Villa residents provide naming bench for Thuesen Cottage

A mother’s love of nature, a husband’s hobby and a light-bulb moment all combined to create a naming monument at one of the two cottages providing specialized dementia care for small groups of residents.  

Greg and Peg Pape-Kohls moved into their villa in 2016, the year they were married. Peg’s mom, Shirley Elsberry, moved into the nearby Thuesen Cottage at 5127 Caraway Lane in Jan. 2019, where she lived until passing away in Feb. 2021.  

“They took such good care of her at Thuesen Cottage,” Peg reflects, noting the additional comfort of having her so close by for frequent visits. 

Peg wanted a way to show appreciation and honor her mom’s memory. Shirley loved being outdoors, especially in the mountains. She worked with her husband at Grand Teton National Park six months out of the year, then came home to Iowa for six weeks before wintering in Texas.  

Peg found the inspiration she needed during a trip to Cabela’s in Prairie du Chien. She saw a wooden bench and, knowing that another family had provided a boulder with “Nation Cottage” etched on it as a memorial gift for the cottage next door, Peg presented her idea and got the OK to proceed.  

Greg happens to have a 40-year hobby of building wooden models; he’s even built a model of the U.S.S. Arizona. He and Peg found slabs of wood at the What Cheer Flea Market this fall, and a vendor there who specializes in laser steel cutting did the lettering. Peg’s son provided tree stumps, then Greg varnished everything before piecing it all together in one October afternoon.  

The bench was installed at Thuesen Cottage in November, creating mixed emotions for Peg – sadness at the loss, but also a meaningful reminder of all the ways Shirley remains with them in spirit.