Family, friends making moving a more pleasant experience

When Ann Church made the move from her home in Lawrence to a cottage at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, she expected a difficult transition.

“Of course, moving is difficult, but the manor has made it quite smooth,” Ann said. “I have new carpet and appliances. It’s always difficult to move, but they’ve made it very pleasant.”

Ann, who loves to read and is a self-proclaimed Anglophile, has already found a number of activities she’s enjoying in her new home.

“I go to the exercise sessions on Monday and Wednesday morning,” she said. “I’ve signed up to play bridge, and join the bridge group. I also go to the library on Wednesday where I can go in and put in an order for the books I want.”

Her favorite genres are British Literature, along with mysteries.

Before her husband, James, passed away several years ago, the couple had taken several trips to England to explore their love of all things British.

“We enjoyed visiting cathedrals, museums, especially art museums, and the theater,” Ann said. “We had a lot of fun.”

For more than 40 years, James worked as a professor at the University of Kansas. Ann taught high school in Lawrence for more than 25 years. The couple moved to Lawrence in 1967, after meeting in Wisconsin.

“James grew up in Nebraska. He was a midwestern kid,” Ann said. “I grew up in South Carolina. He was finishing up his doctorate, and I was teaching. We met on a blind date. We were married for 55 years.”

Along with help from the staff and community at LPM, Ann has had the help of her family - a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren who all live in Lawrence.

“They helped me, and I was very fortunate to have that much help,” Ann said. “They worked in shifts and would come help when they could. It really helped. The staff and residents have been very welcoming, and positive. I knew some people before coming. I couldn’t ask for better warmth and welcome. It’s been very pleasant.”

Now that she’s pretty well settled, Ann has an eye toward the future and what else she might find to enjoy in her new home.

“I’m an avid reader, and I have a book club outside of the manor,” Ann said. “I’ll continue with the book club. I enjoy gardening. I won’t get to do that as much here. But I’ll find plenty of things to do. There are plenty of lovely people here - and I’ll look forward to getting out to do things and going to the theater with people from the manor.”

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