United Presbyterian Home News

Residents got out the lawn chairs for last week?s tractor parade through the United Presbyterian Home Campus as part of Washington?s Summer Classic Celebration. Tractors of various makes, models and vintages paraded the streets. Resident Marion Turnipseed had the distinguished honor of being the oldest tractor driver in the parade at age 94. Other UP resident drivers included Dick Anderson, Carl Chalupa, Mike Orris and Charlie Thompson. Spectators were able to wave greetings to many familiar tractor drivers as they passed by.

As part of Washington?s Summer Classic Family Day the United Presbyterian Home hosted a With Movement There?s Improvement walk Friday morning around the Mary Cottrell Walking Path. Residents, employees, and families from the community showed up to exercise together while promoting a healthy lifestyle within the community. Several people completed six laps to equal 1 mile and be eligible for prizes.

UP with Day Care began its summer program last week as the school year ended. Summer Program Director, Denise Zwer has many activities planned for the older children including trips to the swimming pool, field trips and time interacting with residents of the United Presbyterian Home gaining from their knowledge, experience and talents. Fourteen kids planted a variety of pumpkins and gourds in the community garden on Friday. They intend to care for the plants this summer, watering and weeding through the growing season, and harvest the crop in the fall.

Much laughter was head coming from the Campus Center Wednesday afternoon as Spiritual Life Director Andrew Zuehlke conducted a children?s sing-along with summer school kids in attendance. They sang Don?t Worry, Be Happy, Do-Re-Mi, On Top of Spaghetti; She?ll be Coming ?Round the Mountain, Home on the Range and What a Beautiful World. Andrew says that they sang a second rendition of What a Beautiful World after teaching the kids to sing like Louie Armstrong. No doubt he had to explain who Louie Armstrong was. One young man even shared his British accent with the group.

After 42 faithful years serving others as a snack cart volunteer, Thelma Wagner turned the wheels of the snack cart over to other volunteers. On July 31, 1975 Thelma began one of her many volunteer jobs offering snacks to residents in the Brownlee Health Center. Each week Thelma traveled the three hallways stopping at each room to offer refreshments and a friendly hello. Thelma has brought a smile to many residents in her 42 years of service. Throughout the years her children, grandchildren and even some great-grandchildren have accompanied her on this mission of love, teaching them the rewards of volunteerism. Classics Et Cetera for June 8 included the overture to ?The Fisherwoman? by Franz Joseph Haydn; 4th Movement of Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler; 1st Movement of Bassoon Concerto (Murray C73) by Antonio Rosetti; ?Classical Juke Box? by Leroy Anderson; ?Water Music Suite No. 3 by George Frideric Handel; ?Pappenheimer March.?

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Bohemian-born of Jewish descent, was best-known as one of his era?s greatest conductors. He also composed, but his works were rather neglected (or even banned) until after World War II. He held increasingly important opera house directorships until he finally was chosen in 1897 as director of the Vienna Court Opera, although he had to convert to Christianity to get it. Late in life he became director of both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, and his own music is firmly in today?s repertoire.