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Senior Living the
way it should be.
Call 304.241.8112 today to schedule a tour • HarmonyatMorgantown.com
2 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
3 - Senior centers and facilities
4 - How your marital status affects your estate
6 - Foster Huffman: ‘I just want to enjoy life.’
8 - Senior center activities
9 - Senior Monongalians: Events and activities
9 - Crossword
10 - The many and varied aspects of time
10 - Assisted living and residential care communities
11 - Effective exercises for seniors
11 - Senior emergency assistance
On the cover: Foster Huffman participating at a local parade. Submitted photo.
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 3
Senior Living
Redefined.
Harmony Senior Services is proud to share that because of our high vaccine participation rates we are officially
COVID-19 free. Indoor visitation is once again available for all residents, full dining services have been reopened and
everyone can now engage socially with a full slate of programming. All of the joys of a post-COVID life are finally here.
Senior living the way it should be.
INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE
304.241.8112 • HarmonyatMorgantown.com • 50 Harmony Drive | Morgantown | WV | 26505
4 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
BY DOREEN SEAMON weddings, but as we know while the wedding personal family dynamics. Accordingly, for itance controlled by a trust. Sometimes heirs
for The Dominion Post is a momentous occasion, the wedding is just achievement of their goals, many people are not healthy, are spendthrifts or may not
a celebration of the main event – the actual formally document their intentions in their have reached adulthood when they inherit. All
Traditionally, June has marriage. In estate planning, getting married estate planning documents. Generally, if of these situations cause complications. If the
been the most popular changes things quite a bit in the eyes of the there are children outside the marriage, the children are minors, they are entitled to their
month to marry and there are law so we should update our estate planning law will just reduce the amount that goes to entire share once they reach 18. My clients
many reasons why. The documents to reflect that change in status. the surviving spouse to make sure the dece- generally prefer the children to not have full
Roman goddess of mar- dent’s children are provided for. access at such a young age.
riage, Juno, is said to be a Most states, including West Virginia, have
protector of women, in particular in marriage laws that help cover the gaps for those who do In some cases, a decedent may have Ideally, every adult should have a valid will
and childbearing, so for those who marry in not update their estate planning documents purposefully or inadvertently disinherited his that clearly lays out their decisions as to who
June it was said they would be blessed with when they marry. The general presumption is spouse. If there was a prenuptial agreement their heirs are and when they will inherit their
prosperity and happiness. That sounds pretty that we would want to include our spouse as that stipulated this outcome, then that is share of the estate. Most of us have worked
inspiring as opposed to another reason that an heir of our estate. But, the law also usually honored. But otherwise, the law pro-
very hard for whatever we have so it seems
came about during medieval times. At that considers how we would wish to provide for tects that survivor by providing a process for
foolish to leave inheritances disbursed per
time, people only bathed about once a year our children. If all the children are joint bio- them to “elect against” the deceased spouse’s
default state laws or based on a will that was
and that was usually in the spring, so it was logical or adopted children of the spouses, estate. The amount they are entitled to varies
not professionally drafted.
common to marry while the bride still smelled West Virginia law presumes, the surviving based on how long they have been married
relatively fresh, but just to be safe, she carried spouse will take care of the children and will but the maximum is one-half of the estate.
a bouquet of fresh flowers to mask any be the sole beneficiary of the estate. Doreen L. Seamon, J.D. is an attorney with
unpleasant odors. While a person may be fine with those Seamon Law Offices PLLC. Her experience
It gets a little more complicated if either potential outcomes, it does not take into includes elder care and estate planning. She writes
spouse has children outside the marriage. consideration whether the spouse or child a regular column for Senior Post. Contact her at
Today, June is still a popular month for Even a well-written law cannot anticipate should inherit outright or have their inher- columns@dominionpost.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 5
6 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
BY JENIFFER GRAHAM any battles,” he said. “We watched for sub-
The Dominion Post marines. They are the biggest threat to car-
riers so we couldn’t go out without three
KINGWOOD – World War II veteran Fos- escorts, (ships that traveled with the aircraft
ter Huffman celebrated his 96th birthday May carrier).”
8. Huffman, who has been a member of the
Preston County Honor Guard since 1985, Huffman said he was impressed when the
served on an aircraft carrier during WW II aircraft carrier he was aboard went through
from1943-46. the Panama Canal.
An aircraft carrier is a Naval vessel that serves “We went through it twice,” he said. “Going
as a seagoing airbase. It is equipped with a through that was something to see. There was
full-length flight deck and facilities for car- only a few inches of space on both sides of the
rying, arming, deploying and recovering air- ship.”
craft.
Huffman said there is one place he visited
Huffman said after completing boot camp that he will never forget.
he traveled the Atlantic until the Normandy
Invasion; then the carrier he served on was “Pearl Harbor – I will always remember the
sent to Africa. Arizona,” he said. “It’s there as a museum;
1,000 sailors are buried there. It was never
He said during his time on the carrier he spent raised.”
a year or so on deck force and maintenance
then he switched over to gunners mate. Huffman has served as a member of the
Preston County Honor Guard for 36 years. He
“I took care of the bomb magazine – the area said he is proud of the crew he serves with.
we stored the bombs,” Huffman said.
“They are the best we’ve ever had,” he said
He said after Africa the aircraft carrier went during a recent breakfast at Little Sandy’s
back to dry dock to be overhauled. Huffman Restaurant in Bruceton Mills. “They are the
said from there they went to the Pacific and best.”
was all over the place.
When asked about future plans, he smiled
“Our planes went out but we weren’t close to and said: “Enjoy life. I just want to enjoy life.”
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 7 Foster Huffman. Submitted photo.
8 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 9
Crossword solution on page 11.
10 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021
BY IRENE MARINELLI Jumping to 1250 BCE, we find the ancient of time “flying by” and time seemingly “stand- It seems a shame to waste this gift we call
for The Dominion Post Egyptians had begun to measure time using ing still,” depending on the situation we hap- time, yet how we humans do waste it with our
sundials carved in stone. pen to be in. I remember a night long ago, greed, our jealousy, our constant conflicts!
“What then is time? If no one when one of the children was hospitalized. I Now, as we age, time truly seems priceless. It
asks me, I know what it is. If I A concept of time even more difficult to remember sitting by the hospital bed through becomes even more precious as we admit to
wish to explain it to him who unravel and understand is eternity. In our that long, dark night. Time somehow seemed ourselves that one day it will be gone. Now we
asks, I do not know” modern thinking eternity goes on and on and lost in that dark room, as the hours crawled
begin to consider our priorities in the light of
on, beyond our capability to understand how slowly toward dawn. Completely opposite
~ St. Augustine from this experience, most likely we’ve all had our remaining time. We begin to measure how
this happens. Does eternity simply exist in a we go about our daily life against the reality of
days when time rushes like a runaway train
When did we first begin our relationship static state forever or is it moving ever for- time. Now time leads us away from the rush
through the hours of a busy day filled with too
with time? Perhaps the earliest humans gave ward? For centuries, scientists and philoso- and competition of our early years. It gives us
many tasks and commitments.
some thought to the sun’s daily path across phers have argued about the concept of time. long days and quiet hours.
the sky or to the migration of the animal herds St. Augustine wrote, “In you, my mind, I
One reason time is so fascinating and so
they followed, but even a vague idea of time measure time.” He considered time to be an important is because it is finite. Time lives in As we age, the good advice of Carl Sand-
as we have come to know it, could not have internal, rather than an external experience. the past through our memories. It lives in the burg seems pertinent: “Time is the coin of your
been part of their collective knowledge. Theories abound and I wonder if the concept present as we go through our days and it lives life. It is the only coin you have, and only you
of time will ever be unraveled to reveal its true also in the future as we plan for tomorrow and can determine how it will be spent. Be careful,
It’s interesting to note around 50,000 BCE nature. What is time; a question for con- the years to come. Time offers us tomorrows lest you let other people spend it for you”.
the first inhabitants of Australia (ancestors of templation and perhaps even some personal and tomorrows; then suddenly it stops. For
today’s aboriginal people) considered nature exploration. each of us death is the end of time. Was St.
timeless. They believed their long-dead Augustine right when he perceived time as Irene Marinelli writes a regular column for Senior
ancestors’ spirits inhabited the living world. Almost everyone has had the experience internal, within the human mind? Post. Contact her at columns@dominionpost.com.SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 11
Metro Creative Connection band workouts can be especially useful for
seniors who spend a lot of time at home.
Losing interest in an exercise regimen is a Resistance bands are inexpensive and don’t
situation many fitness enthusiasts have con- take up a lot of space, making them ideal for
fronted at one point or another. Overcoming a people who like to exercise at home but don’t
stale workout routine can be simple for young have much space. Resistance bands can be
athletes, whose bodies can typically handle a used to strengthen muscles in various parts of
wide range of physical activities. That flex- the body, including the legs, arms and back.
ibility allows younger athletes the chance to Resistance bands can be pulled or pushed in
pursue any number of physical activities when any direction, which allows for more versatility
their existing fitness regimens grow stale. But in a workout than weight machines and dumb-
what about seniors who have grown tired of bells. That versatility allows seniors to spice
their workouts? up their workout regimens when things get a
little stale.
Even seniors who have lived active
lifestyles since they were youngsters are • Pilates: Pilates is another low-impact exer-
likely to encounter certain physical limitations cise that can be ideal for seniors with bone
associated with aging. According to the Cen- and joint issues. According to SilverSneak-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, the ers¨, a community fitness program for seniors
likelihood of dealing with one or more physical that promotes living through physical and
limitations increases with age. CDC data social engagement, Pilates can help seniors
indicates that 8 percent of adults between the build overall strength, stability and coordi-
ages of 50 and 59 have three or more physical nation. SilverSneakers¨ even notes that
limitations. That figure rises to 27 percent seniors can experience improvements in
among adults age 80 and over. strength and stability by committing to as little
as 10 to 15 minutes of daily Pilates exer-
Physical limitations may be a part of aging cises.
for many people, but such obstacles need not
limit seniors looking to banish boredom from • Strength training: Seniors on the lookout
their workout routines. In fact, many seniors for something more challenging than a daily
can successfully engage in a variety of exer- walk around the neighborhood should not
cises that benefit their bodies and are unlikely overlook the benefits of strength training. The
to grow stale. CDC notes that seniors who participate in
strength training can stimulate the growth of
• Water aerobics: Sometimes referred to as muscle and bone, thereby reducing their risk
“aqua aerobics,” water aerobics may involve for osteoporosis and frailty. In fact, the CDC
jogging in the water, leg lifts, arm curls, and notes that people with health concerns like
other activities that can safely be performed in arthritis or heart disease often benefit the
a pool. The YMCA notes that water aerobics most from exercise regimens that include
exercises are low impact, which can make lifting weights a few times each week.
them ideal for seniors with bone and joint
issues like arthritis. Physical limitations are a part of aging. But
seniors need not let such limitations relegate
• Resistance band workouts: Resistance them to repetitive, boring workouts.You can also read
