Resident Nancy Schulz finds friendship, comfort at Aberdeen Village

When Nancy Schulz moved to Aberdeen Village in August, she was happy to have less to worry about.

“I was having trouble keeping up with the house,” she said. “It was a very large house, and I had a stroke and open-heart surgery this year. I didn’t really do much. My sons did it all, and they were getting tired of it.”

Since moving to independent living at the campus, Nancy has found a lot of good things about her new home.

“I love it here,” she said. “The food is good. I love my room and my view. The people are wonderful, and the nurses are too. The transition was good. It’s nice to not have a big home.”

The meatballs are her favorite meal, she said.

Before the move to Aberdeen Village, Nancy lived with her husband, Chuck, in Overland Park for 35 years. In the years before settling in Overland Park, Chuck’s career as an Air Force pilot led them throughout the country, including Tuscon, Ariz.; Sacramento, Calif.; South Korea; and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“The trouble with that was it closed down after Labor Day, and you couldn’t find any shells after that,” Nancy said. “But it was lovely to be able to go down to the beach whenever you wanted to. I was there in 1979, and it’s gotten much more popular. They’ve doubled the number of golf courses. The big thing to do was play golf, and we didn’t play golf. We didn’t have time to learn; we had two kids then.”

Nowadays, Nancy enjoys the opportunity to visit with her four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“Believe it or not, all my kids live in the area,” she said. “The furthest one is in Lawrence.”

The grandchildren range in age from 32 to a set of twins who will soon turn 18.

“They are all gorgeous, of course.”

As a relatively new resident of Aberdeen Village, Nancy has quickly made friends and connected with staff members.

“The people at the end of the hall have been superb,” Nancy said. “They brought me food because I haven’t been able to get out. We go to dinner together. They ring my doorbell as they go by to let me know they’re going to dinner. They’ve been here a while, and I can ask them questions. There are a lot of very busy people on this floor. Many are on the resident council and stuff like that. They are eager to help and answer any questions I have. People have asked me to sit with them for dinner, and I hadn’t met them before. They are open and want to tell me about them and ask me about me. They’re sweethearts.”

She also remarked on the hard work and dedication of the staff. She has noticed that everyone from the department heads on down works to make sure residents have what they need.

When Nancy thinks back on her life, she finds a great deal of contentment. From her time as a teacher in Lutheran schools, to travels with her husband and her move to Aberdeen Village, she has experienced blessings.

“It’s been a very full life,” she said. “I’ve been blessed. God has been a big part of it. I learned a lot about the country. I love mountains, and the first time I saw them was when we drove out of Denver and turned a corner and there they were. Seeing the mountains for the first time was something I’ll never forget.”

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