Kendal at Oberlin is home to more than 300 people in their 60s and well beyond. They come from near (Oberlin and Cleveland) and far (Hawaii, Canada and elsewhere). The residents share many common values, such as sustainability and lifelong learning, and many have ties to Oberlin College. But each resident has his or her own unique story.
During her 15 years living at Kendal Priscilla has seen the retirement community from three different vantage points.
For the first 9 years she and her husband Ira lived in their 2-bedroom cottage, most nights eating dinner with residents in the Kendal dining rooms and enjoying all that Kendal and their long-time home of Oberlin offered.
Ira spent the last 18 months of his life in the Stephens Care Center, and Priscilla got to see firsthand the TLC provided to Care Center residents. The couple would meet for meals and visit daily. “For me having him so nearby and being able to go be with him any time was wonderful,” she says.
For the past five years Priscilla has been experiencing Kendal as a single resident. Neighbors have become even more like family, and at 91 Priscilla limits her activities to those things that she loves.
“I’m very grateful that I am here. Everything is here – physical therapy, dentist, optometrist, podiatrist, the library. And I’m grateful for the people around me. They care about me.”
Priscilla was an only child and “being alone is not something I need to get used to.” But she certainly enjoys spending time talking with residents, which makes her a natural in her “job” interviewing new residents as part of the Newcomers Committee.
The monthly interviews are now conducted on Zoom with Priscilla in her cottage and the new residents in their homes, which seems to work well for everyone involved. But Priscilla always meets residents in person beforehand to go over questions and get to know them.
“I do have fun doing this,” she says, adding “I’ve only had one person refuse to be interviewed.”
And getting to know the younger residents makes Priscilla feel good about Kendal’s next generation. “They have the same values and are here for the same reason,” she says.
An avid reader, Priscilla also enjoys running a monthly book club – up next is David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Books are supplied by the Oberlin Public Library, a place Priscilla knows well, having raised three children in Oberlin and been involved with the Oberlin Heritage Center, Oberlin Chamber of Commerce and other community groups.
She helps the Meet, Greet and Eat Committee arrange quarterly dinner gatherings. Residents pick a number when they arrive and are assigned to a table with five other residents. “The noise level is unbelievable,” she says.
Priscilla no longer eats every dinner in the dining room, content some nights to pick up the meal and bring back to the cottage she now shares with her cat Purrl (photographed below). Her knitting days are mostly behind her. “I’d rather read than knit,” she says.
But she’s not lonely. Two of her three children are nearby and there are always neighbors and other Kendal residents and staff for Priscilla to engage with.
One bonus of the pandemic is Kendal’s electronic capabilities, which means residents like Priscilla can watch lectures and other activities held in Heiser in the comfort of their cottage.
Priscilla has always said that moving to Kendal was a gift she and Ira gave to their children. Now she sees it as a gift to herself.