Good News - stcamillus.org
Transcription
Good News - stcamillus.org
Good News VOLUNTEER LUNCHEON By Bob Mikula NEW SAN CAMILLO RESIDENTS By Rena Martin, Director of Hospitality Dorothy Babler Apt. 105 Beverly Simet Apt. 511 Betty Mathy Apt. 725 James Amrhein Apt. 316 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: RAC Update 2 Library News 3 Community Coffee 3 In Memoriam 3 Reflections 5-7 Birthdays 11 Thrift Shop 11 An anxious crowd of San Camillo’s finest gathered outside the closed doors of the O'Donnell Room eager to enter and see what decorating miracles Matt Luther and his cohorts had performed for the 2015 Volunteer Luncheon. We entered in awe to a glamorous restaurant setting that rivaled anything Hollywood could produce. Candlelit tables beneath gold tasseled pendants were quickly filled by the 115 impatient but ardent residents. The room's walls were covered with black, LED lighted backdrops, giving the feel of a nightclub. Once seated we were greeted by tuxedo clad Matt and classily dressed Marie D'Amico. Each elegantly set table featured a bottle of champagne which, ignoring the noon hour, was poured and enjoyed by most in anticipation of the food to follow. The drapes covering the glass doors were pulled back revealing the food prep area. Those of us with tables by the glass doors were privy to the magic of Chef Guiseppi and his crew as they prepared the prosciutto on melon salad, followed by a steak and lobster entree. What a feast! June, 2015 While we were devouring our elegant repast we were entertained by five young, talented artists, members of the Community Theater Entertainers. Of course the meal was finalized with a delicious serving of chocolate drizzled spumoni. The luncheon was closed with the announcement of the 2014 Volunteer of the Year. As explained by the presenter, it was inevitable that the recipient would be a female, since almost three fourths of our residents are women. If one word could define the award winner it would be "ubiquitous" since she is "all over the place". A lector at San Camillo Masses as well as the Guardian Angel chapel. The chairperson of hospitality for four years. Responsible for the ten floor representatives. The list goes on and just recently she was elected as President of RAC. The ubiquitous Cora Janus graciously accepted the 2014 Volunteer of the Year award and thanked the assembled guests for the honor. Congratulations to Cora Janus on both counts. And thanks to the San Camillo management for the "full-filling" luncheon. Fr. Joe Bisoffi Nominated For Inspire by Example Award By Kay Fiedler, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator RAC Update Cora Janus, President The Executive Board met April 20th. It was an opportunity to get acquainted with each other and get some sense of the possible direction our leadership might go. Officers and Directors were asked to meet with the chairpersons of their committees, determine who the members of the committee are, when the committees meet, and give me the information. The Board was also asked to review the By-laws and Job Descriptions. Suggestions, deletions and corrections are to be noted for further discussion. Hopefully, a start of the discussions can begin in June. No Lay Camillian Family meeting was held in May. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday evening, June 10th. 2 St. Camillus Hospice Volunteer Father Joseph Bisoffi, M.I., was nominated by the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, Kay Ann Fiedler, for the Inspire by Example Award, which was sponsored by the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee. On April 9, there was a luncheon at the Italian Community Center honoring all nominees. Those celebrating Father Joe in appreciation for his continued outstanding volunteer efforts were: Kay Ann Fiedler, Chaplain Chris Winkowski, Chaplain Carol Burczyk, Hwon Lee, Mary Balistreri, Krista Simko, Valisa Bonds & Hospice Volunteers Martha Klinker & Donna Herrmann. Congratulations, Father Joe! COMMUNITY COFFEE HOUR Thursday, June 18 “All You Need to Know About Short-Term Rehab” Library News……………………………… By Barbara Sperry Join us and gain awareness from our knowledgeable rehab staff! Our panel of rehab experts will let you know what to expect, who pays for it, and how to prepare yourself. The following new books have appeared on the library shelves within the past month: Fiction The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (LP) The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (sp) See you at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 18 in the O’Donnell Room. Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast. Please bring a guest! I’ve Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark (sp) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (sp) A resident review of this book appears on page 4. Phantom Instinct by Meg Gardiner (sp) The Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen (LP) The Beast by Faye Kellerman (LP) Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (sp) IN MEMORIAM Festive in Death by J. D. Robb (sp) Deadline by John Sanford (LP) We keep the following San Camillo residents who died during the month of May in our thoughts and prayers: Sophie’s Dilemma by Lauraine Snelling (LP) Non-Fiction A Nun on the Bus by Sister Simone Campbell (sp) James Brennan Robert “Bob” Duero Donald Dunst Gloria Knops Beverly Krueger Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter (sp) Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (sp) 3 ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE By Anthony Doerr (A Book Review by Mary Ann Mueller) It was a happy coincidence that the San Camillo Book Club was reading All The Light We Cannot See at the same time the author was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for that same work. The book tells of Marie, a blind girl growing up in Paris before World War II, and Werner, a German boy who had spent his early life in an orphanage. Their stories run parallel, with alternate chapters devoted to one and then the other. The time shifts between the 1930s and '40s, and finally on to 1974. Despite her blindness, Marie develops into a confident, independent young person due primarily to her father's untiring devotion. He makes her a miniature wooden maze of the city in which they live, making it possible for her to memorize the streets and buildings so she can find her way around. Werner in Germany shows an early genius for science and math and is admitted to an elite academy that trains boys for positions in the Nazi army. They are teenagers when the war begins, Marie in Occupied France and Werner in the German army. The plot hinges on things like the technology of the radio, the existence of a valuable diamond called “The Sea of Flame,” and the struggle for survival experienced by them both. On their journey, both main characters are influenced by people who play a vital part in their lives. For Marie, it is her father. He is a locksmith in a Paris museum, and introduces her to the natural treasures there. Also, there is her great-uncle Etienne, in whose home in Sainte-Malo she lives during the war. They form a close relationship as he shares his love of literature with her. And Madame Manec, Etienne's housekeeper, who becomes a mother figure for Marie and who is also part of the French Resistance. 4 Werner is greatly influenced by his younger sister, Jutta, who causes him to have stirrings of conscience regarding right and wrong, especially in his involvement with the Nazi army. And there is his friend Frederick at the academy, a gentle person and lover of birds. Frank Volkmier is Werner's close companion in the army. In spite of his loyalty to the German cause, Frank has some doubts about its validity. With all the “back and forth” of the story between the two main characters and the times they live through, Marie and Werner finally connect with each other. If you want to discover more about that, you'll have to read the book, which is available in the San Camillo library. WHO’s THIs san camillo resident? Your Neighbor? Your friend? (Answer on Page 10) MEMORIES OF DAD MEMORIES OF MY FATHER by Rosemary Berg By Mary Havas My Dad was a loving, gentle man. Since his own father died when he was four years old, my Dad had no example to follow. He did not discipline my brother or me, but left that to my Mother (who was very capable.) My earliest “fun” memory of my Dad was his reading the Sunday Journal and Sentinel comics to us as we sat in his lap. After an hour or more we'd say “Read that one again,” and he always did. One of the most moving moments with my Dad took place on my grade school graduation day. He gave me a diamond ring and said “I want to be the first man to give you a diamond.” Since I had a boyfriend starting in kindergarten, Dad figured I'd marry some day. I had the diamond ring cleaned and appraised forty years later, intending to give it to my youngest daughter. What cost $15 in the depression years appreciated to $100. Julie had to wait until high school graduation to receive the ring. My Dad's enjoyment of the comics continued as he acquired stacks of comic books. My seven children always went to his basement to read them when we visited Nana and Grandpa. My father and I both had an avid love for the Lone Ranger program on radio and then later on TV. I remember being 10 or 12 years old, and the two of us would be dancing all around the living room to the theme song. I remember playing softball with the neighbor children and a couple of the other fathers. He was always right in the middle of the game. It was so much fun having him play softball with the team. When we lived in New Jersey, he used to take me to Radio City Music Hall to see movies and the Rockettes. Years later, my daughters took me to a Rockettes show in Milwaukee which reminded me of my Radio City visits with my dad so many years before. For many years my dad was a leading salesman for the National Cash Register Company. He was also very good at training new salesmen. In 1950 he won a trip to Europe for being the top salesman in the country. I was so proud of him, and I was so grateful that he paid the extra fare so that I could go along with him and my mother. We toured Europe for about a month. It was a fantastic trip and sharing it with my parents made it even more wonderful. The best memory I have of my father was when I was about 17 or 18 and walking by my parents’ bedroom, I saw him kneeling in prayer at his bedside. I had never thought of him saying evening prayers before. I usually went to bed before he did so I never had a chance to see that. Every time we drove past a Catholic church, he tipped his hat. His deep faith connection was ingrained in me, too. 5 Sunday, June 21, 2015 HERITAGE FROM A FATHER By Joe Louvar My father, James, was born in 1895. Already we can say that he survived a very tough environment, because many young children in that era died due to illnesses caused by marginal cleanliness and poor medical practices. They didn't have the doctors and medicines that we inherited. They had to be especially strong and healthy to survive. Like many children in that period, he quit school after third grade to go to work and earn money to help his family. Without a formal education, he taught himself to read and write. He enjoyed learning the job skills necessary to succeed. He started out as a delivery boy, running errands for the local hoodlums (including bringing the card players their lunchtime beer.) He lived on Sangamon Street on the South side of Chicago; this was an especially tough neighborhood. He became a teamster, and as a teenager delivered groceries and poultry with a horse-drawn wagon. He named all of his horses Jim, so when he met them every morning he called “Jim.” When their ears lifted in recognition, he gave them an apple. The horses loved my father. When he was eighteen he joined the army. He stayed there for seven years, having assignments in San Francisco, Georgia, Mexico and Germany. In San Francisco he saw some of the town still scarred by the ravages of the 1906 earthquake. He was a Sergeant then, but was busted because of an altercation with a Mess Hall Sergeant who didn't give him enough to eat. He was jailed when someone else he fought was taken to the hospital. If the man didn't survive, my father thought he'd be charged with manslaughter. Luckily he survived, and my father slowly reearned his rank of Sergeant. He was in the Presidio Camp, which is at the current footing of the Golden Gate Bridge. In Mexico he was in a group of soldiers who were going after Pancho Villa, a bandit. At a camp close to Villa's location, my father volunteered to go with a truck and four soldiers to pick up two others who had been shot by Villa's bandits. They picked up the mortally wounded men and on their way back to camp they drove through a group of bandits on horseback, all carrying rifles. My father and the others in the truck put their arms into their rifle slings in a ready position to fight their way to the camp. They were close enough to camp so the bandits knew if they fired their rifles, the camp soldiers would retaliate rapidly. The bandits let the truck pass without an encounter. Again my father was lucky. In Germany my father was on a march from Alsace-Lorraine to Verdun. Verdun was a notorious battlefield where many soldiers died, both Germans and allies. While on this walk, they learned that the Germans had surrendered. Again my father missed a deathdefying experience. He ended up in a camp near Koblenz. Many years later, in one of my German trips, I visited Koblenz and told an old -timer that my father's army camp was near the railroad. He bent his head in sorrow and said that was a terrible war that took the lives of most of the young boys of Koblenz. I was embarrassed. 6 (continued on Page 7) (continued) After the war my father joined the Chicago Fire Department. This was when the firemen attacked their fires; they rushed into burning buildings to extinguish the fires before they were out of control. I remember him coming home after a burning ceiling fell on him. His back and neck were scarred, but he survived. He retired as a Lieutenant. Not bad for someone with a third grade formal education. In summary, this was a man with some very interesting inherited characteristics including strength, good health, determination, patience, stubbornness, aggressiveness, self-education, leadership, and luck. Maybe our family heritage was blessed to have him survive some near-death experiences and pass on these characteristics to his descendants. CAMILLIAN ROOM COMMITTEE By Joe Louvar and Mary Ann Mueller The Camillian Room Committee is looking for volunteer committee members. We are especially looking for members of different faiths because the committee is now top-heavy with Catholics. This committee works on interdenominational events; currently we are working on events concerning the Amish, Christian Unity, and a future Memorial Day event. If you are interested, call Mary Middendorf (259-7694.) It is a great committee, and meets once per month for one hour. SUNDAY AT THE DENTIST By Bill Gardner My father was a dentist practicing in Cleveland, Ohio, in the early 1940's. At that time so many of the younger dentists were being drafted that it created a real shortage on the home front. In those days I rarely saw my father. He was working six days a week, and was not home until 6 or 7 in the evening. In addition, he was on the dental faculty at what is now Case Western Reserve University. Dad's schedule was such that it left only Sunday morning after Mass to take care of his family's dental needs. One particular Sunday stands out in my memory. On the way to his office, Dad told me I was going to take part in a dental experiment of his. He went on to explain that deep pits and fissures in the molars were his big concern because food, bacterial plaque, and acids got into them but the toothbrush bristles may not, resulting in tooth decay. He was working to develop a sealant to cover these pits and fissures. I was a prime candidate to test his first sealant. It was a grayish black preparation that he applied to the biting surfaces of my molars. All went well. About a week later the school nurse was performing a routine health check of all students. When she came to me and looked into my mouth, she became visibly alarmed! She immediately sent me home with a terse note recommending an urgent trip to the dentist to remedy the extensive black decay on all my back teeth. I don't know whether my Dad ever contacted that nurse to set her straight, but the note itself brought a big smile to his face. 7 CATHOLIC CULTURE SERIES By Marie Roth & Rosa Ruehl At the October 2013 meeting of the Lay Camillian Family, Father Joseph Eagan, SJ, author of the book, Vatican II Renewal, shared his teachings on the subject with an interested audience. At the request of the residents, a discussion group was started. Since 2013 the group of about twenty-five residents has met every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Atrium Meeting Room. Joe Louvar and Rosa Ruehl have assisted Fr. Eagan. His comments on the Pope, the Vatican, and the bishops' voting at the Council in Rome were enjoyed by all. At present, in 2015, Fr. Eagan has been presenting a Catholic culture series, based on his large slide collection. Most appropriate and pertinent during Lent was the detailed discussion of some of the beautiful and famous 12th century mosaics that adorn the cathedral at Monreale, Sicily, near Palermo. The mosaics are art works in which the picture is made up of thousands of ceramic and glass chips. Fr. Eagan focused on an extensive series depicting the public life of Jesus, some of His miracles, His passion and resurrection. He matched the various mosaics with the appropriate readings from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. All are welcome to attend as the series continues. The date, time, and agenda are posted on the various bulletin boards. KENTUCKY DERBY By Bob Mikula The recent running of the Kentucky Derby brought to mind the one and only time I attended that event. It was 1946, and I was in the Navy attending Officer Training at the University of Louisville. Our class of recruits was invited to Churchill Downs, as a group, to march in and be assembled in the infield to add color and pomp to the race. I don't remember a lot of that experience, except that the winning horse was named Assault. I never had a chance to get to the betting areas in the grandstand, and I doubt if I had the money to place a bet. But I regret that I wasn't able to play a hunch and pick Assault to win. After all, I was “a salt,” a term used for sailors. 8 WHAT'S A HAWK LIGHT? By Rosa Ruehl Using the crosswalk on Bluemound Road has been a challenge to many of us getting over to the Zoo or the bus shelter. During the past two years I contacted both the Zoo and the Wauwatosa Police Department about safe crossing. No one would help. Therefore, I went to Plan B. I approached my nephew, Bill, an engineer with the Highway Department, who is working on the Zoo Interchange Project where he is a team leader of a group of thirty working men. At many family events, I badgered him about “my crosswalk” problem. He agreed with me and consulted his boss about safe crossing solutions. The installation of the hawk light was set for spring, 2015. The light began operating on May 8, 2015. Now the crossing is fun. Pushing a button produces flashing red lights along with audible instructions, constantly heard. Traffic stops! Bill is relieved, for now he will look forward to Auntie Rosa’s conversations at the next relatives' event. THE TRAIN OF LIFE Submitted by Edith Hoffmann I'M FINE At birth we board the train and meet our parents, and we believe they will always travel at our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. As time goes by, other people will board the train, and they will be significant (i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life.) Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum. Others will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers, requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life. I wish you a joyful journey on the train of life. Reap success and give lots of love. More importantly, thank God for the journey. Submitted by Joyce Mazzone There's nothing whatever the matter with me. I'm just as healthy as I can be. I have arthritis in both my knees, and when I talk, I talk with a wheeze. My pulse is weak and my blood is thin, but I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in. I think my liver is out of whack, and I have a terrible pain in my back. My hearing is poor and my sight is dim, most everything seems to be out of trim, but I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in. I have arch supports for both of my feet, or I wouldn't be able to go onto the street. Sleeplessness I have night after night, and in the morning I am such a sight. My memory's failing, my head's in a spin, I'm peacefully living on aspirin, but I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in. The moral is this, as the tale we unfold, that for you and me who are growing old, it's better to say, “I'm fine,” with a grin than to let them know the shape we're in. Author Unknown Author Unknown 9 Who is It? (from Page 4) Pickles By Bob Mikula By Cora Janus She was born in Austria. Both of her parents were Austrians. Her father came to America with an uncle as a young boy. When returning to visit family, he met and married her mother but returned to America for his job, mechanic for the Transport System. After 2 ½ years, the family came to America. One of her first memories of America was seeing a big poster of “Uncle Sam” that frightened her. She grew up behind the Zenith Theater th on 24 and Hopkins when movies were still silent flicks and the doors were often left open at the rear. The neighborhood kids enjoyed peeking in. She is a graduate of Messmer High School and went to Misericordia Hospital (later evolved into Elmbrook Hospital) for nurse’s training. The class took the State Boards early so our resident chuckles that she was a RN before she was a graduate nurse. The class celebrated their graduation banquet downtown at the Schroeder Hotel and later went to a night spot frequented by military men. Her husband to be, a very tall fellow, asked her to dance and although she was engaged to another military fellow, a 70 year love affair blossomed. They parented 4 living children. Over the years they traveled in Europe, Russia, Greece, the US and Canada. Sadly, her husband was hit by a car that left him with limited mobility. They moved here 10 years ago. She continued to encourage and care for him until his death. She spreads her beautiful smile wherever she goes. Pleased to have you meet Bette Engelmeier. I wasn't a fan of newspaper comic strips until my wife introduced me to Pickles in the daily and Sunday Journal/Sentinel. Now I can't wait to view an episode of this hilarious, too-close-to-home series which deals with the day-to-day activities of Earl and Opal Pickles, a sixtyish married couple. Earl is retired, bald, stocky, wears glasses, and except for the age, is my clone. Opal is gray-haired, pleasingly plump, bespectacled and long suffering, just like my wife Loretta. At times I feel as if the cartoonist, Brian Crane, has cameras in our apartment and uses our activities to produce the strip. Recently, Earl and Opal were in Hawaii on an anniversary vacation. We did that. They canoed a river. We did that--in Belize about eight years ago and were told we were the oldest couple to ever do it. Some of the dialogue and situations are so real to us that it is downright eerie. I wonder if I can claim ownership and get in on Mr. Crane’s success. BALLET TO GO By Ann Fritsch Six students from the Milwaukee Ballet School brought a unique program to San Camillo demonstrating their exercises, flexibility and jumps. The movements were explained, the five foot positions, a plie and releve, so the audience could better understand and enjoy the short ballet presented. The students answered questions and promised to return with a full cast for a program. Being a late bloomer, I started ballet lessons at age thirty-five. The student I spoke with agreed that it was a bit late. I told him my goal was to do a tourjete. My goal was never met. The young man executed the move with ease. Be sure to attend the next visit from the Milwaukee Ballet Company for a musical theater treat. (French spelling courtesy of resident Jeanne Maviel.) 10 JULY BIRTHDAYS San Camillo Mary Dahlman Mary Agnes Blonien Elizabeth Engelmeier Bernard Adee Judith Schmidt Elizabeth Stern Elaine Niesen Elaine Bauer Mary Goldammer James Kinkema William Webb Lois Scheid Marilyn Krueger Dorothy Tubesing John Jaroch Donald Daniel Carolyn Majewski Lee Thompson Mary Ann Mueller Lori Bannach Earl Barrette Flora Kennedy Richard Duffey Lani Reginato Maria Stadelmann Gary Gaarenstroom Sr. Rosalie Klein Mary Paul Anna Lemke Carol Plowe Katharina Ruckstadter Assisted Living 01 02 02 05 06 06 07 08 10 11 11 12 13 14 16 17 20 20 21 22 22 22 24 25 25 26 26 26 27 28 29 Mary Spingola Nancy Flanner Helen Heinen Pearl Todryk Loretta Musinsky Richard Larkin Mary Bowen Donald Weger Richard Prince Eleanor Weiss Edward Mandarich Catherine Pinzl Marcella Regenwether Suzanne Mettelman Gertrude Emmerich Sally Clarin 02 03 08 08 10 11 13 13 15 15 20 25 27 28 29 31 Religious Assisted Living Bro. William Foster, SJ Fr. Paul Steinmetz, SJ Fr. Thomas Bannantine, SJ Fr. Michael Kurimay, SJ Fr. Thomas McShane, SJ Fr. Thomas Schloemer, SJ 02 10 14 15 22 30 Order of St. Camillus Fr. Pedro Tramontin, M.I. Fr. Peter Opara, M.I. 03 28 The Thrift Shop —“A Little Gem of a Store” By Kathy Pommer Why pay retail? For those of you who are new to San Camillo, come visit us at the Thrift Shop. We are located near the Court West building. We have so many different items including clothing, household goods and furniture. Our prices can't be beat. We get donations daily. So stop by some time and check us out. We also accept gently used furniture, household items and newer, clean clothing. If you need assistance with something heavy, a work order can be placed, and one of our maintenance staff can help you. Phone: 259-8359. Shop Hours: Mon/Tues/Thurs Wed. Fri. 10 a.m. to Noon 1 p.m. to Noon 10 a.m. to Noon & 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. First Sat. of each Month 10 a.m. to Noon 11 INSERT CAMPUS LOGO FOR MAILING Festa Fun for Free Join us this year for a fun, family day all for free at Festa Italiana. All employees and residents are invited to join St. Camillus as we celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life on July 19. When you join the St. Camillus family on that Sunday you will receive FREE t-shirt, lunch and admission for the full day at Festa Italiana. Join us for the Festa Italiana Mass at the Marcus Amphitheater and march with us in the procession that follows. You can be part of the parade as our "vada" of St. Camillus is toured around the grounds. Then, please join us for lunch, sponsored by the Order of St. Camillus. Join the St. Camillus family in a fun day at Festa. Call or email Kathy Pommer to reserve your spot today. kpommer@stcam.com, x3770. 12