C O L O R A D O
S T A T E
V E T E R A N S
The Veterans’
Voice
H O M E
A T
R I F L E
www.colorado.gov/
cdhs/veteranshomes
WINTER 2013
“Valor is stability, not of legs and arms,
but of courage and the soul.”
—Michel de Montaigne
Veteran’s Day Program—November 11th, 2013
★ C O U R A G E , VA L O R , S A C R I F I C E ★
C
arolyn Reser, our administrator, started of the ceremony
with a warm welcome. The
New Castle American Legion presented the colors followed by the
Pledge of Allegiance lead by Vietnam
Air Force Veteran, David Wodash. Pastor James Legg gave an inspiring speech
on “Courage,” followed by Bob
McCarty’s overture on “Valor,” and
Greg Bak’s salutation on “Sacrifice.”
The Noble and the Brave poem was
recited to express our appreciation to
past and present Veterans. Bob
McCarty, Uncle of Leza Rust, shared
this profound quote: “Valor is one step
up from fear.” Rifle High School students provided special music to our
Veterans, families, and community
members. Janet Elkins cited the names
of our deceased elders this year as we
remembered our friends—forever in
our hearts. Norm Gould ended the program with Taps.
A special thank you to Neil Garing & Company, and Alpine Hospice for baking the delicious
refreshments. Thanks also to the
Rifle Fire Fighters who attended and
demonstrated their support!
Welcome, Carolyn Reser—
Nursing Home Administrator
and Jane Joyslin—Assistant
Director of Nursing.
We are excited to add to our team
two wonderful and caring ladies,
Carolyn and Jane; both of whom
bring with them care, compassion,
and a heart for the long-term care
field. Stop by anytime to welcome
these ladies to our home!
Carolyn moved to Colorado from
Southern Missouri over 15 years ago
and has lived in the Grand Valley
area ever since. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, is an R.N.
and Nursing Home Administrator.
Carolyn has worked in administration for over 20 years, first in hospital settings, then more recently
in long-term care. She was a Director of Nursing prior to obtaining her
Nursing Home Administrator’s
License. Carolyn has a wonderful
husband, two daughters, two sonsin-law and four marvelous grandsons. She is very active in her
church and loves the outdoors,
including camping, hiking, bicycling and just touring this beautiful state!
(Welcome continues on page 2)
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(Welcome continued from page 1)
Jane was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After she completed her bachelor’s in nursing, she
moved to Houston, Texas where she
worked in pediatric oncology at
Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. She then
moved into the home health sector. In 1995, she became the Director of Nursing for a home health
agency and nursing home in Iowa.
In 2005, Jane made her way to
Colorado—bringing with her a
wealth of knowledge and experience. Jane loves her three daughters, three grandchildren, four toy
poodles and four cats and enjoys
spending time with them all!
Rifle recently welcomed two new additions to its Leadership Team; Caroline
Reser, Administrator (right), and Jane Joyslin, Assistant Director of Nursing (left).
Take Me Out To The Ball Game …
Nothing is better then spending
a sunny Sunday afternoon with
friends—unless you are able to spend
that Sunday afternoon with friends
cheering for the home team at the
local ballpark!
Recently, many elders and staff
made the quick trip to root on their
Grand Junction Rockies in Grand
Junction. Despite the cheering and
yells of encouragement, the home
team lost in the 9th inning—but only
by one run! Regardless of the loss,
the elders and staff alike had a great
time cheering, watching and “coaching” from the crowd.
After a hard day at the park, a family dinner was held at a local restaurant, where stories and recaps of the
day’s events filled the air. All in all—
it was a great Sunday afternoon!
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Several residents, staff and volunteers watching the GJ Rockies
Giddy Up Cowboy
We have all heard the tales of the Old West—but for a few residents, they
got to relive their memories—getting up close and personal with a few special horses and making friends along the way. RIDE, a local therapeutic riding program for disabled equestrians offered their time to give these Veterans
a ride of a lifetime. After a great ride, all gathered under an apple tree to discuss the day’s events and memories.
Isaac stated “the ride was great, except for the person in front of me,
because I couldn’t make my horse run.”
Fred reminisced about his days training wild mustangs and George said,
“I’m ready to go again!”
The director and volunteers at RIDE were so elated to work with our Veterans, they will be setting up a special day for them to come back and ride
again soon.
COLORADO STATE
VETERANS HOME AT RIFLE
851 East 5th Street
Rifle, CO 81650
Phone: Toll-free 800.828.4580
or 970.625.0842
E-mail: CDHS_veteranshome_rifle@
state.co.us
Web: www.colorado.gov/cdhs/
veteranshomes/rifle
Our Mission
Under the direction of the Colorado
Department of Human Services, the
mission of the Division of State
Veterans Nursing Homes is to honor
and serve our nation’s veterans,
their spouses and Gold Star Parents
by creating opportunities for
meaningful activity, continued
growth and feelings of self-worth in
resident-centered long-term care
and supportive living environments.
Our Vision
Our vision is that residents
experience compassion, dignity and
companionship in communities filled
with life, love and laughter.
Key personnel
Residents (left to right) Isaac G., Johnny W. and Fred B. enjoy horseback riding
with the R.I.D.E. staff.
Carolyn Reser, Administrator
Margie Maynard,
Director of Nursing
Kim Coppock, Office Manager
Raquel Creamer, Dietary Manager
Deana Jacoby, Activities Director
with Eden Certification
Tom Elkins, Plant Manager
Christa Little-Fawn,
Restorative Nurse
Tammy Waller, MDS Coordinator
Lee Snyder, Social Services
Lindsey Doiel, Social Services
Nikki Maynard, Medical Records
Lisa Adams, Admissions Coordinator
Charla Abbott, Infection Control
Bev Henderson, Wound Nurse
Sara Christen, Staff
Development Coordinator
Lisa Reed-Scott, Payroll and
Workers Compensation
Tanya Madison, Accounting
Michelle McMullen, Accounting
Residents George V. and Violet M. enjoy their turns riding the horses.
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Resident Spotlight: Bruce Brooks
Bruce Brooks (WWII Navy Veteran) in the sunshine as he
enjoys one of the garden areas at the Colorado State
Veterans Home in Rifle.
Bruce Jameson Brooks was born in Jemison, Oregon
on July 14, 1915, and just celebrated his 98th birthday at
the Veterans Home in Rifle. His father, Arthur Garfield
Brooks moved the family from Brogen, Oregon to Grand
Junction in the summer of 1920. There were four of them:
his father, his mother Anna Elizabeth (LaRue) Brooks,
older sister Jeanette Maude Brooks, older brother Paul
and himself. It took them one week to travel on gravel
roads from Brogen to Grand Junction in a black 1919
Model T Ford. Back in those days, there were no hotels,
motels, not even campgrounds (they weren’t invented
yet), so along the trip, he and his family slept in school
yards with their blankets and Bruce recalls making the
last over-night stop in Green River, Utah at the Green
River School.
Once they arrived in Grand Junction, they moved to
“Appleton,” a district within Grand Junction, and they
stayed there for one year. They moved to the Clifton
area for another year. In 1922, the Brooks family moved
to Palisade and bought a peach orchard, but Bruce’s father
eventually got a job as a local Federal Fruit Inspector to
help feed his family. His mother and the children helped
with operating the orchard.
Bruce attended Mt. Lincoln School in Palisade until
the 8th grade. For only one year, he attended Grand
Junction High School via school bus from Palisade to
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Grand Junction, but the depression hit and the bus service was cancelled. With the school district broke, Bruce
had to quit school at the age of 17 to help his parents
operate their peach orchard. His older brother Paul
landed a job at the Gearhardt Coal mine in Palisade to
help the family.
During the summer of 1936, Bruce went to work for
Hindman Brothers Construction who were contracted
to build a water dam for the Climax mine near Leadville
so the mine could have water during the winter months.
While he worked for Hindman Brothers, Bruce met
Blanche Berry from DeBeque, Colorado. They dated for
about one year and got married on October 16, 1936.
Blanche then joined Bruce and lived with him on the
job site for the dam. In November 1936, the job was finished, so Bruce and his bride moved back to Palisade to
help his family with the peach orchard, but then moved
to Southern California where Bruce worked in the electroplating business for a friend who owned a plating business in the Los Angeles area.
Bruce and Blanche had two daughters together, Joanna
Lee and Phyllis who were born in Los Angeles. When
the girls were young, the family moved to Bountiful,
Utah and Bruce worked his way up to Foreman in the
plating business.
In 1944, Bruce was drafted into
the United States Navy at the age of
almost 30 years old. He spent his
service time in the Philippines where
his assignment was running a bulldozer in efforts to rebuild war-ravaged roads and improve the country’s
infrastructure.
In 1946 Bruce returned from the
Philippines and divorced Blanche,
returning to Palisade to once again
help his family on the peach orchard.
During that time, he reunited with
Mary Louise Hickman, a local Palisade girl whom he had known all of
his life. In 1946, Bruce asked Mary if
she would be his wife. They were only
married a couple of years when Mary’s
mother passed away. Her father gave
Bruce & Mary the “Hickman Family
Peach Ranch,” an eighteen acre peach
orchard in Palisade where Mary had
been born. During those years on the
Hickman Peach Ranch, their son Bob
was born in 1947 and their daughter
Grace was born in 1949. They
attended Palisade schools, both graduating from Palisade High School.
In 1972, Bruce and Mary sold their
ranch in Palisade, and moved to
Phoenix, Arizona where Bruce worked
once again in the plating business.
They went to Phoenix for one winter,
but stayed nearly twelve because there
was no work to be found on the Western Slope of Colorado. They stayed in
Phoenix until 1983 when they moved
to Craig, Colorado to be closer to their
daughter Grace. They bought five
acres of land, settled in a mobile home
and planted peach & apricot trees.
With their common interests for hunting, fishing and camping, they were
back in “God’s Country” where they
belonged. Craig was the perfect place
for the couple that raised their son and
daughter to love the outdoors as well!
Bruce Brooks retired in 1983, but he
still had his tractor and did landscaping jobs in the Craig area to keep him
busy. He had done landscaping as favors
for friends in the Phoenix area that gave
him the experience he needed.
Mary passed away on April 1,
2008 and Bruce remained in their
home until 2012 when he moved
to the Haven Assisted Living Center in Hayden, Colorado. He now
resides in Rifle at the Colorado
State Veterans Home.
Bruce Brooks has four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
His son Bob lives with his wife Elizabeth in Phoenix, Arizona and Bob
has three children from his first wife
Diane; Elizabeth, Chris and Leah.
Bruce’s daughter Grace lives in Craig
with her husband Mike and has a son
Are you interested in being a voice for our
Veterans?
The Colorado State Veterans Home is seeking volunteer members
of its Citizens Advisory Board. The Board meets every other month,
third Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Veterans Home located at 851 E. 5th
St., Rifle. The Citizens Advisory Board acts as liaisons between the
community and Administration of the Home for residents and advises
Administration of any matters of residents’ concern.
Anyone interested in volunteering for our Nation’s Heroes, please
call 970-625-0842.
Jeremiah from her first husband.
Grace has worked at the Tri-State
Power Plant in Craig for almost
twenty years and will soon retire.
During his interview, Mr. Brooks
said, “It’s difficult to tell a story of 98
years, but I’ll do my best.”
When he was asked how he manages to look 70 years old rather than
98, Bruce said he only drank occasionally and started smoking cigarettes in the service, but quit when
his two daughters were young after
complaining of a sore throat. His
doctor recommended he quit for a
while to see if the soreness went
away and sure enough, it did and he
never lit up again. He then began
chewing tobacco.
“I used to spit my tobacco out the
side of the truck window and when
my wife Mary put her hand in it, that
was the end of that,” Bruce commented. He added “I loved her, that’s
why I quit, especially after the way
she looked at me when she did it.”
That’s how the story goes … and
as a result of his “clean living,” Bruce
Jameson Brooks, at 98 years “young,”
can still recall the very minute details
that go back to his childhood, in the
days of dirt roads and the world’s first
automobiles!
Volunteers Welcome
Jan Walker—Volunteer Coordinator continues to welcome any families, friends or community members
wanting to get connected and volunteer! There are always opportunities
to serve in the home, from mailings,
to painting, to visiting with Elders.
So get involved and call Jan today
970-665-1031.
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WORLD WAR II DISPLAY
Richard Krell and Michael Markle
brought a historical World War II
display to the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle for Veterans Day.
Richard has been collecting World
War II memorabilia for the last 60
years. Some items present belonged
to Richard’s uncle who served in the
Navy. Michael, who served in the
Army during the Vietnam War in
the 1st Aviation Brigade as a helicopter mechanic, became good
friends with Richard through their
Church (Emanuel Lutheran).
Michael has been an ongoing volunteer with HHV (Help Hospitalized
Vets) at the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle working with vets
to make birdhouses and various
crafts. Together, Michael and
Richard donated their time to meet
with vets and community members
throughout the day.
them for what they have done for
our country. Re-Creation leaves
copies of their CDs and DVDs so
that elders can watch or listen to the
show again. Their message is clear:
“these special men and women are
not alone, there are people in this
country who are aware and appreciative for what our veterans have done
for America!”
Re-Creation
Re-Creation came to the Colorado
State veterans Home in Rifle on
November 1. This program began in
1976 when the founder of this group,
Hugh Brooks, was working as an
instructor at the Pennsylvania State
University. While working with
practicum students he noticed that
medical facilities did not have many
live professional entertainment
opportunities. Realizing this, he
decided to make a difference! He
organized Re-Creation to provide this
therapeutic service to state centers,
hospitals, nursing homes, Veteran
Affairs Medical Centers, and other
care facilities. Re-Creation now presents more than 300 shows annually
to medical centers in all 50 states!
Cast members engage veterans in
their performance by circulating
among our heroes, shaking hands,
touching shoulders, and thanking
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Amanda has something in common with our Veterans …
perseverance!
“Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you.
They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless.”
—Scott Hamilton
Amanda Rubalcave is currently
an LPN at the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle. She graduated
as an LPN in May 2013. This fall,
she will begin pursuing her RN
degree at Colorado Mesa University,
and plans to graduate by 2015. Fortunately for Amanda, she is able to
read a book from beginning to end
within a couple hours. Learning is a
favorite pastime of hers, which fits
in well with her endeavor to become
a nurse. The cool part about her story
is that she started working here in
2006 as a Certified Nursing Assistant. It goes without saying that
longevity is a positive for our Elders.
The staff at the Rifle State Veterans Nursing Home encouraged
Amanda’s professional journey
toward obtaining her RN license.
Prior to her employment here, she
contracted out for house cleaning
positions with her mother-in-law.
Her attention to detail has guided
and helped her to be successful in
her nursing profession.
While pursing her educational
goals, Amanda also is balancing her
life as a wife and a mother of three
(she has two teenagers and a toddler).
Her husband, who works full time as
a tile setter, has been very supportive
of her professional life. He not only
helps with daily chores, but he also
takes the time to accompany their
middle child with ongoing therapies
and medical appointments.
Amanda met her husband in Denver, and they moved back to Rifle
where she grew up.
Amanda’s motto is “Time is
going—you might as well do something with it.”
Amanda’s favorite time of year is
Christmas with all of the lights, the
bright holiday decorations, and the celebration of new life. Christmas reminds
her of the reasons she perseveres toward
her RN goal. Amanda is making a difference in the lives of many.
Life long learning describes
Amanda. She is a travel ‘wannabe’
to allow her to learn about various
cultures. Trying new things is motivating to Amanda. Her newest project is canning jams!
WHAT CAN $5,000
DOLLARS BUY?
A Broda Chair! This chair is not
only durable and functional, but also
designed to be easily adjustable to
reposition a person in a variety of
different positions. It can improve a
persons quality of life by allowing
changes in seating, reduces pressure,
and has a gentle soothing motion.
There are a variety of accessories
designed for different types of disabilities that can enhance the chair
based on individual needs. If you
would like to make a donation, feel
free to contact us at 970-625-0842.
Marilyn Hogue, Colorado State Disabled
American Veterans Auxiliary Commander, visited
and presented a donation check to the Colorado
State Veterans Home at Rifle on October 24,
2013. From left are WWII Air Force Veteran Joe
Goldman, new Marketing Coordinator Diane
McCann, Marilyn Hogue, Colorado State Disabled
American Veterans Auxiliary Commander, WWII
Army Veteran Don Snyder and WWII Army
Veteran George Cerise, shown here accepting the
DAV’s generous check for direct resident needs.
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RIDE
George Vucovich grew up in Pensacola Florida. He shares that this is
the oldest European settlement in
the United States (established when
the Spanish Sailor, Don Tristán de
Luna, arrived in Pensacola August
15, 1559). George goes on to explain
that Pensacola is called the “city of
five flags.” This nickname was given
because five flags have flown over its
government to include Spain,
France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and the
United States. But most of all to
George, he likes Pensacola where he
could ride his horse in the open
prairie. George was sharing his history with staff person, Deanna
Jacoby, and stated “before I die, I
would like to ride the backside of a
horse across the field just one more
time!” That’s all it took for her to
research how to help George cross
this event off his bucket list!
Deanna found the Riding Institute for Disabled Equestrians (RIDE).
This is a non-profit organization
located on beautiful Silt Mesa. RIDE
offers equine (horse) therapy in a
relaxing atmosphere, while providing individualized support. She
arranged for five elders (including a
Korean War Amy Veteran who was
New Staff:
Diane McCann joins us as our Marketing Coordinator. She brings
with her professional experience working as a District Supervisor with
the Department of Human Services for the State of South Dakota,
providing long term care services with the Department of Developmental Disabilities, Hospice care Volunteer Coordinator with Sanford
Hospital Systems, and as an Employment Consultant with the Sioux
Falls School District, marketing and implementing employment opportunities for students with IEP plans within the community.
Diane believes that the Rifle State Veterans Home stands out from
the numerous nursing facilities she has familiarity with due to the interactions she has witnessed with staff and the elders living there. Staff
go above and beyond to make each day meaningful to our nations
Heroes. Diane looks forward to being part of the family and deeprooted community here at Rifle.
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an ex Jockey) to also have this experience. George’s love of horses has
started an equestrian interest and
ongoing horse riding for our elders
at the Colorado’s State Veteran
Home in Rifle. For additional information on RIDE, contact Dee Stiers,
Program Director at 970-876-2987.