Bob Jenkins spent a few weeks of respite stay at Heather Glen before he and his family decided that he would join us as a resident. Born in July of 1912, Bob surprises everyone when he tells them his age, and folks are eager to have a chat with him and hear about his life.
Bob was born on a farm near Ames, Iowa, and grew up in Boone County, working on the family farm from a young age. Valedictorian of his 1931 high school class, he went on to graduate from nearby Iowa State College in 1934 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Although jobs were scarce, he was hired by Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing of Milwaukee for a temporary position to work at their branch in Des Moines, assigned to drive a model tractor across Iowa demonstrating a new feature — rubber tires. He was soon hired by the company as an engineer, starting at 45 cents an hour.… Read More
Veterans Day is always an important day here at Ardenwoods. Not only do we have 31 resident veterans between Ardenwoods and Heather Glen Assisted Living, but we also have three staff members who served! We love to celebrate and honor our veterans every chance we get, and this Veterans month was no exception. Our Veterans Day celebrations included two local elementary schools as well as our own ceremony. Pairing with local students encompasses the spirit of Veterans Day: remembering our past and the sacrifices made by our military while honoring our future by passing it on.