Place. Because they live at separate ends of the retirement living building, they meet in the middle of the build- ing daily for dinner, and they also enjoy bingo, bunco, knitting, hymn sing, and Bible study together at Park Place. Sometimes the two ladies get together to play a game of Uno or Skip-Bo and share what’s happened in their days. Tini subscribes to a Dutch newspaper, and when she’s done reading it she passes it along to Gerrie to enjoy. The two sisters have different pur- suits as well. Tini still attends United
new friends they’ve made at Park Place. But when they want to have a private conversation, they speak in their secret sister language—which just happens to be Dutch! These sisters have seen a great deal of change in their lifetime, but they both look at the course of their lives with faith and gratitude, and both feel especially happy with the lives they’ve built at Park Place. “When we were girls, Gerrie and I shared a bed, and our younger sister Bette slept in an alcove with a bed built into the wall,” Tini says. “Now look at us! We couldn’t ask for anything more.” They say they are both looking forward to the hope of being reunited with their family one day.
Reformed Church in St. John twice a day on Sundays. Gerrie is a still member at First PCA, and she enjoys visits at Park Place by her pastor and other mem- bers often. Gerrie enjoys Wii Bowling competitions, dominoes, and Scrabble, while Tini plays pinochle and uses her computer to keep up with her British pen pal of over 70 years. “I don’t do anything on computers,” Gerrie adds with a laugh. Family is still everything to these two sisters. Tini has 4 children, 12 grandkids, and 24 great-grand- kids, while Gerrie has 5 children, 18 grandkids, 42 great-grandkids, and 1 great-great-granddaugh- ter. Their children take turns helping when need- ed, but the sisters love the freedom and space they have with their private apartments. They’ve expanded their family more to include the many
2023 • Annual Report 5
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