Resident leaves behind cribbage board legacy
As a chaplain at Wellhaven Senior Living, Pastor Kenley Mann spends one-on-one time with each resident. This individual time allows him to get to know the residents better and to learn about their lives. He often brings along a cribbage board in the hopes that they might be able to play a game together.
There’s something special about Pastor Mann’s cribbage board. It is homemade and was gifted to Pastor Mann from a Wellhaven tenant, Nick Huttner, who was called home to heaven in 2020.
“Some cribbage boards have such small pegs, and they are hard to move. Such is not the case with Nick’s board,” explained Pastor Mann. “Cribbage continues to be a good way to visit with residents while bringing back memories of the times I spent with Nick.”
When Pastor Mann first met Nick, it was in his apartment at Wellhaven. He had pointed out the board during their first meeting, and both agreed it would be fun to play.
Nick’s heart was not strong, though, and there were times when Pastor Mann would visit him in the hospital during his short stays there. As Nick’s health began to decline more rapidly, he would spend more time in his apartment and thus visit with Pastor Mann up to two times a week. They would play cribbage and visit.
Pastor Mann learned that Nick had grown up Catholic but after joining the military had no church home and thus stopped hearing God’s Word.
The conversations would jump back and forth from humorous to serious. During one of the games, Nick asked, “Pastor, is Jesus my Savior because He showed me how to live or because He did everything for me?”
It was a joy for Pastor Mann to explain how Jesus had done everything for him to give eternal life to Nick as His gift. The two continued to visit and play cribbage together until Nick’s health decline took him back to the hospital.
Before he left, Pastor Mann reassured Nick that Jesus paid our entrance price for heaven. Nick was called home to Heaven in May 2020, leaving behind his cribbage board.
“Just as I did with Nick, I play cribbage with residents and listen to their stories about upcoming doctor visits or happenings in their families,” explained Pastor Mann. “Before I leave, I pray with them for the Lord to bless their treatment or to protect their family members.”
During the last year, our chaplains averaged 1,696 visits with residents each month. Our chaplaincy program relies on ministry friends like you. Share a gift today in honor of our chaplains at tlha.org/donate.