87-Year-Old Retired Nurse, Mother of 8 Reflects On Motherhood

By GABRIELLE W (Star Patcher)

Many spend time once a year during a special brunch or celebration to express appreciation and acknowledge what their mothers have done for them over the years. But for one particular mother in Palo Alto, receiving that deep love and gratitude from her youngest son is not just something reserved for Mother’s Day – it is nearly an everyday occurrence.

David Cornell regularly visits his mother, Jean Henkels, at her home in the innovative retirement community, Moldaw Residences, and enjoys a special friendship with her that they both have cherished for many years.

At age 87, Henkels looks back on her experiences raising her seven children and one stepchild and realizes she has a lot of fond memories with each of them. She and her youngest son, reflect on the importance of quality time with moms year-round.

“Being the youngest of the kids, with a big age gap between myself and the older ones, they were so far ahead of me and moved out of the house long before I did. So it left me to enjoy Mom all to myself,” said Cornell. “I think that’s why Mom and I ended up so close to each another. She’s been my biggest supporter over the years in everything I’ve done and taught me a lot of important life lessons from her example as well as her words.”

“I think a lot of what we learn from our mothers, and parents in general, comes by watching what they do,” said Henkels. “I credit my family for all the good things I learned, and I raised my own children similarly. I taught them the basics and then let them explore different things along the way.”

Henkels was a registered nurse and for many years held that job while keeping up with all of the kids and somehow making sure they had meals together.

“I think that was the most challenging part of it all – planning and coordinating the meals for all of the children and finding that balance,” said Henkels. “But you just did. It wasn’t a matter of figuring out how to balance; you just did what you had to do and made it all work. I don’t know that I ever thought I’d have eight children, but I knew I wanted to be a mother and have never had any regrets.”

“I appreciate the way my mom encouraged us to be well-rounded and exposed us to so many different activities pushing all of us to try new things and enjoy a variety of experiences from music and theater to sports,” said Cornell. “She wanted each of us to find our particular interest and kept us all busy in extracurricular activities. For me, I knew that I could look up in the stands at any baseball game from my time in little league all the way into college and see her there cheering me on because that was ‘my thing.’ It was reassuring to know she was behind me all the time.”

In addition to working as a nurse, raising her kids and supporting their involvement in various activities, Henkels also sought opportunities to give back the community at large and taught her children the importance of civic involvement.

In the late 60s, Henkels created the “Neighborhood Study-Help Program” at the University of Notre Dame, which is still an on-going program today. She formed this innovative and groundbreaking program to encourage the university students (as well as her own children) to see beyond themselves and use their talents to help benefit others.

She assisted the university in acquiring multiple older city buses, which were used to take the university students to lower income areas in South Bend where local youth could benefit from tutoring and mentoring experiences. Cornell values the hard-working nature his mother always exhibited while he was growing up.

“She’s always been a can-do, very positive, supportive person and motivated all of us growing up to believe in ourselves and make things happen, too,” said Cornell. “I think all children should take time this month to look for those examples and pause to appreciate just how much a mom does, how many schedules she juggles and how much effort and care she gives to her children. It’s easy to take all of that for granted, but we need to check ourselves and give moms the attention and thanks that they deserve.”

Henkels’ family now is spread out over several states with 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren so far. She has four children living throughout the Bay Area, one in another part of California, one in New Orleans, one in Michigan and one in Oregon.

They all got together last summer to reminisce and celebrate the value of family, and they continue to stay connected as much as possible. Family camping trips and road trips make up some of Henkels’ favorite memories of them as children together.

To recognize all of the moms who are enjoying retirement at Moldaw Residences, the community hosted a special Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch for residents and family members. Live music was provided by Sue and Ken Dinwiddie who played the harp and flute.

“Seeing the bonds that these individuals at Moldaw share and learning about their personal stories, like with Ms. Henkels and her son, remind us of the importance of family and community,” said Darren Trisel, interim executive director at Moldaw Residences. “We want to cultivate such relationships and provide opportunities to celebrate the people that make this retirement community unique whether it’s in honor of Mother’s Day or any other occasion.”