Carlyle's Joanne Merkel officially retired from her position as cook at Moose Mountain Lodge. For 41 years, Merkel has made a positive impact on the facility's residents, her fellow staff members and the families of the hundreds of people she has served. And in addition to preparing thousands of meals, Merkel served up kindness and compassion every day.
“I'm a firm believer that if (residents) want soup for supper, let them have soup for supper,” she says. “If they want eggs, let them have eggs. I'm happy to do that. And I think it's nice because this is their home and should be treated as such.”
Merkel grew up in Carlyle and has worked at Moose Mountain Lodge since it opened - even before there were any residents.
“I started in 1976,” smiles Merkel. “I saw an ad in the paper for a job at the new nursing home. I applied and my sister Shirley takes some of the credit for me getting hired, because she helped me with my application.”
“I was on cloud nine when they phoned me to tell me I got the job.”
“When I first started at the Lodge, I had only planned to stay for a few years. After that, I was planning on moving to Moose Jaw where my sisters were, but 41 years later...”
“When I first started to work here, Moose Mountain Lodge was new and there were no residents living here at first. But two days after we all started work, the residents started to come.”
“For a lot of us back then, it was our first job working in a nursing home,” she says. “We were all so happy to be here and the residents were, too.”
Merkel says some aspects of life at the Lodge have changed over the years.
“I remember when I first started working in the kitchen that all of our produce was fresh,” she says. “I had some cauliflower and I didn't know how to cut it up or cook it, so one of the residents helped me.”
“Back then, the residents could help in the kitchen and set the table. The director of care told us: 'This is their home and they should be able to treat it as such.'”
“We had 36 residents then and 42 now,” says Merkel. “In 1986, there was a big change. Things got bigger, there were more staff and things weren't as relaxed in they way we do things. But it's still good.”
“The hardest thing to get used to was that things became more controlled with regards to what people were allowed to do - and the (added) paperwork.”
“What hasn't changed is that all of the staff - no matter what their job - all work together,” she says. “Everyone. And for the most part, we all get along.”
“And over the years, my job was made a lot easier by the many volunteers who help out at the nursing home, too.”
“I really liked the people I worked with, the residents and their families,” she says. “I've seen three generations from the same family as residents here.”
“With so many residents, when you lose a resident, you lose a family, too, because of course, they stop coming to the Lodge to visit.”
“My last day of work was August 31,” says Merkel. “It was like any ordinary day, really. It was a particularly busy day and except for people coming up to say goodbye, I kept having to remind myself it was the last day.”
“It was very nice, though,” continues Merkel. “I got a cake and flowers from the staff and other people were kind enough to recognize my retirement.”
“My husband Jim, my daughter and her husband, my granddaughter and my sisters all took me out for supper and I received flowers there, too.”
“I don't think of myself as special,” she says. “I just really liked working here and I never dreamt I'd get the job.”
“I like making people happy and I hope I've done that.”
