Retirement

John Knox Village in Lee's Summit, Missouri

The last few years of running the business, we were able to go to Florida around Christmas.  The business was handled so that the majority of sales were made in the fall of the year, and then it was up to the performers.  We would turn the business over to the secretary and take off for Florida until April or May.

Note:  Joyce was the secretary from 1967 - 69.  It wasn't a full-time job, but required someone there to answer the phone, deposit checks, balance the checkbook, mail out reminders and brochures to the schools.  Grandpa had a phone line rigged up part of that time so it came right to my house.  Other times, I had to go to the office, which was in the barn behind the house where our dad used to live.  I had plenty of free time, but I was in charge while they were gone.   I worked there until after I had Spencer, and then went to work for City National Bank. 

We bought a nice condominium on Boca Ciega Bay and relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.  We did this for fourteen years, and would have continued, had the bottom not fallen out of our dreams.

Note:  Grandpa loved being there because he was healthy and active.  Grandma did NOT like going there because she was in a wheelchair and her activities were limited.  On top of that, she missed her grandkids.  

In 1969, Della suffered a severe stroke in Kansas City.  From then on, she continued to make progress until another setback would catch her.  We continued to go to Florida, but Della couldn't get around without the help of a cane or walker and a leg brace.  In January of 1976, while in Florida, she suffered another stroke and a broken hip.  Jim flew down to join us a few days before Della and I took the plane home, and he drove our car home.

May 15, 1976, I received a call from Wren Johnson, Jim's best (drinking) friend!  He said Jim was sick and that an ambulance had been called.  Della was in bed and I left immediately to go to Jim's side.  Ella was in St. Louis visiting family at the time.  Soon after my arrival, the ambulance took him to the hospital and I went home, not wanting to leave Della at home alone.

The next morning I notified Joyce that her dad had taken ill and was in the hospital.  She gave me the number where Ella could be notified and asked if she should come home.  I told her not to worry and that I would keep in contact if things should get worse.  Susan and Gary were in Omaha for the weekend and couldn't be reached.  I didn't know when I called Joyce that in less than an hour, Jim would be dead.

Life continued, but we suffered a great loss at Jim's death.

Because of Della's deteriorating health, and my inability to care for her 100% of the time, we decided to make a move to John Knox Retirement Village where she could be provided the best of care.  We sold our home at 9314 E. 27th Street and all our accumulated belongings from the past 55 years.  Della never would adjust to losing her home.  it was an admission of giving up for her.  It was more of a relief for me because our home and an acre of land was getting to be more than i could handle, especially with Della's condition.

Della and I shared our apartment at John Knox for about a year before her condition worsened and it was necessary for her to stay at the med center there.  I was still able to bring her home almost every day, but she spent most of her day and all night there.  Even though she eventually was unable to leave her room, I could be with her every day.  I walked up to see her five or six times every day and enjoyed being able to be with her.  After 60 years, we had shared a lot of good times and bad, but our love had only grown.

Della began sleeping more and more, and although her mind was alert and she always knew who we were, she was unable to speak.  Visiting her became difficult because we couldn't communicate, but she knew I was there, and at least we could spend time together.  On August 15, she went to sleep and never regained consciousness in that week before her death on August 20.  She had fought a long, hard battle for fourteen years, but the fight finally became too much for her and she slipped into a better world.

Note:  I had gone to see Grandma on the 20th.  We knew her time was short because she couldn't swallow.  Grandpa had told them to just try to make her comfortable without taking any life saving measures.   I didn't understand any of the signs that death was imminent, but I had barely gotten home before Grandpa called and said she had passed away.  I've always been sorry I was in such a rush to get home and hadn't stayed to be there with her, and with him, when she passed.  He's absolutely right, though.  She had fought a hard fight and was ready for that world on the other side.