College Degree Made Possible Through the Military
For Tim Tillman, being in the United States Army enabled him to earn a college education. “My parents couldn’t afford to put me though college and working as a head chef in a kitchen helped me get by but it didn’t pay for my college. The military enabled me to go to college and have many good experiences,” Tim explained.
When Tim was 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Army and attended basic training at Fort Dix near Trenton, New Jersey. For two years, he was working in the military mechanic field until he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and attended Winona State.
Tim graduated with a degree in history, business, and military science. Following his graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and went into psychological operations. He was working on writing information for the civilians during wartime.
“In Desert Storm, we needed local folks to retrieve fresh water, food, or shelter. My job was to direct the indigenous population,” he said.
After 12 years of service, Tim left the military and is currently a cook at St. Michael’s Assisted Living in Fountain City, Wisconsin. It’s been said that he makes the best soup on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River.
“I pride myself on my soups. For the residents, soups are easy to eat and nutritious. They allow me to use up leftovers,” Tim explained. “I made a bacon and tomato soup, with a little leftover bacon from breakfast.”
While the food is good, Tim’s favorite part of the job is the residents. “I enjoy meeting and getting to know them. It’s a living history book here,” Tim said. “I was talking with resident Edward Schaefer. I said to him, ‘Where were you 76 years ago today?’ and without blinking an eye, he told me exactly where he was when he learned about Pearl Harbor.”
Tim has received feedback from the St. Michael’s residents about his cooking. “It’s positive, and I have learned about the palette of the residents. It can’t to be too spicy or to peppery,” he said.
Tim’s cooking background is mostly in restaurants. One food group that he has been able to practice more of is baking and desserts. “We recently had a bake-off for the staff. It was neat because my dessert turned out pretty good. I made Washington’s cheesecake. It’s similar to a cherry cheesecake and I found it from a real old cookbook,” Tim said.
According to Tim, the level of job satisfaction is quite high within his position. “Yes, I’m a veteran, but I’m also a good cook and I can make some good food for these folks. That’s my goal, to come in here, have a clean kitchen, and make good wholesome food for these folks,” he said.
In our 120th year of caring for souls, we are honoring both our veteran residents and team members. Our history begins with one family’s loss during the Civil War. A 15-year-old Ernst Boessling from Belle Plaine volunteered to serve with the Minnesota troops. He died in September of 1863 in service to his country at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
His mother, Sophie, had saved the government death benefits she received all the years after Ernst died. Wanting to provide a home for others like herself, she donated the money and her family’s farmland to build das Alten und Waisenheim—the Aged and Orphans’ Home. Now more than a century later, Sophie’s gift continues to benefit countless lives.