• What’s New
• Living Your Way
• Health and Wellness
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contact Us
• Request Information
• Employment

Presbyterian Manor of Newton Kicks Off Capital Campaign With Announcement of Three Gifts Totaling $500,000

Ted Ice , Newton Advisory Committee and PMMA Board of Trustees member, and Ermal McFarland share a moment before the program.

Today, officials of the Presbyterian Manor of Newton announced the launch of a capital campaign, raising funds to revitalize its Health Care Center with a goal of creating a true home-like setting for its residents who require active medical services. To meet this challenge, the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Board of Directors and the Presbyterian Manor of Newton Advisory Committee have approved the $1.2 million Shaping Tomorrow project — $700,000 of which is to be raised by the Newton Manor. Three initial gifts from long-time supporters of Presbyterian Manor have been pledged to date, totaling $500,000.

More than a half century ago, Newton became home to the first Presbyterian Manor, and the Manor has been at the forefront of active retirement living for Kansans ever since. The goal of the Shaping Tomorrow project is to shift from staff-directed to resident-focused care and to provide a more complete sense of home to residents.

The revitalized McFarland Health Center will be named in honor of a $300,000 gift from Ermal McFarland. When Dr. Ray McFarland and his wife Ermal moved to Presbyterian Manor of Newton in the late ’70s, they knew they had found the ideal home to enjoy their retirement years. They became among the Manor’s staunchest supporters, and that support continues today. Although Dr. McFarland passed away a decade ago, Mrs. McFarland remains active in Manor life and in the community at 100 years of age. It is in that spirit that she has chosen to lay the financial foundation for the Health Care Center project.

	Shawn Sullivan, executive director, describes details of the proposed McFarland Health Center.

In addition, the east wing of the Center will be named Claassen House in honor of Cornelius and Addie Claassen. The three Claassen brothers: Lander of Mount Dora, Fla., Maurice of Great Bend, Kan., and Walter of Newton, Kan., are underwriting part of this new development in memory of their parents.

Cornelius Claassen was one of the original members of the board of directors that founded the Presbyterian Manor. For many years, he was the treasurer and financial advisor of the Reverend George Nelson. Dr. Nelson conceived and fostered the idea of caring for the elderly, and who brought the idea to reality under sponsorship of the First Presbyterian Church of Newton where he was pastor for many years. In his memoirs, Dr. Nelson wrote, “There is nothing [I] can say to adequately express [my] appreciation for Mr. Claassen. We have been closely associated over the years in all phases of the financial development of the Foundation and Newton Presbyterian Manor. The annuity system, which is a part of the Foundation finances, is directly the development of Mr. Claassen.”

The north wing of the Center will be named Utz House, in memory of Everett and Inez Utz who sold a portion of their land to Dr. Nelson for expansion of the original Manor. Their daughters, Marion Nickel and Myra Utz are currently residents of the Manor, Marion in the Health Care Center and Myra in an assisted living apartment.

Marion, Myra and their brother Max grew up a stone’s throw away from the Manor at the corner of Broadway and Sherman. In 2004, Presbyterian Manor purchased additional Utz family property for use in future growth. “Presbyterian Manor was always a good neighbor to us,” said Myra. “This gift is a way to give back to Newton and to honor the memory of our parents.”

Announcement attendees visit with Walt Claassen, a major donor in honor of his parents Cornelius and Addie Claassen for whom the east wing of the health center will be named, and Mark Frazier, general chair of the Campaign Committee.

Guiding the Shaping Tomorrow Campaign are committee members Walt Claassen, honorary chair; Mark Frazier, campaign general chair for Phase I; Mel and Donna McAnulty, campaign general co-chairs for Phase II; Nancy Craig, lead gift chair; Ann Adrian, major gift chair; Ken and Jan Horst, special gifts co-chairs; Dr. Dale Griswold, medical chair; and Lou Sturm, event chair. Additionally, a Lead and Major Gifts Committee has been named, consisting of: Sue Ice, Merrill Raber, Mike Sizemore, Bob Sjogren, John R. Suderman, and Marilyn Wilder.

“I am in awe of the volunteers who make up this committee,” said Mark Frazier. “They are long-time Newtonians who care not only about the quality of life at Presbyterian Manor, but about Newton in general. Many of them either have had, or still have, family members as residents of the Manor. When they speak of ‘Shaping Tomorrow,’ it truly is about family. I am confident that with their commitment, insight and resolve, the campaign will be a great success.”

“It has been such a pleasure to work with the dedicated group of volunteers that comprise our Shaping Tomorrow committee,” added Shawn Sullivan, executive director of Presbyterian Manor of Newton. “They have been so positive throughout this process and passionate about helping make this project a reality.”

The U.S. Census estimates that by 2030 one in five Americans will be age 65 or older. And with the aging of America, retirement living has become more resident focused, as seniors look to relinquish the responsibilities of home ownership while remaining independent. From flexible dining hours and menus to take-out meals and coffee bars, to resident-directed trips off campus and the hosting of outside groups, to the ability to select one’s own décor and the elimination of nurses stations — “The Way You Want to Live” has become the standard for Presbyterian Manors, for health care residents as well as all other levels of living.

“We believe residents should be able to live as closely as possible to the way they did in their personal residences, with the care and necessary support required to accomplish this,” said Sullivan. “Presbyterian Manor staff have embraced the culture change movement in the last few years as we have adapted to transform from an institutional model to a resident-focused model. However, the institutional environment in which we work continually limits us. This renovation will allow us to not only have a home-like environment, but will allow us to take our resident-focused care and services to new heights.”

To this end, construction of the McFarland Health Center will create three distinct, 20-residential “households” — Claassen House, Utz House and Haury Place. Each household will have a private entrance and foyer, a living room and activity center, and a dining room with kitchen. Haury Place, the first memory support center in Kansas, has been serving as its own unit since 1986. It will be expanded and enhanced to include the amenities provided in Claassen and Utz Houses. Amenities in each household will include a remodeled and modernized bathing/spa room, a laundry room with washer and dryer for personal laundry, and a completely updated and modernized heating and air conditioning system that will provide for individual temperature control in each room. The project will also include the reconfiguring of semi-private rooms to “privacy-enhanced” rooms, allowing for greater space distinction.

“Shortly after moving to Newton, I became acquainted with Presbyterian Manor, as many of my clients were residents and I was able to witness all levels of care at the Manor,” said Campaign General Chair Frazier, an investment representative with Edward Jones “What struck me then, and still does today, was the fact that my clients felt at home there. They cared about their neighbors, and they cared about the community of Presbyterian Manor. Our Shaping Tomorrow campaign isn’t so much about doing something new as it is about continuing a historical commitment. The Manor has been — and should be — home to our residents.”

If you would like to learn more about Presbyterian Manor in Newton, the Shaping Tomorrow Campaign, or how you can help bring this project to fruition, you are encouraged to contact Executive Director Shawn Sullivan, at 316-283-5400, or Shawn Sullivan. All gifts are tax deductible.

In 1949, Newton became home to the first Presbyterian Manor. It would come to pioneer specialized residential programs to serve people with Alzheimer’s and dementia in Kansas. Today, Presbyterian Manor of Newton offers a full range of housing options to serve seniors, regardless of the level of care needed. As part of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, a not-for-profit, faith-based organization of 17 active living and wellness communities in Kansas and Missouri, the Manor benefits from the strength and expertise of its organization.

Now in its 58th year, the organization has long been recognized for its reputation of providing quality senior housing. Presbyterian Manor communities take pride in their mission: To provide Christian-based retirement living and health care services through a continuum of care, dedicated to the values of service, respect, dignity, and independence. In addition, our Good Samaritan Fund helps to ensure that any of our local residents who may have outlived their personal resources and whose options for payment have been exhausted can continue to reside at the Manor regardless of their ability to pay.

This page can be found at thekansan.com. To view the page, please visit: http://www.thekansan.com/bigfrontpage/

About Us | Communities | Giving | Site Map