When Joyce was in college, she was the first female cheerleader for Michigan State University so her apartment door was always decorated with something related to her beloved alma mater. But it just so happened that we had other residents who were alumni of The University of Michigan. We had a house divided! It seemed that almost every apartment door was decorated with either green and white or maze and blue. So we started the Bickford Annual House Divided Party. The party takes place on the most important Saturday in Michigan - the MSU vs U of M football game. On this Saturday the Branch is decorated in white, green, maze and blue. We provide snacks for residents, families and BFMs. Joyce would have worn her cheerleading outfit if she had still owned it so we always made sure she was in full costume when she showed up for kick off! Joyce is no longer with us but we continue the House Divided Party in her honor.

Marian has a passion for gardening and she makes it a priority to keep our courtyard looking beautiful. So naturally, Marian was deadheading (the process of removing faded or dead flower blooms) in the garden all summer. Her love of beautiful flowers will always be a part of her.

Joe was so well known in the community that he was referred to as one of Midland’s heroes. After watching his beloved wife fade away into Alzheimer’s disease, Joe became a leading fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. He won many awards for his efforts including a national award for organizing one of the largest individual fund raisers in the country. The Alzheimer's Association wanted to recognize him for his efforts and Bickford was delighted to host the event. The state and national representatives for the Alzheimer’s association came to the branch to give Joe his award. His family and friends were there along with the newspaper who published the story on the front page! Joe was very touched and honored.

John was a hard working man, but when he wasn’t at the office he enjoyed building and flying remote controlled airplanes. He was a member of the Midland R/C Club who would meet regularly at their flying field to show off their builds, share trade secrets, and catch up with each other. When we celebrated National Aviation Day, we invited members of the club to present their aircrafts to our residents and allow John to share some of his stories. John’s wife, Elaine said Aviation Day was so special for John. She loved seeing the smile on his face and appreciates the kindness and caring our BFMs show John everyday.

Colorful locks have been trending for a while. In fact, both resident Jen and BFM, Karen have purple in their hair! Jen was admiring Karen’s hair and wondered how she was able to keep the color so vibrant. Karen told her about a special conditioner and Jen was delighted to hear how easy it could be to keep her color bright. So Karen picked up a bottle of the conditioner to surprise Jen with. Jen was thrilled to get such a thoughtful gift and felt so special. Now her hair is now even fuller of life and purple peppiness!

While Anna Belle was talking with Glen, the Maintenance Coordinator, their conversation led to the topic of LED lights. She wondered what those were, so Glen showed her his flashlight which has an LED light. Anna Belle thought it was fantastic and that it would make a great Christmas gift for her son and grandsons. She asked Glen where she could get them, but he told her he would be more than happy to pick them up. Glen ended up having to go to a couple of stores to find them, as they were a popular item. When Glen showed up with several flashlights for Anna Belle she was overjoyed and very grateful that he went out of his way to get them for her.

When we met Ron, we learned he is an Eagle Scout and went on many outdoor adventures living off the land with his grandson Bryce. One of their favorite trips was canoeing in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Ron and Bryce took this trip many times and because they were living off the land and off the grid, carrying things like cameras or cell phones was not something they packed. When Ron moved to Bickford, Ron’s daughter, granddaughter, and Bryce were all there. While the family was checking out Ron’s new undecorated apartment, we presented him with a framed photo of the view Ron would have had on the shoreline from his canoe on the Boundary Waters. Not only was Ron elated, but so was Bryce saying, “in all those years and all those trips, we never took a picture. Thank you. This is perfect.” The photo inspired the family to decorate his apartment with all things lake, wilderness, and the outdoors including a shower curtain with flying geese.

Earldine had a very special hope chest where she stored everything that was important to her. Upon moving into her new home at Bickford, the chest turned out be too large to set at the foot of her bed as it had at her house. When hearing how devastated Earldine was of this, Director Krystyna, surprised her with a new hope chest that would fit at the end of her bed. For Earldine, it was a chest of hope, a sign that Bickford of Midland would feel like home.

When Karen and John met at a work function over 55 years ago, it was love at first sight. After a long and successful life, they moved into Bickford to enjoy their “golden years” together. Naturally, John’s recent passing hit Karen hard. She struggled, keeping everything that was his close to her as a constant reminder and source of comfort. Kristin saw how much Karen cherished John’s favorite shirt and asked if she could have it for a special project. Karen said yes. Kristin had the shirt made into a Memory Bear. The bear sits on Karen’s bed, keeping her company day and night. It is her most cherished procession.

When our residents heard that Shirley’s grandson had become the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and that they’d face off against their beloved Detroit Lions, they knew they had to send some Bickford love. Residents sent snacks and hand-written cards of support to Cooper Rush and the whole Dallas team. On game day, there was a huge tailgating party with friends, family, snacks and fun. We were a building divided, half routing on our beloved Lions and the other half cheering for our new favorite, the Cowboys. Shirley’s whole family came in to watch the game and cheer on Cooper.