The People Who Made Monarch Landing Home: Three Original Residents Reflect on 20 Years of Community

When Monarch Landing senior living community in Naperville, Illinois opened its doors 20 years ago, its first residents arrived with more than boxes and furniture. They brought ideas, interests, friendships and a willingness to help create a community from the ground up.

Today, many of those original residents can look around and see their fingerprints everywhere.

Subscribe

They helped start clubs and committees. They filled activity calendars. They welcomed newcomers. They established traditions. They formed friendships that lasted decades. And sometimes, they even found love.

As Monarch Landing celebrates its 20th anniversary, three of its original residents, Bill Holley, Marilyn Luebbing and Maxine Butcher, offer a glimpse into how a senior living community became a true community, and how the people who lived there helped shape what it would become.

"The Residents Started a Lot of the Activities"

For Marilyn Luebbing, the story began with a decision she hoped she would only have to make once.

Marilyn moved to Monarch Landing two years after her husband passed away. She chose a Life Plan Community because she wanted to make one move and know she would have the support and services she needed as she grew older.

"I was only going to move once," she said.

But Marilyn did much more than settle into her new home. She and the other original residents helped establish the culture of Monarch Landing.

"We formed a lot of friendships," she said. "We'd walk into the dining room and sit down with people and make friends and form committees. We still do that."

Residents also took an active role in creating activities and programs.

"The residents started a lot of the activities, and are still integral to the programs happening today," Marilyn said.

One of those activities was the book club. Marilyn helped get it off the ground and made sure it reflected the interests of the entire group.

"It was a lot of work," she said. "It was so eclectic. We made sure everyone had a say in what books we were reading."

That spirit of openness and a welcoming attitude became part of the community's culture, too.

Two decades later, Marilyn still appreciates the range of choices available at Monarch Landing. Some residents enjoy lifelong learning. Others prefer the pool, outings, entertainment or simply spending time with friends.

"There's something for everyone," she said.

And most importantly, the culture that the first residents started, still lives on. "Everybody here makes you feel welcome," she said. "Monarch Landing surpasses expectations. Welcoming, warm and well run."

And then there is Bill.

A Friendship That Became Something More

Bill Holley and his wife were among Monarch Landing's first residents. His wife was living with advanced multiple sclerosis and passed away several years after they moved in.

Eventually, Bill met Marilyn.

"We hung out some," Marilyn said. "We've been together ten years. I never thought it would happen. I was settled in. But I met him and I was helping him out with some things and it went from there."

Bill puts their relationship another way.

"We're exclusive, but have our own apartments," he said.

Their story is one of several relationships that have developed at Monarch Landing, where friendships can grow naturally through shared meals, activities, clubs and everyday encounters.

For Bill, the connections are just one reason he remains so happy at Monarch Landing.

"There are so many things happening," he said. "It's fabulous."

When Bill first moved in, The Springs at Monarch Landing did not yet exist. Its addition was an important evolution, he said, expanding the care and services available to residents and strengthening the community's ability to support people as their needs change.

But what he values most is the culture.

"The residents and culture are amazing," he said.

Bill contributes to that culture himself. He leads a men's group, is also part of the astronomy club and is an avid bridge player.

Twenty years after moving in, Bill remains active, involved and grateful for the life he has built at Monarch Landing.

"I'm very happy here," he said. "I'm glad to be there."

Still Painting, Still Traveling, Still Choosing

Maxine Butcher and her husband were also among Monarch Landing's first residents. He passed away the following year. "It is good that I am here," she said.

At 99, Maxine continues to make the most of her life at Monarch Landing. She exercises regularly, swims and takes advantage of the many opportunities to stay active.

"There's always a choice of exercise opportunities," she said.

Maxine works hard to maintain her health and independence. She appreciates knowing that additional levels of care are available if she ever needs them, but her goal is to remain as independent as possible.

Maxine has been an artist since grade school and continues to paint at Monarch Landing. She also enjoys the community's programs and activities.

And then there are the people.

Maxine describes the residents as friendly and open and praises the staff for the quality of care and service they provide.

"There have been many changes through the 20 years," she said. "The outcomes have been good."

Perhaps most tellingly, Maxine describes her years at Monarch Landing in terms of the memories she has made.

"I have a lot of happy memories here and no sad memories," she said. "I wish my husband was here."

Twenty Years of Making a Community

Bill, Marilyn and Maxine arrived at Monarch Landing when its story was just beginning. They could not have known what the community would become, but they helped shape it.

They helped establish clubs and activities. They formed committees and friendships. They welcomed new neighbors. They contributed ideas and encouraged participation. They created a culture where residents felt comfortable taking an active role in community life.

And they continued to evolve along with the place they called home.

That may be the most fitting way to mark 20 years at Monarch Landing. Not simply by looking at what has been added or changed, but by recognizing the people who helped make those changes possible.

The buildings may have evolved. The programs have grown. New services have been added. The community has welcomed generations of residents.

But the foundation remains much the same.

It was built by residents who believed a senior living community should be more than a place to live.

It should be a place to belong, contribute, connect, keep growing and, sometimes, find something completely unexpected.

For Bill and Marilyn, that unexpected discovery was each other.

For Maxine, it has been 20 years of art, friendships, travel, activity and happy memories.

And for Monarch Landing, the greatest legacy of its first residents may be the culture they created, one that continues to welcome people home.

SIDEBAR

Where Love Begins, Love Endures

Marilyn and Bill found an unexpected love story at Monarch Landing. Joan and Curt Everett brought one with them.

The Everetts are among Monarch Landing's pioneer residents, and today, at 96 years old, are celebrating another remarkable milestone: 75 years of marriage.

For the Everetts, Monarch Landing has been the setting for another chapter in a love story that began three quarters of a century ago. Still living together in independent living, they continue to share life side by side, surrounded by the community they have helped shape over the past 20 years.

Their story offers a fitting reminder of what makes a community home. For some residents, it is the friendships they form. For others, it is the activities they pursue, the traditions they create or the people they meet along the way.

And sometimes, it is simply having the person they've loved for 75 years right there beside them.

At Monarch Landing, there really is no place like home.

Monarch Landing

Monarch Landing is a Life Plan Community located on a scenic campus in Naperville, Illinois-named "one of America's best places to live and retire" by Modern Maturity, and "the best city for early retirement" by Kiplinger. Monarch Landing offers independent living, promoting a vibrant lifestyle for active seniors. The Springs at Monarch Landing offers memory supported assisted living, respite care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing services, thus providing complete continuing care for seniors. Monarch Landing is owned by Senior Care Development and managed by Life Care Services®. For additional information visit www.WelcomeToMonarchLanding.com or www.TheSpringsatMonarchLanding.com.