Page 5 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - July 2016 - 23-07

CITY
Nashville Delton
Union City
Battle Creek Albion Marshall Battle Creek Homer
Michigan Center Jackson Jackson
LOCATION
Main St. Banqets
Faith United Methodist
FACILITATOR
Jenny Burlison Elayne Nottingham
PHONE DAYS
(269) 852-9182 M-F (269) 623-5400 M,W,T
TIME
10:30am-1pm 10:30am-1pm
Senior Times - July 2016
Page 5
build roads, buildings, runways and other up-to-date facilities to serve as temporary military bases. Until Ralph’s home base became updated the sleeping and eating conditions were similar to roughing it
in woods. “When away from home base,
I slept at night in the plane while it was
on the ground or under its wings. We ate ready-to-eat meals known as K-rations most of the time. After an area was settled we had mess halls and cooked meals. Although it was nice to have cooked meals again, I didn’t mind the K-rations.”
Weather conditions on Ralph’s home
base were what you might expect in a jungle. “My home base was seven degrees from the equator. It was hot and humid all the time with no relief. Tropical skin rashes were common. We cut off our khaki pants and wore shorts and went shirtless as much as we could.”
Ralph spent two and a half years total
in the Marines with fifteen months in the Pacific when the war finally ended. He was more than ready to get back home when the announcement was made. Celebrations were common when the news arrived. “When returning home we flew into a base near San Francisco and then rode a train back to New York. I arrived home Christmas morning a few months after the war ended.” It was a wonderful Christmas for Ralph and his family after spending the previous two holidays away from home.
After returning from the Pacific, Ralph wasted no time getting on with his life, taking full advantage of the GI Bill. “I was 20 when
I came back to the states. I went to college
in New York to major in health, physical education and recreation. I was able to get
my bachelors and masters degrees on the GI Bill. I met my future wife, Dorothy, through a friend in college. We married in 1949. I began teaching health and physical education in New York state. Dorothy and I had four children in the first five years and twelve years later our youngest daughter was born.”
In the middle of his stint working in the
New York Public School System, Ralph and his family spent five years in Missouri where he taught at Evangel College, now known
as Evangel University, a liberal arts college, coaching several sports and teaching in their health and physical education department. Ralph molded his future generation as a father and as a school teacher for much of his post-military career while Dorothy took on much of the household duties as a wife and stay-at-home mom.
Ralph and Dorothy’s journey from New York to Michigan began in 1975 when their second child, Dan came to Battle Creek for
a summer job. What was to be a summer in Michigan turned out to be much more than that with Dan meeting his future wife and the two of them settling down in the Cereal City to raise their own family. After Ralph and Dorothy finished raising the rest of their children and sending them out to blaze their own trails, they grew tired of the empty nest syndrome so they packed up and move to Battle Creek to be near Dan and his family in 1981. Dan worked as a physical therapy technician during that time at Leila Hospital, now known as Bronson Battle Creek, for much of the next fifteen years with two years spent providing care for adults who had experienced brain trauma.
In 1995, Ralph and Dorothy’s oldest grandson started college at Evangel University (the same college where Ralph had taught in Missouri), and Ralph also entered full retirement. Dan’s children were now older, so Ralph and Dorothy packed their bags again and made their home in Springfield, MO, where they had many friends. For the next 13 years, this allowed them to provide some support for their four collegiate grandchildren who were away from home. Eventually, their grandchildren graduated and moved on leading Ralph and Dorothy back to Battle Creek.
At the age of 87, although still in good health, Ralph moved into assisted living
at Lakeview Senior Living while Dorothy, who had a higher need for assistance, took up
residence at the Heritage, just down the road. Despite the half mile that separates the couple, and Ralph not having a driver’s license, the two of them still manage to see each other most days. At the ripe age of 90, on days where weather permits, Ralph makes the half mile walk down Helmer Road to spend time with his wife only to walk the same route back later in the day.
Ralph’s son, Dan, joined us as I interviewed his father for this article. Dan’s words, prideful smile and demeanor only helped
to tell the story of Ralph’s legacy as a
teacher, coach and father. Ralph has had, and continues to have, an impact on our nation in ways that go beyond being a veteran.
Although Ralph only spent two and a half years as a Marine, a relatively short time when considering he is ninety years old, the time that he and so many other veterans have committed to serving our nation, defending its freedoms and beliefs, is something that all of us should remember and be grateful for year-around.
When you think about it, Ralph has dedicated not just two and a half years serving our country as a Marine but all of his adult life as well as a teacher and father. Thanks Ralph, to you and all Veterans for your years of service on our own soil and abroad.
SENIOR DINING CENTERS
BARRY COUNTY
Hastings
COA Building
Mary Cook
(269) 948-4856
M-F
10am-2pm
Woodland
Eagles Club
Joyce Dennie
(269) 367-4041
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Meals provided by Barry County Commission on Aging. A program sponsored by Barry County United Way.
Union City Fire Station Rusty Hampton (517) 741-7212 M,T,TH,F 10:30am-12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
BRANCH COUNTY
Coldwater
Branch County CAA Office
Tamara Wittbrodt
(517) 278-8249
M-F
9am-1pm
Lunch Served at 12pm
Meals provided by Community Action Food and Nutritional Services. Funding sources AAA 3C, Branch County United Way, USDA and private donations.
CALHOUN COUNTY
Albion
Albion Senior Dining Center
Cynthia Rose
(866) 200-8877
M,T,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Bedford Manor Dining Center Clarence Dining Center Marshall House Dining Center Westbrook Place Dining Center Homer Presbyterian Church
Burdell Wells
Sharon Rice
Bablynn Squires Michelle Dove
Senior Health Partners
(866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877
M,W,F 10:30am-1pm M,T,W 10:30am-1pm M,W,F 10:30am-1pm M,W,F 10:30am-1pm T 10:30am
Lunch served at 11:30am Lunch served at 11:45am Lunch served at 12pm Lunch served at 11:30am Whole Person Wellness too
Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Battle Creek
Cherryhill Manor Senior Center
Constance Siegel
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Lakeview 900 Dining Center
Karl Hoard
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Springview Towers Dining Center
Caroline Oberlin
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Northside Senior Dining Center
Deboraha Sallee
(866) 200-8877
T,W,Th
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Tekonsha
Tekonsha Community Hall
Senior Health Partners
(866) 200-8877
T
10am
Whole Person Wellness too
Meals provided by Senior Services. Funding by Calhoun County Senior Services, AAA 3B, USDA and private donations.
JACKSON COUNTY
Jackson
Crouch Senior Center
Michelle Rose
(517) 788-4364
M,T,W,Th,F
8am-4pm
Lunch served at 12pm
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church
Park Forest
Word of Light
Nikki Soli
Lynn Walker
Nancy Behling
(517) 764-2950
(517) 787-9750
(517) 782-7755
M,W,F 10am-2pm
M,T,W,Th,F 10am-1pm
M,T,W,Th,F 10am-1:30pm
Norvell
Norvell/Township Hall
Gail Jamieson
(517) 536-4370
M,W,F
10am-1pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Spring Arbor
Spring Arbor Senior Center
Bev Greene
(517) 750-1010
M,T,W,Th,F
8:30am-2:30pm
Lunch served at 12pm
To have your senior dining center added, Call Sherii at (269) 979-1412 ext. 302 or Email: ssherban@wwthayne.com