6 The Senior Reporter | January Regional Senior Housing Directory 2018
MOVING
Gordon
Richardson
When asked where he lived before,
Gordon jokingly says, “I’ve lived
in the United States.” He was born
and raised in Duluth. He explains
that he moved often with jobs and
retirement to other states such as
New York and Florida. “Instead
of taking long vacations, we made
moving into vacations and explored
everywhere we moved. We were
able to visit with and understand
people in different areas.” For four
years, they lived in the Villages in
Florida, near their older daughter,
Lisa.
Gordon moved to Westwood senior
apartments in October. He and
his wife, Beverly, moved from
Owatonna to Eagan, and finally to
Duluth. Unfortunately, she became
ill and didn’t live long after the
move. He explains, “The move was
by design. My daughter, Nancy,
sought a place where my wife
could have more care and I could
live close by. By good luck, there
was an opening here.”
Gordon lives in Westwood
apartments, part of the Benedictine
Health Services. “This is a nice
area, a nice facility, but mentally it
was difficult. We had been married
63 years,” he says.
“Physically, the move was
exhausting,” he says of the
downsizing from a house to an
apartment. “When you have a
house, you accumulate a lot of
things. I have boxes everywhere,
and haven’t had time to unpack.”
“The facilities here are very nice,”
he says. “There are exceedingly
nice people here. Physically, the
move was fine. My family helped
so I didn’t do much. Mentally, it
Story by Burton Laine
Photos by
Burton Laine & Provided
Making a move in older age can be a daunting task. Finding just the right location to move to requires
assessing family needs, as well as personal abilities and interests. Then comes the downsizing. It has to be
difficult to decide what to keep, what to give to family and finally what must go in an estate sale or some other
option. Gordon Richardson and Charlotte Moyer both made multiple moves in retirement. They share their
stories about how the most recent move has been successful and meets their unique situations.
Stories
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