Marilyn (Holmes) Hennager was born in New Westminster, the oldest city in western Canada located just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. She was the third of four children who shared a humble upbringing that brought the family to Manitoba and eventually Saskatchewan, where they grew up. Marilyn was always proud of her Canadian heritage. She …
Gladys Carlson always took great care and pride in her hands. She loved well-manicured hands—nails polished with the perfect shade of pink. Her hands were her constant confidants and the means to accomplish her favorite pastimes that included cooking, baking, playing bingo and dancing. And most importantly, they were her source of comfort and connection. …
by Jordan Weeda Here we are. No more poking and prodding. No therapeutic goals to achieve. No pandemic protocols. No hurried doctors and nurses. This is a world of quiet voices, laughing great grandchildren in the other room, smells of food wafting from the kitchen, hand holding, hair brushing, foot rubbing, resting—just being. Grateful to …
On an early fall morning, Hospice of the Red River Valley Patient Mary Sluke was up with the birds, quite literally. She awoke with excitement in the air and prepared for the ride of a lifetime in a hot air balloon. Mary and her family set off from their West Fargo home through the backroads …
The view from Donovan (Don) Johnson’s window at Pelican Valley Health Center overlooks a fishing pier and pond in the heart of downtown Pelican Rapids, Minn. Lily pads bob and pencil reeds ring the outer fringes of the pond, a scenic oasis of nature created by an iconic dam in the middle of the town …
Landon Solberg’s eyes were as blue as the sky, his hair golden like a sunray, and a heart that radiated even more warmth. His smile was contagious, and his spirit lit up any room he occupied. But more than anything, Landon was incredibly kind and thoughtful; traits he is beloved for and well-remembered. “Landon was …
Joy is not canceled. Kindness is not canceled. And most of all, life is not canceled. COVID-19 may have forced extra precautions, changed our routines and altered our plans, but the virus cannot prevent the human spirit from enduring—even thriving. No one can speak better to the trials and tribulations of life than those who …
“I, Lorena Charlotte, am the only living member of my family, the eldest daughter born August 27, 1912, in Chicago, Illinois, weighing three and three quarter pounds.” So opens the memoir of nation’s oldest-living member of the SPARs, the women’s branch of the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. The opening line of Lorena …
A family stitched together with love seldom unravels. – Letty Cottin Pogrebin A living room is transformed into a bustling sewing room. There sit neatly folded fabrics of all sizes and colors, partially completed quilts and other hopeful patterns and plans. The room now whirrs with the comforting hum of sewing machines and the snip …
Gerald (Gary) and Donna Ebeling built a lifetime of memories in 53 years of marriage. Opposites attract, they say. For Gary and Donna this adage rings true. He enjoyed traveling and she is more of a homebody. Gary had a more serious disposition, while Donna is light-hearted. But they shared a fondness and respect for …
