Issuu

THRIVING PAST 80

RIVERHILL

Living Winter 2020 | Vol. 4, Issue 4

INSIDE:

Seniors voice enthusiasm for sports, games, f itness

’Tis the Season

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RIVERHILL

Living

The Kerrville Daily Times Staff Carlina Villalpando Publisher

Louis Amestoy

Managing Editor

Jeanette Eastwood Nash Assistant Managing Editor

Nicole Crapps

Creative Services Manager

John Doran

Advertising Director

Contributors Nancy Foster Mindy Wendele Greg Shrader Lindsay Eastland Photography Tom Holden Advertising Luly Bliss Brandon Baldwin Valerie Tucker Composition Johanna Rangel Contact Riverhill www.riverhillpoa.com Send story ideas to riverhill@dailytimes.com Contact The Daily Times 429 Jefferson St., Kerrville www.dailytimes.com 896-7000

Message from the President community events and current project 2020 has proven to be a challenge updates. Also, dues help us maintain to say the least. The APOR annual the beauty of the entrances and membership meeting, originally traffic calming circles. Additionally, scheduled for October 19, 2020 had membership benefits include eligibility to be postponed under an abundance for Yard of the Month Contest, the of caution relating to our current Christmas Light & Decoration Contest COVID-19 situation. Annual meetings and the opportunity to be a part of provide the members an opportunity to hear about projects, elect new board MINDY WENDELE the National Night Out. Also, your members and meet their neighbors. Immediate Past President annual membership dues pay for the administration of the association, The annual meeting will be website updates, mowing designated green rescheduled, new board members elected, and spaces and additional landscape maintenance. projects highlighted but until then let’s review Dues have not increased in many years even the past year. though expenses have increased annually. The APOR Board hosted two special meetings Board has set a realistic budget to carry on the to hear the member’s thoughts concerning the duties of the association and feels the increase proposed Vintage Heights subdivision to the is needed. Each annual membership is now south of Riverhill and the proposed zoning $75. The member benefits are worth far more. change in our estate home section of Riverhill. Our website is equipped to process your dues The membership was represented in meetings payment by using your credit card. Visit the with City Council members as well as attending Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council homepage on the website at www.riverhillpoa. com. We appreciate the financial support given meetings. the association to continue the good work that is We have strengthened our relationship presently being done. with the City of Kerrville through strong We updated our website this year to be more communication with the City Manager’s office, the Kerrville Police Department, the Public Works user friendly for all members and potential members. On the site, one can access our bylaws, and Parks Departments. CC&R information, applications for a new home Two of three entrance improvement projects and remodels and read the latest edition of the were completed at the intersection of Riverhill Riverhill Living Magazine. Blvd. and SH 16 and Rolling Green Drive and All homeowner associations in the state of SH 173. It is our hope to complete the other Texas are governed by state law requiring certain improvements in the future. management, organization and governing Our participation in the National Night Out documents. The bylaws we are operating under found 10 of your neighbors hosting events at were adopted in 1998 so needless to say they their home. The 2nd Annual Christmas Lighting are outdated. In early January a review our and Decoration Contest had sixteen entries! document began and a list of recommendations This fun and festive event really gets us in the for updates was made. Although there will be no Christmas spirit with beautiful yard displays and amendments for the membership to consider this spectacular light displays. year, I’m hopeful the Board will bring a complete APOR Board members have been diligently set of amendments for the membership next year. working this past year having approved 16 With appreciation, we acknowledge former permits for remodels and 4 for new construction. board members JoAnne English, Bart Jones, Architectural Control Committee members are Andrea O’Neil and Steve Boynton for their tasked with learning all of our many CC&R’s service this past year. James Dunlap and I will throughout our neighborhood. They do their be retiring off the board at the rescheduled best to work with every applicant to honor the annual membership meeting. By the reading of specific rule while being realistic. my message new board members Bill White, Hut We hope you have enjoyed the RHLM. Smith, Doug Holmes and Niel Powers should be Producing the quarterly publications keeps us elected and in place to serve the association. informed about our resident’s talents, hobbies Serving on any homeowner’s association board and accomplishments. We are always looking has its challenges. For most of us, our home is for contributors to tell stories of interesting our single largest purchase, so we have a serious neighbors with hidden talents. Or writers to investment in our neighborhood. It’s an honor to educate us on travel tips, cooking techniques or serve. Please consider becoming involved in the how to make the winning putt. The brain trust association. in our subdivision is endless. Please consider And finally, we say goodbye to our longtime sharing with your fellow neighbor as we find association administrator Andy Magee as she ways to enhance our Riverhill community. steps down from APOR duties and steps closer to Our membership has grown these past twelve retirement. During her service the membership months. The growth is represented in the total has nearly doubled, and projects established that number of member households topping 392 up our now staples in the member benefits. Happy from 318 this time last year. travels Andy! Benefits of being a member include receiving Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! up-to-date emails concerning local elections,

Riverhill Living 3

4 Summer 2020

Magee steps down after years of giving By Mindy Wendele

Immediate Past President Longtime Association of Property Owners of Riverhill administrator Andy Magee says goodbye after seven very successful years in her role. Andy and her husband, Craig, are excited about the endless possibilities of spending more time with the grandchildren and Rving to all the National Parks. Andy began her administration position with the Riverhill POA in 2013 when then Board of Directors Wanda Kemp-Maxson, Becky White, Ed Skillern, Hilton Farris and Ollie Brown created the position to assist the board with record keeping, processing annual dues and taking minutes at the board meetings. Seven board presidents later, Andy’s position has grown tremendously to include tracking all the finances, establishing the e-blast system, managing the PayPal platform, Facebook

page management, event planning such as Yard of the Month, Christmas Decorating Contest, National Night Out and seasonal socials. She also is responsible for marketing, producing the Riverhill Living Magazine in partnership with the Kerrville Daily Times, website management, photographer and most all member relations. Andy’s greatest accomplishment is the increase of the amount of APOR members from approximately 240 to near 400 during her tenure. She set a goal to build a sense of community by connecting people and never losing sight of this goal was the driving force behind all of her hard work. Although Andy never lived in Riverhill, her sense of pride in taking care of the Riverhill POA and its wonderful people was always at the forefront. Andy enjoyed board support for social events and activities to enhance the association. She maintained her availability to realtors,

Table of Contents

Yard & Neighborhood Yard of the Month ...................................... 6-7 National Night Out ...................................... 19

Resident Spotlight Course of a lifetime: Lucy Fowler .................... 8

Cover Story Scintillating seniors ................................ 10-13

Features The tee to success ......................................... 9 These seniors come to play ..................... 14-15 Fit at any age .............................................. 16 Young at heart ............................................ 17 Personal best .............................................. 18

residents and board members at all times. She was the face of the property owner’s association during her tenure as board members rotated on and off the board. Andy completed her duties at the end of October following the annual membership meeting. I think I can speak for all the former presidents of the Board of Directors how much we appreciate Andy’s professionalism and dedication. Her passion for helping the APOR members was evident in every task. and we will miss her enthusiasm and can do attitude. We wish her the very best in all her future adventures.

LIGHT UP RIVERHILL The Association of Property Owners of Riverhill Third Annual Christmas Lighting and Decoration Contest

JUDGING ON DEC. 13 See entry form and details at www.riverhillpoa.com.

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Riverhill Living 5

Yard of the Month

BEFORE

AUGUST James and Nelda Dunlap at 16 Antelope Trail

6 Winter 2020

AFTER

SEPTEMBER Greg and Laura Shrader at 108 Castle Pines Drive

OCTOBER Janie Altgelt at 2505 Birkdale Lane Riverhill Living 7

Resident Spotlight

COURSE OF A LIFETIME By Nancy Foster

Photo by Paul Stafford

8 Winter 2020

Calvin Coolidge was president, Charles Lindbergh flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic, work began on Mt. Rushmore and a pound of butter cost 55 cents. These things all happened in 1927, and on Dec. 27 of that year, Riverhill resident Lucy Fowler was born. Lucy was born in Laredo and grew up in McAllen, Texas, but Kerrville has been part of her life for many years. Her family vacationed here each summer, so for Lucy, it was only fitting that when she married husband Gene in 1948, the honeymooned in Hunt — at “the brand new Heart of the Hills Resort.” Gene was also from the valley and made his career in the oil pipeline business. That ultimately resulted in a lot of moves for the family, that now had expanded by three children. The Fowler’s spent 13 years in Corpus, four years in Houston and 20 years in Dallas before Gene retired from Halliburton in 1993. The couple subsequently moved directly to Kerrville and Riverhill, enticed in part by the beauty ... and the lure of the golf course. Gene has been gone for some years now, so Lucy’s family life now centers around their children, Candace, Lane and Lisa. Lane and his wife Deby recently purchased a home in Riverhill to be close by, and three grandchildren complete her treasured family. Lucy has a wealth of memories collected from over the years. She loves to reminisce on the 14 cruises that she and Gene took and fondly recalls their 50th anniversary cruise to Hawaii.

“We visited every island!” She also has a favorite golf anecdote. It involves her son Lane, who was a pro golfer and friends with the son of notable golfer Jackie Burke. Lane won an original putter made in the garage of renowned golf club designer Karsten Solheim. Lucy fell in love with it and made a deal with her son to buy him sunglasses if he gave her the putter, which he did. It served her well for many years until she gave up playing two years ago. She recently gifted the putter to Riverhill Golf Pro Matt Trevino. Staying busy comes easy to this spirited nonagenarian. She’s given volunteer time to St. Vincent de Paul’s and has enjoyed interaction with her church study group. Friends and family are also a central part of her life. She still drives and also gets out on her golf cart. Lucy also has a green thumb and finds pleasure in nurturing a colorful array of plants that flourish on her large porch and deck. She says the hardest thing about growing older is not being able to move around as much as she once did. “My mind says yes but my body says no!” She maintains a positive attitude, however, and when asked to give advice to others as they advance in years, she says, “take care of your health and let slide the little things that don’t really matter. Stay active, both mentally and physically, and keep the old mind working.” As for living in Riverhill, she couldn’t be happier. “I love being here. I have long-time friends and the quality of life is great.”

Photo by Paul Stafford Pictured from left are Hildegarde Slaughter, Nancy DeYoung and Sally Peterson. Not pictured: Becky Westover.

THE TEE TO SUCCESS By Mindy Wendele

They are mothers and grandmothers. They are wives, sisters and companions. They are funny, kind and a force to be acknowledged. They are golfers. I recently visited with members of the Riverhill Women’s Golf Association in the treasured category of octogenarians. Listening to these women who have been associated with golf for decades was heartwarming, inspiring and uplifting. Posing questions to Hildegarde Slaughter, Becky Westover, Sally Peterson and Nancy DeYoung was a delightful experience. What age did you start playing golf? H: Early 40s. I started when I was 30 but immediately got pregnant so I didn’t take it up again until 40. B: I started to play at age 22, by taking group lessons. S: I began playing golf when in my thirties during summer months in northern U.S. locations. N: I was about 65. I was a tennis player and realized I probably couldn’t do it long. My dad was a great athlete and started playing at 60, so I decided to follow his lead. How often do you play golf? H: Twice a week, usually. I also like to play nine or so holes in the evening in the summer ... it’s what I consider practice.

B: Usually twice a week, weather permitting. The older I get the more finicky I become about the weather. S: I try to play 18 holes twice a week. N: I’m playing twice a week. We have a couple of tee times on the play days. Our little team varies depending on who’s available. What is your secret to keeping your swing? H: As for keeping my swing, I’d like to give it away and get a good one instead! I try to buy a swing by getting new clubs, etc., but it’s always the same old swing. B: No secret, which is probably why my handicap continues to go up. S: Guess I keep my swing by habit. Undoubtedly would improve game if able to somewhat modify that habitual swing N: No secret. I think just getting out there and trying is the key. What is your funniest golf story? H: If I’ve had a funny story, I can’t remember it. B: A friend had to change her clothes after work to play evening golf. She accidentally left her dressy bra and pantyhose on top of her car trunk. We laughed at how many male golfers must have been amused at the underwear display. S: Hunting for a lost ball in a big bush and being attacked by birds. I tried to use my golf club to fend off the attack by what seemed like hawks, but probably was only one crow.

My partner wasn't helpful at all because she was laughing too hard at this little tableau. N: I decided to retrieve my ball in running water on No. 4. I finished the hole with another and went back for the first ball. I fell into the water but got the ball! It was a good ball, so I had to get it. If you could play golf with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? H: Byron Nelson. Back in the “old days” we had a scramble every Sunday afternoon at Riverhill. The pro shop would do the pairings and one Sunday I got put in a foursome with Byron Nelson who was spending some time at his house here. I was petrified! But not to worry ... he was the nicest, kindest, most down- to- earth person I’ve ever met. And generous with advice. I remember how he told me on No. 6 that in the winter when the grass is dead, to putt the ball up the hill onto the green instead of trying to chip it. He was such a gentleman. I wish I could play with him again. B: Not Tiger Woods; he would intimidate me. I would like to be really good and play with Julie Inkster. S: Would love to be able to play some fun rounds with all my great golfing friends who are no longer with us. N: The President of United States. President Trump owns and plays on his beautiful golf courses. I’d like to join him.

Riverhill Living 9

Cover Story

SCINTILLATING SENIORS By Sandra Lane

Time was when people reached a certain age, they “retired” to the family homeplace to live a scaled-back lifestyle and sit on the front porch and rock. While that’s not a bad lifestyle, today’s seniors, and particularly those living in Riverhill, are active, engaged in community affairs and pursuing varied interests. Eight of these interesting people have given us a peek into their lives and their current activities. Nancy DeYoung: Golf Nancy DeYoung, 88, who has always enjoyed playing tennis and golf, now concentrates solely on golf. She champions the benefits it presents in maintaining her health and physical stamina. “It’s such a wonderful sport,” she said, “and I think that now I like it better than tennis.” A native of Mason, Texas, Nancy said she has always been an athlete, beginning in high school where she played basketball.

10 Winter 2020

Although she has owned her home in Riverhill since 1983, she did not move there permanently until 2011. She has lived in San Angelo and Dallas, but said that she enjoys Riverhill the most. Nancy said she started playing golf in her 60s and was still playing tennis into her 70s, but then decided that golf might be a better choice for recreation in her later years. Now, with the corona virus requiring distancing, golf seems like a great choice. It offers an opportunity to visit with friends in the open air and at

the same time get some needed exercise. She now plays twice a week. “What I’ve noticed is that playing golf has improved my stability in walking, and it keeps my whole body fit,” she said. “It also gives my body a good stretching and increases my endurance.” She said this was a welcome benefit since the chair yoga class she previously attended had been discontinued. “A major benefit of golf is that it gives you some interaction with people,” she said. Her golf group consists of five

Pictured here and on the cover from left are Nancy DeYoung, Bob Lynch, Janna Spurlock, Joan McCollom, Wanda Kemp-Maxson, Julia Finger, Gena Griffin and Bob Young. (Photo by Paul Stafford) people, requiring two tee times and the use of two golf carts. “Recently one of our group members broke her ankle, so some of us ordered food from the club, put on our masks, and took it over to her house,” she said. The group is also planning birthday parties for each of them. Nancy agrees that having a positive attitude about aging helps. “I think your state of mind does have an influence on aging,” she said. “It helps to not worry about your state of health. My attitude about it is that I’m healthy, and I’m okay.” And indeed, she is.

Bob Finch: Golf Bob Finch, a lifelong golfer and member of the Riverhill Country Club since 1982, said that he is 93, but that’s hard to believe. He plays golf three times a week, and in addition, walks the golf course for an hour and a half each day. “I swing my golf club as I walk,” he said. He feels that constant exercise keeps him young, and obviously it does Bob began playing golf at an early age and was a member of the golf team when he attended Virginia Tech University. For

the past several years, he said that his golf score has been equal to or less than his age. “Last week, I shot an 84,” he said. “That beat my age by nine years.” A native of Henderson, North Carolina, Bob and his wife Delores, along with their four children, moved to Riverhill in 1979. The family had moved from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Austin in 1975. This coincided with Bob’s work as General Manager in moving the motor division of Westinghouse Electric to Round Rock, Texas, near Austin. After four years, Bob said the company asked him to move back to Pittsburg, and at that time, he decided to retire. “Delores and I came over to Riverhill one night to have dinner and check out the club because we were interested in moving from Austin. We were invited by Bunker, Stuart, and Sherman Hunt, owners of the Riverhill development at that time,” he said. “They convinced us to move from Austin to Kerrville, which was a great thing. Raising our children here was ideal,” he said. Bob said he has always loved living in Riverhill. “This is such a friendly place,

and I’ve made so many friends here. There are always 15 or 16 people ready to play golf.” As historian for the Riverhill Country Club, Bob has written a book about the evolution of the club. “Back in 1997, the greens were in such bad shape, they needed to be renovated,” he said. As chairman of the greens committee, he managed the project. “We had two estimates,” he said. “One was for $500,000 and the other was for $650,000.” He said they had to close the golf course for six months. “I had a great superintendent, and I put together a plan do the renovation for only $200,000.” The new greens were supposed to last for only 15 years, but today they are still in good shape. Byron Nelson had advised putting in bent-grass greens, and that is what Bob did. According to Bob, each new day is an opportunity to play more golf and make new friends. “I do have a lot of new friends because a lot of my old friends have passed on,” he said. And he is still challenging other golfers to shoot a score equal to or less than their age.

Riverhill Living 11

Janna Spurlock: Travel, exercise, volunteering How many of you can say that you weigh the same as when you were in high school? Janna Spurlock can say that, and she attributes this accomplishment to the fact that she has enjoyed exercise her entire life. Currently, she works out at Peak Fitness in Kerrville. “I go to the gym three times a week and walk every morning with friends at Riverhill for about 45 minutes,” she said. “I also played golf and tennis for most of my life until the past few years.” Janna said she likes the aerobics class that she attends. “This enables me to exercise all parts of my body. Most of the exercises are performed while standing, although there are some chair exercises as well.” To exercise her mind, Janna enjoys playing bridge with various friends. She also enjoys traveling by car and recently visited Big Bend and Colorado twice with a friend. In addition to exercising, Janna said she has always been active in various Kerrville organizations. “I do volunteer work at the First United Methodist Church,” she said. She also serves as a docent at the Schreiner Mansion one day a month, and visits hospitals. Janna says she likes everything about living in Riverhill. “It was such a good decision to build a home and live here. There is a social life here and a lot of friends to enjoy, and it’s not far to downtown Kerrville,” she said. “I just love everything about living here. I can’t say enough good things about it.” Reluctant to reveal her age, with her lithe 5-foot-1-inch frame, Janna might just be another version of Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up.

Joan McCollom: Reading, cooking Most of the residents who have lived in Riverhill for some time know Joan MCollom. From 1994 to 2011, she sold real estate here. A native of Colorado, Joan and her first husband Richard Shaheen moved to Mt. Home in 1972.” Tragically, Richard and a friend were killed in an airplane crash after taking off from the Kerrville Airport in 1974. In 1977, Joan married John McCollum who operated a real estate office on Junction Highway. Shortly thereafter, the couple moved to Riverhill and became some of the first residents. However,

12 Winter 2020

Joan had been a member of the Riverhill Country Club since 1975, which makes her one of the oldest members. “In 1985, I joined John in his real estate business,” Joan said. Then in 1994, she purchased Wanda KempMaxon’s real estate business in Riverhill and continued in that until 2011. “After John died in 2011, I stopped selling real estate,” she said. After retiring, Joan said she developed an interest in cooking. “I had never cooked a lot,” she said, “but I decided to experiment with various dishes, and I used my friends as guinea pigs.” She claims that she is not an extraordinary cook and doesn’t have any specialties. However, her friend Wanda Kemp-Maxson said that she has attended several elegant dinner parties at Joan’s home and the food was outstanding. “She is a fabulous cook and entertained graciously in her home before the pandemic,” Wanda said. Joan said she will be 85 in January, and although she used to play golf, she gave that up some years ago. “Now I read a lot, mostly scientific stuff,” she said. “Occasionally, I will read a novel.” She is a member of St. Peters Episcopal Church and has attended many theological book studies there. According to Joan, there any many things to like about living in Riverhill. “I always liked selling real estate here,” she said. “Our clients became our friends.”

Wanda Kemp-Maxson: Research, music Wanda Kemp-Maxson, 83, moved to Riverhill in 1978. She sold real estate exclusively in Riverhill from 1981 to 1994, at which point she sold her business to Joan McCollum. After that, she continued to sell real estate for developer George Underwood for a few years, but eventually quit to spend more time at home. She has served on the Board of the Association of Riverhill Property Owners (APOR) and still remains a very active member. Presently, her main interest is in studying Spanish online. “Texas is the perfect place to study Spanish,” she said. “I am a perpetual Spanish student and have found some lessons online that are really great.” She also enjoys doing research online to discover interesting things about different cultures. In earlier years, Wanda spent a lot of time singing.

“I grew up singing in my church choir and with my sister Sandra for many events,” she said. “At the age of five, I sang with her on the radio during WW II to help sell war bonds.” Wanda said that she and her sister sang at several cities in the State of Virginia and once at a prison with the minister of their church. “We won several competitions which resulted in our singing with Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights in 1955 in Washington, D. C., on national television,” she said. In addition, Wanda said she was a soloist at weddings and performed with a dance band in Richmond, Virginia, and also did some TV work in Norfolk, Virginia. She has performed in many benefit shows wherever she has lived. Though no longer singing in public, Wanda said she sings at home using Alexa, an Amazon echo device, to play the music. “I agree with Aretha Franklin who once said, “Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.” Wanda said, “I have loved living in Riverhill for 42 years, not only for its casual beauty and friendly people but because of the Riverhill Country Club. It’s a great life.”

Julia Finger: Mahjong, sports Riverhill resident Julia Finger doesn’t pay much attention to her age. She just keeps on doing what she enjoys and celebrating life. “Riverhill Country Club is my home away from home,” she said. “For evening affairs, there is always someone to pick me up. During the day, I drive myself.” She said that she usually attends club night on Wednesdays and meets with a group of friends for lunch on Tuesdays. Then on Monday, she has a Mahjong Club that meets at her home. “We usually play for three hours,” she said. Sounds like an active schedule for almost anyone. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Julia is 100 years young? She said she played tennis and golf when she was younger and retired from golf when she was 85. “These days, I hit one shot a year when the women’s golf association has a two-day tournament. I always hit the opening shot,” she said. “It’s fun, and so far I’ve always managed to connect with the golf ball.” Julia said she also likes to watch sports on television. “I like to watch golf, tennis, football, baseball, and basketball, but not hockey

or soccer,” she said. “Hockey is too rough, and soccer I don’t understand.” In addition to her interest in sports, Julia said she did a lot of volunteer work in hospitals for 45 years. A resident of Kerrville since 1988, Julia said she only moved to Riverhill 15 years ago in 2005. However, she has a previous connection to Riverhill. While living in Houston in 1974, her late husband, Joe Finger, collaborated with Byron Nelson to design the Riverhill Country Club golf course. Julia’s formula for happiness: “I don’t look far into the future. I just concentrate on the present and take one day at a time.”

Gena Griffin: Art, former skeet shooting champion Although she used to play golf, Gena’s main interest now is focused on oil painting. She said that she has been dabbling in art for many years. “I started painting in high school and have continued for most of my life,” she said. Her favorite subject is painting outdoor scenes. There are certainly a lot of beautiful flowers, trees, and wildlife to paint near her home in Riverhill and the surrounding area.

During the past 20 years, Gena said she has enjoyed going to painting workshops in the western part of the country. “I’ve been to Ghost Ranch, north of Santa Fe, and workshops in Monterrey, California, as well as several others in Arizona and New Mexico.” She has also enjoyed taking painting classes at the Hill Country Art Foundation in Ingram and has shown some of her paintings at local exhibits. Gena, who is 82, moved to Riverhill in 1990. Although she and her husband had lived in California for many years, when he decided to retire, they headed for Kerrville. She was quite familiar with the area because in her youth, her parents did a lot of hunting in the Hill Country. Although she no longer pursues this sport, in earlier days, Gena was a champion skeet shooter. In 1976, she was the World Championship Ladies Skeet Shooting Champion. She was also a member of the National Skeet Shooting Association Hall of Fame.

Bob Young: Tennis Tennis has been a lifelong sport for

Bob Young. He started playing at age 28, and he is still playing today at age 83. His first experience with tennis was at a tennis club in Seattle, and he continued to pursue this sport wherever he moved. In addition to playing tennis, Bob said that he and his wife of 58 years, Phyllis, walk every morning for 45 minutes. “We enjoy seeing the deer and the birds,” he said. “It’s amazing to have the wildlife so close to you.” A native of Plainfield, New Jersey, Bob and Phyllis moved to Kerrville in 1999, and in 2006, they built a home on Rock Creek Drive. They also lived in Seattle for 28 years and in North Carolina for a few years. Bob said that he and Phyllis love living in Riverhill. “We have a great location,” he said. “Our house is on the sixth tee at the center of the course. We can see three tee boxes and three greens as well as the lake and lots of birds and wildlife.” Other interests include being active members of the Kerrville Bible Church, where Bob serves on the Mission Board. For more detailed information about Bob’s tennis interests and experience, please see “Young at Heart” on Page 17.

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Riverhill Living 13

THESE SENIORS COME TO

PLAY Pictured above from left are bridge players Patsy Berry, Charlene Spaulding, Janna Spurlock and Clay Harren. Below from left are Nina Wright, Bettye Warnock, Marlene Grothues and Tio Smith.

By Andy Magee

Association of Property Owners of Riverhill administrator

ove over ACBL (American Contract Bridge League), these ladies have their own Riverhill brand of duplicate bridge and they are Riverhill proud of it. With over 360 years of combined playing experience, card counting is no problem with these dynamic women. They say that is what keeps their minds sharp. One might add they are pretty sharp dressers, too! Bettye Warnock learned to play when she was 18 years old from another young mom who moved into her neighborhood and organized a class with eight moms who were eager to learn. Bettye loved the game instantly. “When I retired, I picked up the game again and I’ve been playing with the group at Riverhill since 2003,” Warnock said. She plays with four other groups at Riverhill. Nina Wright is the longest-tenured Riverhill bridge player and began playing here in 1976. Nina learned to play bridge as a teenager at an adult evening class at her high school. Wright “loves the social aspect of their gatherings.” Marlene Grothues and Tio Smith were playing at the same table as Bettye and Nina and although they are not

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octogenarians, they hope to be playing bridge for a long time to come. At the other bridge table on this gorgeous fall day was long-time Riverhill resident Janna Spurlock. She has been playing since she was 25 years old. She learned with a group at her church. “We taught each other how to play and have enjoyed the game ever since,” Janna said.

Clay Harren had a bridge love story to tell. “I was 28 and living in Houston when I took my first bridge lesson,” she said. “After six months, I was invited to play with a group on New Year’s Day. It is there that I met my husband George.” They married that December. George definitely played his cards right! He got the girl and a great bridge partner for more than 50 years. Charlene Spaulding is a new member to the club and to this spunky and fun bridge group. She learned the game at age 18 as a newlywed to a deployed officer. She and the other military wives took lessons and read books to sharpen their skills. “It was always a great avenue to make friends with my more than 20 moves between the military and my husband Lee’s job with the airlines,” she recounted. Patsy Berry pictured here has not reached the 80 and beyond status t was always yet but very much a great avenue enjoys her time with these competitive ladies. to make friends There are so many with my more than interesting things about the fascinating game of 20 moves between bridge. The game goes the military and back to the 16th century but has changed and my husband’s job evolved over time with with the airlines.” new rules to make it more interesting and – CHARLENE SPAULDING, challenging. But there newcomer to the are always exceptions to Riverhill bridge scene any rule. The Riverhill ladies choose to play a nonsanctioned style game, so there are no points going into the national computer scoring database. They do, however, have a laptop and keep track of their own individual points. Duplicate bridge is played with a partner but each person has their own score to keep that they carry into the rotation of players and tables. Most of the group enjoys playing couples bridge as well and are always on the hunt for more men interested in their couples bridge group. “We’re not looking for husbands, just bridge players,” they joked. Some of the bridge-playing ladies also take their games on the road by playing in restaurants in Kerrville and homes in Centerpoint and Comfort. They all try to improve their game by reading Baron Barclay Magazine which they say is much better than confusing lessons you see printed in various newspapers. These octogenarian card sharks all confirmed the secret to playing bridge well: Get dealt good cards or, if you get bad cards, play good defense. For a game that traces its origins back to the 16th century in Britain, these ladies are doing their part to leaving their bridge legacy well into the 21st century for generations to come.

“I

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Riverhill Living 15

FIT AT ANY AGE By Michelle Layton

Most people are aware that today’s seniors are more active than generations past. With longer lifespan, improved medical treatment and the impact of the baby boomer generation, many have been anticipating the growth of the senior population. Whether it’s running, cycling or traveling, older adults have recognized that staying active is a key component of healthy aging. While older adults may be more active than the seniors before them, they are still not immune to the many changes to the body that come with age. Most notably, due to aging bones and joints, some seniors have to switch up their exercise of choice, whether from running to swimming or from basketball to rowing. Among the numerous benefits offered by regular exercise, some of the strongest come in the form of mental health. According to the National Institute of Health, regular physical activity can help seniors improve their mood, manage stress and reduce feelings of depression. There are numerous positive developments, however, to the most recent shift in the national age demographics including the average U.S. life expectancy, which has increased from 68 years in 1950 to 78.6 years in 2017. The gender gap in life expectancy is narrowing as well. By 2017, this gap had narrowed to five years (76.1 years versus 81.1 years). Today’s seniors are said to be happier than previous generations and older adults are living longer, free from disease and free from disability. Riverhill resident Margaret Ricks, 82-years young, has been active her entire life, staying busy with exercise, travel, maintaining meaningful relationships, and most importantly, living in the present. As horrifying as it may sound to today’s younger generations, social media accounts seldom factor in. Yes, she hits the Riverhill gym weekly, keeping a busy daily calendar that also includes reading and quality time

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Trainer Ken Marshall with Margaret Ricks with the family. Balance. Margaret also has a love for music and dancing. When a song is played from the fifties, she is the first one pulling her husband up to dance. As a certified pilot, Margaret enjoys flying the family plane with her husband. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether we hit the treadmill or the pool, choose daily crossword puzzles or our favorite trivia games, just keep doing it. All of us need to overhaul how we think about aging and recognize that our earlier understanding of older age is simply old-fashioned.

Ricks spoke more than once about how accurate the popular saying, “Age is just a number” actually is. She says that she never gives much credence to any actual birthdate which just happens to be listed on her passport. The only stats that are of any concern are those that display which terminal her plane will be departing from which will soon segue into her next great adventure. When it comes to doing what it takes to stay healthy in your senior years, think of the ol’ Nike phrase and “Just do it!”

YOUNG AT

HEART By Andy Magee

Bob Young certainly lives up to his surname. At 83, he still enjoys playing the game of tennis. At 28, he starting playing singles indoors at the Seattle Tennis Club on the hard courts. This love of tennis was passed down to his oldest son Bill. When Bob wasn’t playing himself, he was accompanying his son to national tournaments. Bob’s involvement with tennis reached a higher level when he became Chairman of the Junior Tennis Council for the Pacific Northwest Tennis Association. In 1990, Bob and his family moved to North Carolina where he began playing on clay. He became head coach for a high school girls tennis team, taking them twice to the quarter finals for the state championship. Several girls he coached played tennis at Div. 1 schools. In 1999, he and his wife Phyllis moved to Kerrville. He played at the clay tennis courts where a large apartment complex next to Peak Fitness now sits. Kerrville is where Bob had the opportunity to not only play but assist coach Lee Jennings at Schreiner University. He later had a second home in Alpine Texas and helped coached at Sul Ross State University. When asked if he played doubles with his wife he joked that it was in his best marital interests to decline that opportunity. Phyllis, also a tennis player, just recently retired from the game after a shoulder injury. Bob has several trophies from various club tournaments and participated in Kerrville’s Senior Games.

His greatest achievement in tennis was not playing the game but nurturing younger players. He enjoyed bringing them along in their game physically and mentally, while advising them on the keys to success in life. One player he taught got a scholarship to Stanford. One of his biggest thrills was watching his son Bill playing in the Washington state high school finals against Pat Galbraith who became #1 in the world in doubles and presently serves as President and CEO of the USTA and US Open. Bob can be found a couple days a week at the Riverhill Club courts hitting the ball around with Bill Matthews, Riverhill pro Garry Nadebaum and his assistant, Kaylie Kyo. For Bob, tennis is all about “love” of the game.

Riverhill Living 17

PERSONAL BEST By Greg Shrader

In golf, one of the ultimate goals of any player, amateur or professional, is to post a score equal to one’s age. Both skill and longevity are requisite but a passion for the game also is required to achieve this goal. But perhaps the most important attribute is the desire to continue to compete against the inexorable assault of aging. Riverhill resident Bob Finch, now 93 years-young, has combined those attributes to accomplished this feat numerous times. In October, Finch bested his age by nine strokes, carding an 84. He first became involved with golf by caddying for his older brother and uncles in Henderson, North Carolina where he was born and grew up. “I began playing and loved the friends I made, the competition and beating my brother,“ he said. Finch enrolled at Virginia Tech but was called to serve in the U.S. Army in 1945. He served with the First Infantry Division, The Big Red One, in Germany and was assigned to a G-2, or intelligence unit that was involved with the initial Nuremberg trials in Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to study industrial and mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech. Upon graduation in 1949, Finch began a 29-year career with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. He continued his love for golf and won numerous tournaments including the annual Westinghouse Managers Meeting Tournament. Working in Pittsburgh, Finch received a call to report to his manager’s office. When he arrived, Bob Kirby, the president of Westinghouse

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told him he wanted to play golf with Finch. Finch said he’d have to ask his boss. “That’s the smarted answer you could have given me, I think I’m going to like you,” Kirby replied. Whether or not that outing propelled Finch’s career with Westinghouse is speculation but Finch soon found himself managing Westinghouse’s large motor plant in Round Rock, Texas. He was still playing golf as a member of the Austin Country Club, one of the oldest golf clubs in Texas. After several transfers back and forth between Round Rock and Pittsburgh, Finch and his wife Delores began looking for a place to retire. Sherman and Stewart Hunt invited Finch to play golf at a new course in Kerrville, Riverhill Country Club, they were involved with. “I loved the course. It was challenging and the people I met were so nice,” Finch recalled. He and Delores moved he in 1979 and joined Riverhill. Finch designed his home in Riverhill around a door he had fallen in love with and purchased. Retirement from Westinghouse did not slow down his career. He continued to play at Riverhill. Finch and his wife quickly acclimated to Riverhill and began to make long-lasting friendships. Two of his associates knew Finch’s background in manufacturing management. When the president of Passo Industries (now All-Plastics) an injection-molding plant on Holdsworth Drive asked them to recommend a candidate for manager they gave him Finch’s name. “I received a long-distance call from the president of the company in Switzerland inviting me to fly over and interview. I did and after six weeks of

looking at their operations in Europe I was back in Kerrville running a plastics plant,” he said. Telling the president he would stay for two years, Finch worked there for nine years before retiring again for good. All the while he also managed to keep his golf game in shape. In 1996 Finch first shot his age, carding a 69. He missed 70 and 71 but has managed to shoot his age at least once during the next 21 years. He has won a number of club events including three out of four consecutive match play tournaments. He is known for his competitiveness but also his graciousness. One of his proudest accomplishments was spearheading the greens replacement and renovation at Riverhill in 1997. Some members of the club were in favor of replacing the bent grass greens with a newer and more heattolerant Bermuda variety. Finch met with Bryon Nelson, informed him of the problem and asked for his advice. “Bryon agreed to address the Men’s Golfing Association and told them it was essential that the greens be renovated with bent grass. That ended the discussion,” Finch said. Finch oversaw the entire process and brought the project to a successful completion well under estimated costs. Finch still plays regularly, thanks in part to Riverhill having four sets of tees including a set of “forward” tees for those inclined by age to play them. He has five holes-in-one and is still taking dead aim in search of a sixth. While Bob Finch is not the only golfer at Riverhill to shoot his or her age, he is certainly the standard-bearer for playing and enjoying golf at Riverhill for as long as you can.

Clockwise from top are: Oakland Hills Circle, Castle Pines Drive, the Bueches on Oakland Hills Lane and Springmill Drive at the Talaricos.

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Our Club Members Are Our Passion Our remarkable golf club started with a friendship between golf legend Byron Nelson and renowned course designer Joe Finger. That tradition continues today with the friendships still formed and strengthened on the rolling hills of Riverhill Country Club just as Byron Nelson had hoped. You are invited to be a part of that tradition and the present celebration of the game of golf, fabulous dining and events, world-class tennis, swim and fun for your entire family. Many families have taken part in what Riverhill has become over the past 112 years when it began as the mansion at Cedarcrest. Many families return generation after generation to enjoy the important history of this estate and the wonderful part the club continues to play in their lives.

RiverHill Country Club has several membership packages that include resident, senior, junior, corporate and non-resident.

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Riverhill Country Club • RiverhillCC.com • 896-1400 •100 Riverhill Club Lane • Kerrville Please contact Membership Director Bryan Hargrove at (830) 896-1400 x2230 for more information about memberships and initiation fees. 20 Winter 2020