Like father, like son
In 2009, after owning and caring for their home for 55 years, Ken and Audrey Wyerman knew it was time to downsize. They had friends who lived at Simpson Meadows and knew it had a good reputation, so they moved to an independent living apartment here. Fast forward to 2021, when their son Tom decided that, at age 68, he was tired of cooking for himself and was ready to enjoy retirement living. Can you guess where he chose to call home?
Courage and camaraderie
Ken was born in 1924 in Hollidaysburg, in Blair County, south of Altoona, PA. During World War II, he worked at the Navy yard in Washington, D.C., and then spent 29 months in the Army Air Corps as part of a gunnery crew on a B29 bomber crew. Although his time in the service was spent in the United States, it wasn’t without its dangerous moments. Ken recalls a gunnery mission when his plane lost an engine. As the plane turned back, it lost a second engine. The crew of about 10 had just gotten the order to bail out when the plane lost a third engine. They made a wheels-up crash landing in the New Mexico desert and lost two navigators in the crash.
“Our crew had great camaraderie. We lived together, ate and drank together,” Ken says. “I feel honored to be a veteran of World War II.”
Finding love and family
After the war, Ken earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State. He also met Audrey when he went with a group of friends to Lakemont Park, an amusement park near Altoona. Audrey was from Tyrone and worked at the same place as Ken’s brother. Ken and Audrey married in 1950. That year, Ken started working for Lukens Steel in Coatesville, where he stayed until he retired in 1986. Ken and Audrey raised five children—Sue, Tom, Ted, Scott and Nan—and enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and to Europe and the British Isles. They were together until Audrey passed in 2016. Ken has four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Staying connected and active
Tom was born in Coatesville in 1953 and graduated from Elwyn Institute in Media. He worked in senior services for 45 years—25 years at a nursing home in Media and another 20 at St. Martha’s Manor in Downingtown. Last year, he followed in his parents’ footsteps and moved to an independent living apartment at Simpson Meadows.
“I was tired of cooking for myself, and I wanted to be close to my dad so I can help him if he needs it,” Tom says.
The two usually spend a few hours a day together and share mealtimes. They also both pursue their own hobbies. Ken is interested in genealogy. He traced his family roots back to Germany and wrote his autobiography. He also listens to audiobooks and does puzzles like sudoku and crosswords. Tom enjoys woodworking and building tables, birdhouses and more with his woodworking tools. His siblings—in Oxford, Pennsylvania; Maryland, Virginia and Georgia—are happy that he’s enjoying life with their father at Simpson Meadows.
Call us today at 610-269-8400 or submit the form below to see for yourself why The Wyermans and other relatives choose Simpson Meadows for retirement living.