| 7/26/2010 3:59:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| This ad appeared in the March 9, 1950 issue of the Stewartville STAR. |
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Care Center marks 40 years of service
By Sharon Bernard
Stewartville Care Center activities director
The Stewartville Care Center turned 40 years old this past June 2010.
An open house was held for the new building on June 7, 1970 and 15 residents moved into the new facility on June 15 of that year.
The history and background goes back to 1950 when Red and Mary Lou Malone opened the first home for the elderly in Stewartville. It was called the Lakeview Rest Home and had 20 beds (see ad from March 9, 1950 issue of Stewartville STAR.)
On Oct. 1, 1960, that home was sold to Fred and Burnetta Swygman, who owned and operated it until the Care Center opened in 1970. Olive Peterson worked for them and was part of moving day on June 15. She is still a staff nurse at the Care Center.
In the late 1960s, a few local people decided Stewartville needed a larger facility and in 1968 formed the Stewartville Development Committee to take further action. On that committee were Pete Henning, Bob Berg, W.H. (Wendy) Lenton and Glenn Reichel.
On Nov. 5, 1968, a special election for a $730,000 bond issue was passed and groundbreaking was July 9, 1969.
Frances Jensen was the first administrator. The board of directors included Wendy Lenton, Bob Berg, Maxine Taylor, Pete Henning, Glenn Reichel, Robert Bergland and Larry Gray. Staff members as the new facility opened were Mary Keller, director of nursing; Otis Nelson, maintenance man; Viola Klomp, activities director; Burnetta Swygman, dietary manager; Loretta Vomhoff, housekeeping supervisor; and Ollie Lentz, laundry supervisor. Franny Stensrud became the first volunteer on opening day.
A special bond election to add more rooms was held in March 1974. A year later, residents moved into a new 33-bed addition. Denny Kiefer, a nurse on staff today, was on that construction crew.
In June 1979, Care Center Board of Directors got a HUD grant and built a 32- apartment complex attached to the south side of the Care Center. It was ready for occupancy in June 1980. That is our current Stewartvilla Apartments.
Members of the current Care Center Board of Directors include Todd Weston, Rick Jaacks, Connie Grisim, Dean Wellik, Chet Daniel, Margaret Nelson, Rob Kopp and Lori Miller-Beach. Other board members in the past have included Jef Olson, Joel Packer, Norm Stevenson, Sue Slightam, Greg House, Dick Uptagrafft, Catherine Towey, Linda Stevens, Wendy Timm, Jean Hillesland, Joan Murphy, Gene Brinkman, Lee Weinhold, Gary Stensrud, Ann Sand, Ron Allen, Vicki Groenenboom, Bill Rowley, Jerry Fix, Meg Sander, Evie Sykes, Don Amos, Carl Oelke, Charlie Brown, Lee Wiechmann, Dennis Davey, Pete Henning, Harold Schaefer, Harold Johnson, Wendy Lenton and Ed Jans.
The earliest list of volunteers I could find was from 1975 and the following still volunteer today: Julie Jaeger, Mary Kellner and Pat Mussman. Present tenants and residents who were volunteers then are Kate Towey, Ruby Jans, Ivadean Isensee, Pauline Frie, Ruth Andreasen, Micki Kuhle, Altie Schaefer, Ruth Pingree, Bea Raygor and Florence Paulson.
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