Friends and Neighbors of Mayflower), and they want no credit. The latest offering was homemade paper flowers to brighten the day of Health Center and Beebe

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