Living Amid History - Meadowood Senior Living
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A newsletter published by the Meadowood Residents Association
Meadowood Senior Living, Worcester, PA 19490
April 2020 Volume 32 No. 4
Living Amid History
Living in Worcester, a township established in 1733 and named after a county in Eng-
land, we sometimes overlook the unique history and antiquity that surrounds us. An
awareness of the value of this heritage becomes more important as modern development
encroaches on open space and diminishes the rural quality of the area. Some residents
may not realize that we are fortunate to have many of the township’s historic treasures
within walking distance of our campus.
Wearing sturdy or mud-proof shoes, it is possible to follow a trail and cross a field to the
Worcester Elementary School. The original school was built in 1912 and consolidated
seven one-room schoolhouses in the township for the purpose of “manual training or oth-
er skills required for the future.” In the late ‘80s, the building was torn down due to the
increase in population and the resulting need for a more spacious and modern facility.
On the same site, the Worcester Elementary School was built in 1963 and continues to
be part of the Methacton School District.
From the parking area at the school, it is possible to walk a short distance to the Farmers’
Union Hall, built in 1898 by a group of Worcester farmers organized for their interests in
agriculture and education. From 1908 until 1911, the building housed the high school,
hosted community, educational and business activities. Beginning in 1932 and continu-
ing through the ‘70s, the Center Point egg auction was one of the most important events
and “industries,” with more than 10,000 cases of eggs being sold each week and the
Worcester farms becoming one of the largest suppliers of eggs for the East Coast.
Today, the Hall houses the Worcester Historical Society and Museum and contains
household items, farm implements, and hundreds of historic artifacts found locally as
well as a reproduction of a one-room schoolhouse. In addition, an amazing scale model
of Center Point Village and an HO-scale model of Worcester’s early 20th century electric
trolley, “the Wogglebug,” is located in the museum. A backdrop of scenery depicting the
landscape of the time period and painted by our own Bill Bourne transports the viewer
into the rural setting of farm land and open spaces.
(Continued on page 3)MEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 2
Movies Message from MRA President
Movies begin at 7:00 p.m on Channels 1977 &
1978 until further notice. Dear Fellow Residents,
LINDA RONSTADT: As I write this, it is Sunday, March 15. I truly
THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, 2019**** have no idea where we will be when this issue
Biographical Documentary, starring Linda of Meadowtalk is in your mailboxes! I can say,
Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, at this point, that I have been gratified by our
1 hr 35 mins (Fri., Apr. 3) “community” response to the coronavirus. Both
staff and residents have worked together in a
ROMAN HOLIDAY, 1953**** very cooperative spirit to make sure all of us are
Classic Romance/Drama, starring, Gregory as safe as possible.
Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert,
1 hr 58 mins, (Sat., Apr. 4) Regarding our safety, it really is quite important
that everyone follows the directives from man-
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, agement. If you haven’t already subscribed to
2019**** our Intranet, now would be a perfect time to do
Action & Adventure, starring Shia LaBeouf, so, following these instructions: send an email
Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, 1 hr 33 mins, to Bill Fox (foxcw@temple.edu), copy to Jay
(Fri., Apr. 10) Haines (Meadowood@JBHAINES.com). Bill
THE LADYKILLERS, 1955**** will send you an email with instructions on how
to access the Intranet. In addition, any concerns
Comedy, Dark Humor, Crime Film, starring
you might have may be expressed to Sue Ve-
Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Katie Johnson,
nart, Hugh Trumbull or me. We will see that
1 hr 37 mins, (Sat., Apr. 11)
they are forwarded to the person who can deal
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, with them. As always, we welcome your input!
2019****
Drama based on the book, starring Milo Ven- This month’s safety tip is so obvious: wash
timiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Baker, your hands frequently and avoid touching your
1 hr 49 mins, (Fri., Apr. 17) face! Keep your hands clasped, if you can, to
help with not touching your face. I’m making
THE COWBOYS, 1972**** progress in this area, but it is not easy!
Classic Action Western, starring John Wayne,
Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, 2 hrs 8 mins, Prior to the advent of the coronavirus, MRA
(Sat., Apr. 18) had planned an Activities and Committees Fair,
the idea being to have residents learn more
MRS. DOUBTFIRE, 1993*** about each group and the various ways to be-
Comedy, Blockbuster, starring Robin Williams, come involved in the community. The April 14
Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, 2 hrs 5 mins, event may still happen—but stay tuned.
(Fri., Apr. 24)
Just a reminder from last month: our phone sys-
RED JOAN, 2019*** tem has been upgraded to allow you to dial 911
Drama, Biography, Espionage Thriller, UK, directly from your house phone. You will not
starring Sophie Cookson, Judi Dench, Stephen need to dial 9-911 in case of an emergency.
Campbell Moore, 1 hr 50 mins, (Sat., Apr. 25)
Let me close by saying a big thank you to all
Check Channel 1979/movie board for up- who have worked diligently to keep Mead-
dates and narrative; see preview on the In- owood a safe place!
tranet. (Movies subject to availability.) Lorraine LeeMEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 3
(Continued from page 1)
Continuing your walk across our campus and
through the Schwenkfelder Church grounds,
cross Valley Forge Road at Shearer Road and
continue down Shearer until you reach the Peter
Wentz Farmstead. Once the headquarters of
George Washington during the Revolutionary
War, Peter Wentz, Sr., was a privateer, making
his fortune from the proceeds of valuables cap-
tured in his exploits. After his death and in later
years, Peter Wentz, Jr., became a religious lead-
er, farmer, and prosperous land owner of several
hundred acres on which he built one of the larg-
est and finest homes in the area.
Today the house and farmstead are on the Na-
tional Register of Historic Places and have un-
dergone careful restoration; the site was dedicat-
ed as a living memorial to Peter Wentz in 1976.
The farmstead today is a year-round educational Bill Bourne
and cultural center, hosting events such as sheep
shearing, maple sugar days, bee keeping, and
other activities depicting rural life.
Zacharias Creek, the prominent stream of
Worcester, has a course of about four miles Artist of the Month
across the northern area of the township. The
trail can be reached by walking across the front Our featured artist is Rich Godshall. Rich spent
of the campus and carefully crossing Skippack 25 years in the graphics arts field as an illustra-
Pike at Hollow Road; continue past Meadow tor, designer and art director. In 2002, he decid-
Lane and look for a sign for the Zacharias Trail. ed it was time for a change and opened the Off
It is a natural area lined with native shrubs and the Wall Gallery & Framing shop in Skippack.
trees and is a serene retreat with views of the He still finds time to paint; and his primary sub-
creek, many species of birds, deer and the occa- ject matter is the beautiful landscapes found in
sional fox. Montgomery and Bucks counties and along the
New Jersey shore.
While these areas may not be walkable for all
residents, it is still important to be aware of and Stop by and enjoy Rich’s work displayed in the
appreciation for how fortunate we are to live in lower level gallery of the Shultz Community
this historic rural township. For those who want Center.
to explore and walk these areas, this spring is a Ann Trumbull
great time to start. Wear your sturdy walking
shoes expect some mud; but look around and
admire the beauty of nature and the history sur-
rounding us within a very short walk.
Janice MyersMEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 4
Blame it on the Coronavirus: ROAD TRIP!
Presented by
CREAM Events The North Pennsmen
Please check the CREAM bulletin board, Chan- with the Liberty Belles Chorus
nel 1979 and the Intranet for any late-breaking
information about future activities. We have Friday, May 15 – 7:30 p.m.
canceled all the speakers who had been sched- Saturday, May16 – 2:00 p.m.
uled for April.
Souderton Mennonite Church
105 West Chestnut Street, Souderton
Trips & Travel Join The North Pennsmen, its sister chorus,
Although we’re holding out hope that we may The Liberty Belles, and several quartets on a
still be able to see The Sound of Music on May musical Road Trip.
2 at DeSales University, all other planned trips
have been canceled. As with CREAM, check Just think of the last “road trip” you took—new
our bulletin board, Channel 1979 and the Intra- destinations, special moments and wonderful
net for information. memories.
As we travel musically across the country, you
Entertainment will enjoy the wonderful barbershop harmonies
in many well-known songs—you’ll love the
In an abundance of caution, the April programs music!
have regretfully been canceled. We’ll hope to
be able to reschedule these performers in the This is the same location as our Christmas
near future. show. The sanctuary comfortably seats 700, the
acoustics are excellent, and there is easy access,
with a handicap ramp. It is about a 35-minute
New Date for Art Show drive from Meadowood.
On March 11, letters and emails were sent to all A Meadowood bus will take you to the Saturday
the artists on our list announcing that the 2020 matinee with no extra charge for the bus. Show
Juried Art Show had been canceled. tickets in advance are $14.00 each for seniors
and students; $17 for all others. Kids under 12
Our 2021 show dates will be April 9-11, the are free with an adult. All tickets at the door are
weekend after Easter. Both our featured artist, $20.00.
Barbara Grant, and the jurors, Lisa Tremper
Hanover and Lauren Travis, were supportive of Sign up on the Trips & Travel bulletin board.
our decision and have indicated their availabil- Make your check payable to The North Penns-
ity in 2021. men and turn it in at the front desk.
Judy Barnes, Jody LaVerdure
Please contact Walt Barnes (1107) for Friday
and Saturday tickets if you wish to travel on
your own.MEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 5
Getting Acquainted
The choice of Meadowood was an easy one.
We offer a warm welcome to:
Jo’s parents had lived here; and other members
of her extended family, including her sister,
Jo and Jim McCabe
Toni Deever, are residents.
824 Goldfinch Phone 5377
Jim’s hobbies include watching sports, reading
The McCabes came
and all things Irish. Jo enjoys shopping, travel
here in January from
and the shore. They’ve signed up for bocce,
King of Prussia where
Mah Jongg and Current Events; Jo is sampling
they had lived for 58
years. Jo was born exercise classes. You’ll have plenty of opportu-
nities to get to know these new residents.
and raised in Jeffer-
sonville and attended
Toni Black; photo by Mary Miller
Norristown High
School. She trained as
a registered nurse at Chestnut Hill Hospital and
worked there after graduation. Jim was born in
Gina Jasinska
Wayne, graduated from St. Katherine of Sienna
820 Goldfinch Phone: 5374
High School, and joined the Navy, serving
aboard the USS Wasp. The final year of his ser-
Gina often drove by Mead-
vice was spent at Philadelphia’s Naval Auxiliary
owood and admired its ex-
Air Station. That was when one of Jim’s naval
pansive grounds; so, after
comrades and a friend of Jo’s introduced the
looking at other communi-
couple. Jo had given her friend a long list of the
ties, she knew that The
qualities she expected in a man she would date.
Grove was perfect for her.
Jim must have met them all—they’ve been mar-
She moved into her beauti-
ried for more than 60 years.
fully decorated home in
December and is already
Jim’s post-Navy work was with the U.S. Postal
settled and adjusting to her
Service, followed by a career with the Genuardi
new environment.
supermarket chain. While at Genuardi’s, he at-
tended classes at Montgomery County Commu-
Gina was born in Poland and attended high
nity College and Villanova University. The
school there; but, due to the communist-
McCabes welcomed five children; and once the
dominated occupation, her parents arranged to
youngest was in school, Jo returned to nursing,
have her escape to safety in England. She began
working at Sacred Heart Hospital for several
her brave journey at age 16, traveling by cattle
years.
trains and secret vehicles to Italy and eventually
to London where she lived for five years. After
Jim saw a lot of the world while in the Navy.
marriage and the birth of her daughter, her late
The McCabes have traveled a fair amount, too,
husband, with a PhD in engineering and a medi-
listing Australia, New Zealand, China, Sicily
cal literature specialist, received a job oppor-
(home to her forebears) and Ireland (home to
tunity in the U.S. They settled in the German-
his) among their destinations.
town area and eventually moved to Chalfont,
where they lived for 45 years. While in Poland,
Avalon has been a second home to the family
Gina had attended technical school and received
and the site of family fun for decades. Jim and
a certification as a dental technician. She
Jo have a house there—as do two of their off-
worked until her son was born and then became
spring. Family gatherings are big affairs now
a full-time homemaker who enjoyed raising her
with a crowd of 5 children, 16 grandchildren
children, entertaining and gardening. Her family
and 8 great-grandchildren.MEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 6
returned to Poland each year for vacations with headquarters, brought the Burnleys to the area
relatives, spending time at their summer home (and their home of 32 years in Fort Washing-
on the Narew River boating, picking mush- ton). Connie, having left PW to work at Harper
rooms, and walking in the various parks and Grace Hospital in Detroit, found accounting and
gardens. development work at Montgomery and Einstein
hospitals when the couple moved to this area.
Gina’s daughter is a very accomplished artist
who lives in New York; her son and family, Retired since 2012, Dave has been able to enjoy
with three granddaughters, live nearby in Hat- golfing, fly fishing, woodworking and watching
field and visit frequently. While we chatted, baseball—his nephew is a relief pitcher with the
Gina and I were able to reminisce about our Cleveland Indians. Among Connie’s many inter-
mutual Polish heritage, discussing holiday tra- ests are gardening (she has served as a flower
ditions, customs and culture, special foods that show judge) and dog sports. The Burnleys’ two
we both enjoy, and even my few words of Cairn Terriers (think Toto in The Wizard of Oz)
Polish. Although she is busy right now with are father (Romeo) and daughter (Julie). At 15,
family, friends and settling in, she plans to Romeo’s too old to enter competitions; but Julie
make Meadowood friends and become ac- is 7 and still participating in Coursing Ability
quainted with our various activities in the com- tests and chasing scents.
ing months.
As a neighbor of the Burnleys and a dog lover,
Janice Myers; photo by Mary Miller seeing Connie walking by with the terriers al-
ways makes me smile.
Joyce Hutton; photo by Mary Miller
Connie and Dave Burnley
713 Radcliff Court Phone: 1860
Wellness Walk
Price Waterhouse in
Detroit brought Con- Heike Kilgore will lead the walk on Thursday,
nie and Dave together, April 17, when we hike a section of the
but how did they get Schuylkill River Trail in Berks County, begin-
there? ning at the Union Meadows West trailhead and
walking south to the Morlatton Village in
Connie was born in Douglassville. Morlatton Village, originally a
Ohio, grew up in Swedish settlement, has several restored 17th
Michigan, but went and 18th century buildings, including the White
back to Ohio to get her Horse Inn and the George Douglass Mansion.
degree in business administration from Witten-
burg University. Dave is a New Jersey native During colonial times, refined iron from Penn-
but chose to attend Eastern Michigan Universi- sylvania’s earliest furnaces and grains from the
ty because of their business courses and went Oley Valley were transported down-river to
on to get his Master’s in taxation from Michi- Philadelphia. The trail follows the railbed of the
gan’s Walsh College. His focus on business former Pennsylvania Railroad.
was based on his initial goal of joining the FBI.
Instead, he joined Price Waterhouse’s tax de- A sign-up poster will be on the main bulletin
partment in Detroit, where Connie had also be- board about one week prior to the walk. The bus
gun her work career. pulls out promptly from the main entrance at
9:00 a.m. on April 17 and returns by noon.
Dave’s job entailed a great deal of foreign as Paul Felton
well as domestic travel. He was involved in the
Burroughs Corp./Sperry Corp. merger in 1986.
The renamed Unisys, with Blue Bell as itsMEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 7
Arbor Day
In Memoriam This year Pennsylvania celebrates Arbor Day on
Friday, April 24. Meadowood’s Woods and
Frank Precopio Feb. 13 Trails (W&T) will meet at 2:00 p.m. that day at
Stephen Williams Feb. 15 the #2 catch basin located just south of our West
Marion Taylor Feb. 21 Hill section where a black gum tree will be
Mary Ann Gabel Feb. 25 planted in memory of Dave Dambly.
Connie Keefe Mar. 2
Dave spent his years here as one of our busiest
Sandra Caldwell Mar. 6
volunteers on W&T projects and other activities:
Charlie Neiderhiser Mar. 12
editor of Meadowtalk, starting and supporting
Alice Doyle Mar. 13
the Camera Club’s yearly shows, using his pho-
to skills to record many Meadowood occasions
“Behold our shield, O God;
and exhibits—especially the photo board dis-
look upon the face of thine anointed!”
plays in the hall across from the Bistro.
Psalm 84:9 In addition to planting the Arbor Day tree, W&T
Co-Chairman Bill Davison will briefly tell the
reason for Arbor Day, followed by CEO Paul
Nordeman describing how trees have an im-
portant place for Meadowood.
Black gum was chosen for this site as part of a
small stand of trees able to prosper when
flooded by heavy rainstorms collected on West
Bible Study Hill roofs, walkways and streets. Such flows
will be retarded in the catch basin, thus
Meetings will be held Monday evenings begin- preventing downstream erosion of stream banks.
ning at 7:00 p.m. in the Fitness & Wellness
Studio (opposite the lower level library). Check Plan to take a short walk to basin #2 on Arbor
the Intranet for any possible changes due to Day to arrive by 2:00 p.m. when we will be
the coronavirus restrictions that are in place planting this tree.
as Meadowtalk goes to press. Paul Felton
We are happy to welcome Drake Williams, III,
as our leader this month. Drake is a pastor of Camera Club Photo Boards
the Central Schwenkfelder Church (and son of
Drake Williams, Jr., who is now a Meadowood Bill Jacobs’ board, “Riviera Holiday—
resident as well as a Board member). Philadelphia Flower Show, 2020,” is on display
in the corridor across from the Bistro.
Drake’s topic will be “What Happened to the
Disciples after Jesus Left Them?” Martha Fickett’s board, “Walking through
Nature,” may now be seen in the corridor
Bible Study Committee leading to the Health Center, near the entrance
to Resident Care.MEADOWTALK APRIL 2020 PAGE 8
⬧⧫⬧⧫⬧⧫ Birthdays ⧫⬧⧫⬧⧫⬧
Date Apt. # Date Apt. #
1 Lois Howland 732 14 William Merkle 358
1 Janet Schultze 104 15 Gerrie Graber 265
2 Rita Precopio 304 17 Jim Deysher 25
3 Dot Merkle 358 17 Joan Brucker 738
4 Oksana Naber LH 17 Barbara Spang 602
4 Harry Hurlburt 244 18 Barbara Albright LH
4 John Bown 21 Juanita Strohecker 709
4 Drake Williams 823 22 Laura Venonsky 89
5 Peg Hasson 164 23 Joan Comer 24
5 George Souther 412 26 Mike McKenna 169
5 Noel Perloff 123 28 Virginia Jakob HHS
6 Sally Rowland 361 28 Remo Baldassari LH
7 Sandra Hurlburt 244 29 Catherine Wildt 72
8 Allan Bozorth 166 30 Theresa Beausoleil LH
13 Peggy Hinman 57You can also read
