聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle's Joanne Merkel officially retired from her position as cook at Moose Mountain Lodge. For 41 years, Merkel has made a positive impact on the facility's residents, her fellow staff members and the families of the hundreds of people she has served. And in addition to preparing thousands of meals, Merkel served up kindness and compassion every day.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm a firm believer that if (residents) want soup for supper, let them have soup for supper,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f they want eggs, let them have eggs. I'm happy to do that. And I think it's nice because this is their home and should be treated as such.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Merkel grew up in Carlyle and has worked at Moose Mountain Lodge since it opened - even before there were any residents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 started in 1976,鈥� smiles Merkel. 鈥淚 saw an ad in the paper for a job at the new nursing home. I applied and my sister Shirley takes some of the credit for me getting hired, because she helped me with my application.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was on cloud nine when they phoned me to tell me I got the job.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I first started at the Lodge, I had only planned to stay for a few years. After that, I was planning on moving to Moose Jaw where my sisters were, but 41 years later...鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I first started to work here, Moose Mountain Lodge was new and there were no residents living here at first. But two days after we all started work, the residents started to come.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔or a lot of us back then, it was our first job working in a nursing home,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e were all so happy to be here and the residents were, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Merkel says some aspects of life at the Lodge have changed over the years.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 remember when I first started working in the kitchen that all of our produce was fresh,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 had some cauliflower and I didn't know how to cut it up or cook it, so one of the residents helped me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ack then, the residents could help in the kitchen and set the table. The director of care told us: 'This is their home and they should be able to treat it as such.'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e had 36 residents then and 42 now,鈥� says Merkel. 鈥淚n 1986, there was a big change. Things got bigger, there were more staff and things weren't as relaxed in they way we do things. But it's still good.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he hardest thing to get used to was that things became more controlled with regards to what people were allowed to do - and the (added) paperwork.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hat hasn't changed is that all of the staff - no matter what their job - all work together,鈥� she says. 鈥淓veryone. And for the most part, we all get along.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd over the years, my job was made a lot easier by the many volunteers who help out at the nursing home, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 really liked the people I worked with, the residents and their families,鈥� she says. 鈥淚've seen three generations from the same family as residents here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith so many residents, when you lose a resident, you lose a family, too, because of course, they stop coming to the Lodge to visit.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y last day of work was August 31,鈥� says Merkel. 鈥淚t was like any ordinary day, really. It was a particularly busy day and except for people coming up to say goodbye, I kept having to remind myself it was the last day.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was very nice, though,鈥� continues Merkel. 鈥淚 got a cake and flowers from the staff and other people were kind enough to recognize my retirement.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽鈥淢y husband Jim, my daughter and her husband, my granddaughter and my sisters all took me out for supper and I received flowers there, too.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 don't think of myself as special,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just really liked working here and I never dreamt I'd get the job.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 like making people happy and I hope I've done that.鈥�
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