Wichita Presbyterian Manor
New sales director focused on community MARCH 2023
First vacation leads to a lifetime of adventure Farming was a tough business when Wayne and Donna Walter were trying to make the land work for them. “We farmed in Princeton, Kansas, for 28 years and never took a vacation,” Donna said. “In the 1980s the interest rates were terrible and we lost a few crops. So, we decided to take a vacation to Alaska and stayed there for 28 years. The couple bought a fishing charter boat, and lived in it while they were building a new home in Haines, Alaska. “The only thing we had been on was a Jon boat in our pond,” Donna said. “This was a 34foot live aboard boat. It was quite an adventure.”
Wayne and Donna Walter
For about six years, the couple took tourists on saltwater fishing trips - fishing primarily for halibut and salmon, as well as setting pots for shrimp and crab. “We just enjoyed the boat and kept it for 20 years,” Donna said. “It took us four years to get a skipper’s license. We had to spend 365 days on the water, so we’d go out for three or four days at a time and try to find all the fishing spots.” Now Wayne is 92 and Donna is 88. “We don’t get around like we used to,” Wayne said. “We used to go fishing and traveling a lot. Some of the hunting and fishing trips I was on were pretty strenuous. I floated the Yukon river for a month. I pretty well spent my life outdoors.” Now, they’ll sometimes visit their farm land to spend a little time outside. They enjoy visiting family that lives nearby, and going out with friends. “We don’t drive at night anymore,” Wayne said. “But we still get rides with friends. We still do all the activities we did before.” “I go to all the exercise things, and the water aerobics,” Donna said. “There’s a selection of things to do every day. We have choices.” Since moving to the Westerly in December, Wayne and Donna have managed to
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Laurie Jones launched her new role as sales director for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Healthcare in early January and in the weeks since she’s learned there’s not often a “normal” day. “Not all days are normal, but a normal day is an Laurie Jones inquiry from a local hospital, or a call from someone in the community asking about helping their parents move to assisted living,” Laurie said. “I take it from there and meet with the families, assess what their needs are and help them plan their move. There are lots of different moving parts to that. I invite them in for a tour, show them around the different areas of our community, and see if it’s a right fit. If it is, we do the checks, get them moved in, and try to take care of them according to their needs.” In this role, Laurie is the first point of contact for many families. She doesn’t always know how her day will unfold, but she understands that her role is critical in helping families to feel prepared for the next steps. “I try to make sure the department heads know the specifics as well,” Laurie said. “For example, if they have a meal they really like, I communicate that. Or if they have a weekly meeting with family - I take those personal points in their lives and we try to maintain that to the best of our ability here.” Laurie said her previous experience makes her uniquely suited for this role.
Sales director – continued on page 2
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