Joanne Bunge passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 5th in Costa Mesa, CA. She is survived by her two sons, Brad Fisher and Steven Fisher, their wives, and four grandchildren. A native of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, Joanne graduated Grinnell College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts major in music and a minor in speech.…
In a “pop-up” duet performance, John and Pasha Buck played on the Buckley patio of The Mayflower Community (Grinnell IA) last Sunday (April 5th) to celebrate Palm Sunday. John played trumpet and baritone in junior high and high school and stand-up bass viola for the Marshalltown area Lucky Seven Dance Band in the 1950s. Since…
Ask any Mayflower Community resident who lives in the Health Center or Beebe Assisted Living what they enjoy doing most. You will find that second to eating Mayflower’s delicious meals, they will likely say, “Bingo!” So, how do you play a rousing game of Bingo in the midst of social distancing? Easy. You set up…
The newest iteration of the old-fashioned ice cream truck during these Stay At Home times, is two Mayflower Community Food Service staff members working their way around the hallways of the independent living apartment buildings, distributing ice cream bars. The mission was made easier by the use of Mayflower’s extensive tunnels and elevators. Pictured are…
Residents in The Mayflower Community (Grinnell IA) Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living homes are finding ways to “socialize at a distance.” This includes playing Bingo (each resident at their own table), being serenaded on the piano by Wilma Graden, and enjoying flowers gifted by an anonymous donor. The individually-wrapped carnations came in a big…
As we practice social distancing in The Mayflower Community (Grinnell IA), residents and staff have found new ways to share their gifts. Jean Libbey, Mayflower Harwich Terrace resident, performs a cello recital in her driveway for other residents. Beautiful day and beautiful music. Meanwhile, Mayflower Health Center staff members share greetings and recommendations for coping…
Even though The Mayflower Community currently has adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) on hand, we are anticipating potential shortages as the COVID-19 pandemic grows in Poweshiek County. Fortunately, for a number of years, we have maintained a store of supplies and foodstuffs for the event of an emergency. Now, we are facing that…
Even though we are observing physical distancing, The Mayflower Community Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living residents can still party! As you can see from these photos, we celebrated special occasions. That Grinnell stalwart, Art Heimann, observed his 98th birthday last Wednesday. Before the onset of the pandemic, 23 members of his family had planned…
You may have seen postings or stories about teddy bears in Grinnell home windows. Here is some information from Mayflower Harwich Terrace patio home resident, D’Ann Kelty about this growing phenomena. Recently, “…I heard a new term on the radio. Rather than concentrate on “social distancing,” the person said we might try “distant socializing.” Later…
Staying at home…It’s difficult. But, we all know how important it is. For residents of The Mayflower Community’s Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living homes, it is even more of a challenge as we have restricted visitors and are doing meals in separate apartments and suites, except for special circumstances. To help lighten this burden,…