Retiring close to family in New Ulm
Ron Zahrt thought he found the place he would retire; Winnsboro, Texas.
“It’s a little town with around 4,000 people and the folks there are real down to earth,” he explained, “If you got dropped there in the middle of summer, you would think you were in Wisconsin or Minnesota. It has rolling hills, lakes, lots of pine trees. The only difference is there is no heavy winter snow.”
Everything was great but Ron was a little lonely. His wife was called to Heaven five years ago and all of their children found homes far away from Texas – in Oregon, Washington and Minnesota.
“We had a series of phone calls where he was constantly repeating how he wished he was closer to my sisters out west and that he could see my family more,” said Jesse, Ron’s son. “I said, ‘If you move to one of the two places, you would only have to worry about traveling to one.’ A week later, he called saying he was seriously considering the move and looking into putting his house on the market.”
Ron was planning to find his new home in New Ulm, Minn. where his son and family currently reside. They began looking and stumbled across Highland Regency House (HRH), a senior apartment community managed by The Lutheran Home Association (TLHA).
“At first, I was thinking about remodeling an older home or building new, but realized I no longer desired to coordinate home repairs, mow the lawn or shovel snow,” Ron said. “Many of my neighbors at HRH have voiced the same sentiments.”
Being a resident at Highland for the past six months has been great for Ron. He was recently selected as chairman of the residents’ council committee. Opportunities abound in the community such as playing Bingo or cards, watching college sports, attending parties, visiting parks and being close to church.”
“There’s always something going on and it’s really fun to live here. New Ulm is a beautiful town” he said. “I may still live alone but I have close neighbors and that’s really nice.”
Having a home with easy access to religious services is important to Ron.
“We have Bible studies on Monday nights and a student on the pastor track at Martin Lutheran College will come to lead devotion on Thursday nights,” Ron said, “It’s great to have additional opportunities to grow in my faith here.”
Living in the same city has allowed Ron to spend more time with his son and family.
“It’s opened up opportunities for us. I hosted our family for Thanksgiving last fall at Highland. We often have dinner together at their house and play games,” Ron explained.
“I’ve been able to watch my older granddaughter at her cheerleading program and watercolor with my younger granddaughter. I’ve been able to attend a few ball games and was invited to attend a VIP day at their school,” said Ron.
And for Jesse, the move offers the chance to see his dad more.
“It’s awesome to get to see him more often and just hang out. We haven’t had that opportunity for almost 30 years,” said Jesse. “I like knowing he found a good home in a Christian environment.”
Finding a new home at Highland has been a positive change for Ron. Highland Regency House is only one of TLHA care communities. We have active senior living, assisted living and memory care communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Looking for a place to call home? Visit www.tlha.org/communities.