GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY

May 17, 2001

Remember your hardest subject in school? For me, it was history, a subject that seemed rather dull and uninteresting when I was in high school. But now, when my grandchildren ask me to tell them stories about what it was like when I was young, I realize that my stories are their history.

I've heard the request, "Grandma, please tell us a story about Epworth Manor", so I'm taking you all along with me to hear "THE" story.

Giving birth to a new idea is never easy. It takes time and a great deal of patience. The first steps toward establishing a much needed home for aging people of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Church occurred when a Commission on "Home for Aged" was established at a church Conference session held in Altoona in March of 1913. What foresight! Sometimes we can hardly see beyond our daily struggles, but they looked boldly into the future, OUR FUTURE! The following year, the commission members visited the church Homes in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Philadelphia to see if it made sense to send people from Central Pennsylvania to one of these homes. They decided it wouldn't be a good idea to send people out of the area because it would cost $175 A YEAR to keep a person in one of those homes.

In 1915, the Commission made a plea for support from the Conference and took the wise step to incorporate on April Fool's Day, 1918. Almost a year later their Charter was received and they inspected this very spot, the S.S. Blair property in Tyrone as their preferred site for their Home. A motion was made to purchase the property at 951 Washington Avenue for $15,000 plus furnishings for an additional $2,750. The new Home was named "Methodist Home for the Aged, Central Pennsylvania Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church." Quite a mouthful, isn't it? And it hasn't gotten any better today. Now its formal name is "Epworth Manor, a facility of Wesley Affiliated Services, Inc., affiliated with Asbury Services, Inc."

That fine old mansion became the center from which this complex grew. New Year's Day, 1920 was set aside as "Opening Day" and the building was prepared to house 14 residents. The Opening celebration brought over 800 visitors from all across the Central Pennsylvania Conference to view the HOME. The first guest admitted to the Home in January of 1920 was Mr. Elihu C. Chandler of Emporium, Pennsylvania. Paul and I served the United Methodist Church in Emporium from 1966-1969 and that church held onto the "honor" of their church having the first guest and faithfully supported the work of "The Methodist Home."

Today, we call those whom we serve residents, but then, the people who came to live at the "Home" were considered "guests" of the church deserving a well-earned reward. The responsibilities of the Home were; to provide shelter, food, clothing (if and when necessary), nursing and medical care and provide for a Christian burial. In the early days, the Home received a great deal of financial support from the local churches.

In 1952, when I was a blushing bride of 22, I remember coming to the Methodist Home from Schellsburg, a little town a dozen miles west of Bedford, to participate in Harvest Home. The trunk of our car was filled with baskets of potatoes, cabbages, and tomatoes plus jars of home-canned peaches and pears and homemade apple butter. Imagine that happening today! We'd be in deep trouble for not following fifty different food service regulations. But back then we felt real ownership in the local churches because we were trying to look after our members who lived at the Home. For over forty years the guests living in the Home peeled vegetables, shucked corn and snapped beans to be used for their daily meals. Today, unless it is part of a formal care plan, our residents are not allowed to work.

The cost of care has changed a lot, too. There was no admission fee in 1920, but if able, each guest was asked to contribute $500. Applicants were accepted on a 3-month probation (I wonder how many violated probation?). Chronically ill guests were not admitted and if any of them required hospitalization they were sent to the local hospital at the "Home's" expense.

Guests were not to interfere or give orders to employees. Any complaint regarding service was to be made directly to the superintendent or hostess. In fact, any guest who was guilty of circulating reports injurious to the reputation of the home or creating dissatisfaction among members of the staff would be dismissed. MY, HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

From the very beginning it was apparent that the Home was far too small to meet demand. Therefore, in April 1920, just four months aft er the Home opened, ground was broken to increase capacity to fifty-five guests. But even that extra space wasn't enough to accommodate hundreds of applications from all across the Conference. Four years later in March of 1924, the Conference recognized the clear need and granted the Home permission to build a second addition. Evidently, getting approvals for building was much simpler than it is today!

Tragedy struck in January of 1926 when the building suffered a disastrous fire. Fortunately, all ninety-three residents were removed from the building without a single injury. Out of the ashes rose an even bigger remodeled facility with more capacity.

A series of additions and improvements were made to meet the growing demands for space over the next 30 years. The old infirmary on the second floor of the main building no longer met state requirements, so on November 1, 1958, ground was broken for a new, modern, 28 bed medical facility. That building was dedicated, debt free, in November 1959. TODAY, 42 years later, WE ARE BREAKING GROUND TO REPLACE THAT UNIT!

The Home faced quite a few challenges over the years, but it had the good fortune to have a number of very talented people leading it through difficult times.

Mr. Michael Bond Rich was one such person. He served as the inspiring president of the board from 1919 until his death in 1930. His name alone is probably not all that familiar to you, but add the word "Wool" to "Rich" and then you will hear a connection. Next time you purchase or don a garment with the "Woolrich" label, think of Epworth Manor and the support we've received from the Rich Family through the years.

Another key person was The Reverend Dr. Elvin Clay Myers, a dynamic individual with a no-nonsense personality who had established a reputation for getting jobs done in the conference. He was appointed Superintendent of the Home for the Aged in Tyrone in 1961. A new home, to be located close to Harrisburg, PA and near a large concentration of Methodist congregations, had been under consideration for several years. Dr. Myers took the lead in the planning and construction of the New Home in Mechanicsburg to provide housing for more than a hundred residents at a cost of $1,850,000. The New Home building committee, headed by the leading ministers and laity of the conference, proposed the name, Bethany Village.

In 1964, "Epworth Manor" became the new name for "The Methodist Home" in Tyrone. Under Dr. Myers, Fpworth played a significant part in the establishment of Bethany Village. Epworth instituted the studies preliminary to Bethany' 5 construction and also furnished the leadership to carry it to completion. Epworth Manor contributed from its own funds the sum of $145,688 to purchase the site for Bethany Village, carried the initial interest payments on Bethany' 5 mortgage, and provided other needed services during the critical period of construction and the initial opening of Bethany Village. Your children often exceed your expectations.

Mrs. Mary Barner, was another memorable leader. She organized Epworth Manor's Auxiliary on May 25, 1971 and also helped organize the Bethany Village Auxiliary. Our residents and staff at both Homes have been truly blessed ever since by the contributions of the great organizations of volunteers founded by Mary Barner.

In June, 1972, the Board of Directors was faced with a dilemma. Epworth was required to vacate its third and fourth floors. It had a wooden roof and this did not comply with Federal regulations. At this point, nothing above the second floor could be used for residents. The Board of Directors searched for possible solutions in order to provide continuing care for residents. The board seriously considered three options: relocating the facility, expanding at the present site, or operating at reduced capacity.

In 1974, THE CHARTER of the Methodist Homes for the Aged, Inc., was amended to change the title to The United Methodist Homes for the Aging, Inc., and the last executive session of the corporation was held during the annual conference session that same year.

You can't think about Epworth Manor without thinking of Gloria Harris, a great friend and mentor of mine. She was the Director of Nursing in the old medical unit and led the staff and residents through the transitional phase from residential and small nursing unit to the 102 intermediate and skilled nursing facility we have today. In ~ 990, Gloria became the first layperson to be administrator. She is presently the president of our auxiliary.

In 1980, my husband Paul was transferred from Bethany Village to Epworth Manor. Epworth was in the red, and it was his responsibility to turn it around. I was hired by Mrs. Harris to be part-time In-service Director. At the time, I didn't think I would like nursing home work because I'd been administrator of a Visiting Nurse Home Health Agency in Mechanicsburg. During Paul's years as administrator a number of physical and program changes occurred such as establishing a part time chaplaincy program, an expanded volunteer/social service program (that's was Robin's introduction to Epworth), creation of a new lobby area, purchase of additional property, establishment of Keystone Home Health Agency as a cooperative effort with Tyrone Hospital, Allegheny Lutheran Homes, Epworth Manor, United Presbyterian Homes and Mercy Hospital, Altoona and Shared Living in the STONE HOUSE.

The Corporation name was changed again to Wesley Affiliated Services, Inc., in 1996, to reflect our ever-expanding services, beyond being just a home for aging.

In 1999, under the leadership of the Reverend Edward Kester, Wesley entered into a management agreement with Asbury Scrvices, Inc. of Gaithersburg, MD followed by an affiliation agreement in the year 2000.

The development plans for a new personal care unit and apartments for independent living have been on the drawing board at Epworth for many years. Wesley Affiliated Services Board of Directors, under the leadership of Asbury Services, has brought us to this exciting phase for groundbreaking, marking a tremendous step of hope and faith.

The true worth of any institution is not in its physical plant, but in the dedicated people who work to provide leadership, 24 hour a day quality care, and heartfelt services for our residents. Volunteers, from young children to teens to adults to other seniors, all help in numerous ways to enrich the lives of the people who call our facility their "Home." We all look forward to the completion of this phase of our building and to tbe many residents who will be served in the fliture. It's nice to contemplate the fact that we are part of an over 80-year history of service and to celebrate how this new addition will enable us to continue that service at a high level of quality in the fuiture.