Jim and Mary Erkmann live in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, but they’ll soon be changing addresses and moving to Good Samaritan – Founder’s Crossing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The Erkmanns retired several years ago and enjoy their 55+ community, but they chose a senior living community in South Dakota for an important reason – their daughter, her husband and their four grandchildren live in Sioux Falls.
“Both of us are approaching the big eight-zero, which we never believed we’d get that far, but here we are. Our daughter really wanted us to be up there in our older age so she could watch over us,” says Jim.
Get to know the Erkmanns
The Erkmanns both grew up in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. Mary was a registered nurse before she and Jim had three children. Later, the couple started their own business.
“We were a Denny’s franchisee with a number of stores in the Midwest. We started in 1989 and then grew the franchise. In 2012, we sold our last store,” says Jim.
They raised their family in a home on Lake St. Louis.
“We lived in that lake community for 40 years. We had a power boat for skiing and a pontoon boat for family cruising, which let us enjoy water activities,” Mary says.
After moving to Texas, the couple developed good friendships in their retirement community. They look forward to doing the same at Founder’s Crossing.
Why they chose Founder’s Crossing
The continuum of care that Founder’s Crossing offers is important to the Erkmanns.
“The idea that we can step to the older challenges of life in some of the other facilities that will be built is helpful,” says Jim.
For now, they’re looking forward to moving into their villa.
“We’ve been able to get one of the lots on the lake, and we’re happy about that,” says Jim.
They also appreciate that life in their villa will be maintenance-free and offer additional services.
“I'm very happy not having all the yard work and that somebody will come in and clean every other week. That just sounds really good,” Mary says.
The Erkmanns like to stay fit and look forward to the wellness offerings at Founder’s Crossing.
“I am currently part of a senior fitness program, and I like chair yoga. I want to stay active as long as I can,” says Mary.
In addition to being active, they also anticipate a fulfilling social life.
“Just even having the opportunity to have dining and to be able to meet up with friends and have a casual lunch or a cup of coffee will be nice. And I look forward to things like Bible studies right there and having friendships develop out of that,” says Mary.
They envision a close-knit community of neighbors.
“If we want to call somebody at five o’clock for dinner, there’s a good chance they’re available. We’ll tell them that they can add some water to the soup, or we’ll add it to ours,” says Jim.
And as life changes, they feel reassured that Founder’s Crossing is the ideal place for them.
“Having doctors in medical facilities nearby without having to drive to access good medical care feels reassuring. And having a drugstore right there is something we look forward to,” says Mary.
“If something happens to either of us, we’ll have a community around us of supportive friendships and relationships,” says Jim.
What brings them joy
After moving to Founder’s Crossing, the Erkmanns plan to continue traveling and going south every year.
“But, there’s no place like home with the friends that we’ve developed. And so that’s the highlight of what we're looking forward to at Founder’s Crossing,” says Jim.
They also plan to continue serving the Lord through whichever church congregation they choose in Sioux Falls while anticipating their final trip – heaven.
“As a Christian family, that’s the highest blessing we’ve had. We don’t know how many special outings we have left, but we have one great one coming and not too far down the line, and we look forward to that,” says Jim.