We have had the privilege to care for many individuals and their families going back decades. As we start our second century of service to the Northwest Pennsylvania region, we asked residents who had family members who lived at Wesbury about their experiences and how they shaped their decision to call Wesbury home in their own words.

Thoburn Village resident, Carol Davis:

“My first encounter with Wesbury was when it was the United Methodist Home where my great grandmother lived after moving from the original location in Conneautville. I remember visiting her as a little girl with my parents. My second experience was when my grandfather had surgery, I was probably a teenager at the time, and he went to the Methodist Home for a rehabilitation stay. The nice thing was that they arranged for my grandmother to stay in one of the guest rooms so she could be with him. Later, a family friend, who we referred to as our “Aunt Kathleen,” was a resident at Cribbs and then later at Grace. I would come almost every Sunday to visit with her. And then, “out of the blue,” my mom called my sister and me to tell us she decided to move to Cribbs. I’m sure the reason she made that decision was because of our family’s history with Wesbury. My mom lived here for 12 or 13 years living at Cribbs and then Grace. When my husband Dave and I lived in the Kane area, I was connected to Wesbury as an Area Key Person in the Sunset Auxiliary. When we moved to Saegertown, I served on the Auxiliary Board. We always knew at some point we were going to live at Wesbury, too. We never considered anywhere else. We moved here only three or four years after my mom passed away, and my sister kept saying, “It’s too soon, it’s too soon,” but I will tell you, neither one of us knew the health problems we would have in just two years after arriving. Wesbury has been a wonderful support to both of us, and we feel we made a very wise decision in moving here when we did.”

Cribbs Residential Center Resident, Phyllis Weltner:

“I grew up in Oil City and as a Methodist, always heard about the Methodist Home in Meadville, but going way, way back it was my uncle and aunt, who were the first that lived at the Methodist Home. My Aunt Alva had a sewing machine and she would make aprons and other items that were sold in the gift shop. That was an influence on me as a girl as I would later become a quilter. Then, my grandfather was at Grace before he passed away. He was just shy of turning 100 and Grace was only in operation for a few years at that time. My mother was also at Grace for 11 years after she had a stroke. I was living out of the area at the time, but when I visited, I always felt she received wonderful care. I was here the day she died, and what impressed me about the staff, is that they stopped by to pay their respects and lend support and comfort. With my family’s history here, I knew I would always come at some point. So, here I am, many years later. When I decided to move to Cribbs, I made sure I could bring my sewing machine so I could do my quilting and sewing and bring my Aunt’s tradition full circle. For me, it’s like coming home since so many of my family members have been at Wesbury. Everybody has been wonderful here. The staff stops by and always asks if there is anything they can do for me. Another neat aspect is getting to know my fellow residents. My first day at Cribbs, I sat down for lunch and low and behold the person at my table lived across the street from me in Franklin. We got to talking and it was amazing how our childhood stories just fit each other like a glove. I’ve made connections with other residents in my short time here. I guess it speaks to us all growing up in the same era and area. It really is neat that we are able to have a good conversation about the things we have in common and get to know new friends…I love it here.”

Barb (right) visiting her mom, Mary at Cribbs Residential Center

Thoburn Village Resident, Barbara Shick:

“I grew up in the area close to Cambridge Springs. After graduating from high school, I went to business school in New Castle, and eventually got a job at GE. After my first husband passed away, I met Leonard at GE, and re-married. Once retired, we were getting tired of all the snow and wanted to move to Asheville, North Carolina, near the mountains, but didn’t find anything suitable. I did some investigating and found some listings for “mountain views” in Georgia. We built a house and lived there for 11 years, but started missing family. After Leonard had a stroke, I had to take care of our place, so I started to look into continuing care communities around us. We went to the meet and greets, but ultimately they were just too expensive. After additional internet searches, I found Wesbury. Even though I grew up in the area and drove by Wesbury a lot, I didn’t realize it was there! I sent for information and decided this would be a good place for Leonard and I. I asked my mom to make an appointment to look around and let me know what she thought. She was very impressed with the home she toured and it ended up being the one we are living in now. We soon decided to pack it up, head north, and move to Wesbury. After living here for a few years, my sister called saying mom, who was living alone in Cambridge Springs, was having anxiety and no longer felt comfortable alone. I told her it was time to come to Wesbury. She is now living in one of the new kitchenette apartments at Cribbs and is very happy. I am right here if she needs anything, it has really worked out for us. She is not alone, and has met people she grew up with that are also at Cribbs. It’s kind of a small world and nice that Wesbury has been able to bring us all together. For me, the peace of mind is two-fold. There is the peace of mind for Leonard and me in living at Wesbury, but there is also the peace of mind that mom is also here, safe, and being cared for by people I know and trust.”

Adrienne (left), her mom, Doris (center), and Doris’ friend Ada attending Wesbury’s resident Halloween party

Thoburn Village Resident, Adrienne Geddes:

“Wesbury was familiar to me as I lived in Cochranton and would come to Meadville a lot and I would see things written about Wesbury in the local paper. We first took interest when we read an article about how great it was to live here in the new apartments. That article got my husband Jack and me to start considering that type of independent living lifestyle, but we had just built our retirement home in Cochranton and felt we were all set. But we didn’t have anyone to take care of us later, so that was an intriguing aspect of living at Wesbury. Around that time, Cribbs was being remodeled and getting ready to have their open house to show off their new spaces. It was 1995 or so when Jack, my mom and I first came up to tour. That trip planted the seed of Wesbury. A few years later, mom decided to get on the waitlist for a Garden Apartment in Thoburn Village. After a year, none were open, but she got a call saying there was a two-room apartment available at Cribbs. She toured and decided to take it. As we visited with her, we thought more and more about moving to Wesbury ourselves. By 2003, I was retired, so we toured a few villas. We liked the location of our villa, so we moved in. While we didn’t realize we would find a place so quickly, we quickly realized this was the place to be and I have never regretted it, even when I was 60. I appreciate a lot about living here like, not having to do any yard work, home maintenance, or shoveling snow in the winter. I also appreciate the field trips and activities available. Wesbury makes things easier, and the older I get, I value that. I was also close by to my mom and was able to make sure she was doing well and doing the things she wanted to do. She was a huge Pittsburgh Pirates fan and made sure games could be shown at Cribbs. Mom also made great new friends. You don’t think you will meet some of your best friends late in life but she did. They would meet in the kitchen at Cribbs and bake or make meals to share and be together. I like that moving here kept us so close, and always allowed us to do the things that we wanted to do. You just don’t get that type of experience everywhere.”

It means a lot to us that generations of family members have made Wesbury their home. If any of their stories have piqued your interest and you want to find out for yourself what living at Wesbury is all about, call Melissa at 814-332-9009 or submit an information request online.