I decided to write the January and February column together, since the weather was so cold it stopped us from having much going on around the lodge. Well, the weather and COVID restrictions both had a hand in ensuring we didn’t go too far.
Since our last column we welcomed a couple new faces to the lodge. Jenny and John McKelkie have made their new home at the lodge. They are a lovely couple and we can’t wait to get to know them better. We have 50 residents that now live at the lodge, since we have four married couples. This is the most residents we have had since several RMs took ownership in 2010.
Unfortunately, we also had to say good-bye to a few of our residents. Jan Leonard has lived at the lodge since May 2015. Jan made the decision to move to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home and is making quite a few new friends, while meeting up with some old ones. Jan will be missed at our weekly Bingo games and we wish her continued happiness in her new home. We can’t wait until we can see her again.
Mary Kowalski came to Creighton Lodge is August 2020 and we quickly fell in love with her contagious smile, quick wit and beautiful personality. Mary passed away in February and she is greatly missed. Our condolences to her family.
Our condolences are also extended to Benita Brennan’s family. Benita passed away in February. She was a resident at the lodge from 2010-2020 when she too moved to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home. Benita was a special friend and will be missed. Benita’s sister Alma McGill still lives at Creighton Lodge and we enjoy sharing memories of Benita.
Our cocktail hours were enjoyed by all who attended. We had a few good romance movies to watch and our Bingo games had some good laughs. But the most fun we had all month was the trip to the COVID vaccination clinic. Art Beselt drove the SMILE van in the morning and transported 14 of us to get our shots. Then the phone started ringing that there were openings for more, so our families started to show up and give us rides throughout the day. A few of us even drove ourselves and took a neighbour, too.
The final call came at 5:15 p.m., we were able to get the final 11 if we could make it to the clinic quickly. Art showed up and next thing we knew we were all vaccinated. The smiles and laughter that was heard that night will forever be in our hearts. There was a sense of freedom that hasn’t been felt since March 2020.
We know it will take time until all of our loved ones will be vaccinated, but this is a great start. A huge thank you to everyone at Public Health and the vaccine clinic who made it all go so smooth. You were kind when you reminded us to pinch our masks at the nose, to use our hand sanitizer or when you guided us to the next available nurse that could provide our shot. You are all appreciated and are true heroes in this pandemic.
There were a few birthdays in January: Marie Bonokoski, Deloris Mehler, Lucille Bonokoski and Nancy Kleebaum. We celebrated with donuts and they were enjoyed by all. The ones with the jam are the best.
February birthdays were Marion Mack, Donna Wilson, Dodie Kuchinka, Phyllis Phillips and Herman Kleebaum. Dee’s Balls created hot chocolate bombs for our celebration and we sure did giggle watching them explode in our cups.
Since our 2021 spring fundraiser dinner has been cancelled, we wanted to announce that the Creighton Lodge Trust is having a raffle. Tickets go on sale March 18 and the draw will be held on May 20. There will be almost $2,500 in prizes to win. Please contact a member of the trust committee or call 306-634-4154 to get a ticket. They are only $10 each and only 1,000 tickets will be sold. The money raised goes to complete future capital projects at the lodge.
