Two gatherings of five generations, 37 years apart

Sometimes history repeats itself in the best possible way. 

Villa resident Barb Seufferlein recalls her maternal grandmother, Grace Hinkley, living at The Western Home the last few years of her life. Grace resided in the original building on the downtown campus and gathered with her family for Christmas 1984, when they captured a five-generation photo. It included Grace; her daughter, Hazel; Hazel’s daughter, Barb; Barb’s daughter, Debbie; and Debbie’s infant son, James. 

Barb never dreamed she’d be part of another five-generation family photo, this time with her mother as the matriarch and both of them as residents of Western Home Communities. But it happened last month – a surprise that involved lots of logistics and cross-country travel – and Barb couldn’t be happier about it. 

Barb has a tradition of spending some time on her birthday with her mother, 103-year-old Hazel Scheppele of Deery Suites. Barb arranged to have lunch at Gilmore’s Pub that day and invited her brother to join them for the occasion.  

First, though, Barb had a birthday breakfast invitation from her late husband Ron’s daughter and son-in-law. It was Barb’s first birthday without Ron, and the family knew it could be a hard day for her. 

They went beyond planning an early start to the festivities. When Barb arrived at breakfast, admitting she was a little teary, Ron’s daughter told her she wouldn’t be for long. 

Around the corner came Barb’s daughter, Debbie, who’d traveled from South Carolina. And then, an even bigger surprise:  Debbie’s son James and his family, who traveled from Arizona with their new baby, Maddie Jo. Another grandson came in from Illinois. 

The group at Gilmore’s Pub for lunch quickly grew to 15. It became more than Barb’s birthday lunch; it was a time of celebration for the entire extended family. Barb says her centenarian mom was thrilled and “in her glory” with so many loved ones around the table. 

As they accompanied Hazel back to Deery Suites, Barb made sure to capture the moment with another five-generation photo. It will be an enduring reminder of the power of love and family, across time and generations.