Meet Our Residents
Residents at Homestead Village are engaging, motivated, and talented! Read some of their stories here!
Johann’s Big Adventure!
Johann McKee always enjoyed outdoor adventures, but never spent much time in a kayak – until recently! Her three sons, Mike (who lives in Arizona), Eric (State College), and Steve (Lancaster), plan a get-together at least once a year, and this year they decided to plan a trip to the 1.1 million-acre Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Johann’s grandchildren, Zac and Gracey, who attend Penn State University, also joined. At 88 years of age, Johann, a Villa Court resident, probably could have proposed some reasons to opt out of such a big adventure – but instead, she embraced it!
The Pine Barrens and the “Pine Land Adventures” kayak outfitters are only about 2 hours and 15 minutes driving distance from Lancaster; however, when journeying down the Batsto River, you feel like you are a world away. “The forests are very dense,” Johann recalled. “The river was narrow, and you had to dodge logs and low-hanging branches. Some places looked like a dead-end and you had to forge your way through! The hardest part of the journey was at the very end where the small river opened up into a marshy lake where cross winds and underwater grasses made the journey more strenuous.” However, Johann persevered, and she and her family finished the six-mile trip in just about five hours.
Johann was proud of herself the next day when the younger kayakers were complaining about sore muscles; she felt great – a feat which she attributes to her delicious electrolyte drinks. She also enjoyed spotting turtles and the beautiful forests and blooming water lilies. Johann’s advice to those considering a big adventure: read about where you are going! She suggests that anyone curious about this unique area of our country read “The History of the Pine Barrens” by John McPhee. There is a rich and unique saga of this land which is unknown to many – including abandoned towns and industrial areas that are now reclaimed by the forests.
Congratulations, Johann, on your accomplishment! You are an inspiration!
Al Schulz – Bringing the joy of music to Lancaster and Beyond
Al was inspired by music first because of his parents who dated when they lived in Germany. His dad, his uncle and their friends would “serenade” their girlfriends when they sang and played guitars and violins outside their windows. Both families moved to The United States and Al’s parents were married. For fifty years, his dad and uncle performed every other Saturday night at the Liederkranz in Lancaster. His mother even performed and sang.
Al developed his own love of music as a child and started taking piano lessons at the age of ten, learning chords and different styles of music. At the age of fifteen he played in different bands which continued through high school, college and medical school.
There are many parallels between Al’s life and his brother’s. They both attended medical school at Penn. Al was head of the psychiatry department at St. Joseph Hospital in Lancaster, while his brother headed up the psychiatry department at Lancaster General Hospital. Al and Peggy had 5 daughters and his brother had 5 daughters and a son.
Their families are also very musically inclined and their daughters developed a love of music. Peggy directed eight of the girls who performed in a singing octet. They played and performed at local Catholic churches. Peggy was a music major in college.
One group he is part of—The Big, Big Jazz Band started in the mid-sixties with people who worked at Armstrong Cork Company, as it was called then. Now the band has many professional musicians. They have played at Long’s Park, Lancaster Country Club, and the Fulton Theater among other local venues. They play music from Gershwin, Cole Porter, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, the Glenn Miller Band, Count Basie Band and Bing Crosby.
Today Al plays keyboards in four bands – The Big, Big Jazz Band, The Moonlighters Big Band, The Bluebirds Ragtime Band and Good Friends, a small band with Sousa bass horn, banjo, drums and piano. Al has also directed the children’s choir at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lancaster since 1990.
Al and the Big, Big Jazz Band will play at Homestead Village this summer!
Andre Dominguez – Uncovering History
Andre describes his hobby as part passion, part volunteer contribution, and part research. But it’s also a “thrilling hunt” that combines data, mystery, excitement, and satisfaction.
Andre’s love for “uncovering history” began with his interest in his own personal family genealogy. When Andre retired from his career as a Nuclear Power Engineer/Manager, he didn’t waste any time being idle. He joined the historical society in Bloomsburg, PA, where he attended seminars and began doing historical genealogy research. This led to his involvement with local cemeteries and eventually “Find a Grave.com” where over the years Andre has made more than 15,000 contributions identifying and posting photos of gravestones.
Finding a long-lost relative’s identity, uncovering a buried gravestone, or finding a connection for someone that has been searching for years, is deeply satisfying and makes people happy.
Since he has lived at Homestead Village, Andre has volunteered at LancasterHistory.org and has continued his research at area historic cemeteries. Several HV residents have joined Andre in his adventures. “Thankfully, there are a few residents here who can translate German tombstones!”, Andre said. Another resident loans his pickup truck to help Andre transport his metal tripod that he uses to lift toppled stones.
Here in Lancaster County, his contributions include mapping and documenting gravesites in locations such as Lancaster Cemetery, Conestoga Memorial Park, Woodward Hill, and Riverview. A team that Andre works with, led by Blue Star Mom Maureen Leary, has documented the locations of over 600 graves that are currently located in Lancaster Cemetery but were not listed in cemetery records. They also identified over 1,000 graves of veterans, over half of whom were not previously identified!
One of the most exciting discoveries was a gravestone from the Civil War that was almost completely buried. He and Maureen knew the grave existed, but could not find the location until one day they were probing the ground and “clink” they hit the stone. “It was an extremely exciting moment,” he recalls. They used mini marble chips to gradually “walk” the stone up out of the ground and resurrect it.
Andre’s work has inspired others to join in. On October 30th, a group of members of the Donegal Witness-Tree Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Blue Star Moms, and others worked to map the final acreage of the Lancaster Cemetery that is not yet thoroughly documented. He also teaches volunteers how to use conservation methods to safely clean gravestones, how to document gravestone conditions and how to meticulously gather the data. Most recently, Andre has been asked to help map and document the gravestones in the Rohrerstown Cemetery (behind The Farmstead at Homestead Village!).
Allen and Nancy Tate – Community Leadership through Volunteerism.
Allen and Nancy volunteer at Lancaster Creative Reuse.
Lancaster Creative Reuse (LCR) 501(c)(3) was established in 2009 by co-founders Jeannie Zeller and Andrea Stoner Leaman who saw the potential in untapped supply resources, generated by both individuals and businesses, that were often destined for landfills.
Homestead Village residents Nancy and Allen Tate have been a volunteers with the Lancaster Creative Reuse Store for numerous years. Since 2010, Nancy has been a volunteer in the store and helps with processing materials and donations. Allen has been involved for over 10 years of which the past 5 years as a Board member and for the past 3 years as Board President . They both have been a part of LCR’s growth.
In addition to being a wonderful way to reuse, recycle and sell affordable crafting items that may otherwise be discarded, the organization also serves the greater community by providing low cost or free materials to many community groups such as the Lancaster Refugee Project, Boys and Girls Club, Lancaster Humane Society, HDC Ruoff Senior House, schools, senior centers, and more!
The mission of Lancaster Creative Reuse is “to connect community excess to those who can use it creatively. Through the low-cost store, Open Craft Table and education programs, LCR inspires creativity, increases access to the arts through affordability, and encourages reuse.”
Many times, when people are downsizing, one of the hardest things to part with is their craft supplies. Craft materials are more than just items; they represent ideas and dreams of projects that you’ve always hoped to make with that special piece of fabric or that ball of yarn. But sometimes there’s just too many projects to do, and un-used supplies just stay in drawer and gather dust. This is where Lancaster Creative Reuse comes in!
If you would like to donate items to the shop, small donations of two bags or less can be brought to the store and dropped off. If you have more than two bags the store asks for you to schedule an appointment to drop off the items and have them examined so they can be sure that there is room for them and someone to assist you—Occasionally, pick up service is also available for very large donations.
If you’re looking to become involved in a wonderful and creative atmosphere that also gives back to the community— consider joining Allen and Nancy at Homestead Village, and at Lancaster Creative Reuse!
Tom and Judy Kile – All for a good cause!
On a chilly Friday in November, Resident Tom Kile did several things that he never thought he would do.
He never thought he would stand on top of the Holiday Inn in Lancaster. He never thought he would have his toes on the edge of the building’s roof, looking down 10 stories to the pavement below. And, he certainly never thought that he would rappel down the building! However, that is what happened!
Thankfully, it was all very well planned. Tom had brought a rappelling company to help out with fundraising for a local non-profit, VisionCorps, during the Extraordinary Give. The result? 94 people rappelled off the Holiday Inn, with each person bringing in more than $1,000 in donations.
Tom, who serves as secretary and treasurer of VisionCorps, brought the idea to Megan Tomsheck, the vice president of the VisionCorps Foundation. Megan ran with the idea. They decided to set a fundraising goal of $151,000, a number that Tom thought it unlikely to achieve. At the end of the day, the foundation had raised more than $167,500.
VisionCorps serves people who are blind or vision-impaired through preventative, rehabilitative, and employment opportunities. All services are provided at no cost to the clients. It is not a government agency, and it relies on support from the community to make its services possible.
The rappelling event, named “Eye Drop 2019,” was a huge success. So much so that Tom says he is gathering a list of people interested in rappelling next year. Would he personally go down again? Perhaps.
Nancy – A pioneer in the wood shop
A longtime Lancaster resident, Nancy worked as a sales representative and freelance journalist. Now retired, she is lending her talents to Homestead Village, where she volunteers in the gift shop and has become the first female member of the woodshop. Her advice to anyone considering a move? “Make the decision while you can still enjoy the process, as well as the services and amenities that Homestead has to offer.” Nancy also suggests that you visit multiple communities. “You’ll know when you’re at the right one,” she says.
Nancy is pictured here with an antique table that she refinished.
Kitty’s Story
Some might say that Kitty is a local celebrity! For many years, she enjoyed owning and managing the elegant Filling’s clothing shop in downtown Lancaster. She joined our waiting list in 2014 and moved into a cottage several years later. In her free time, Kitty enjoys golf, gardening, sewing, cooking, decorating and bridge. She is also a very talented artist. She knew Homestead Village was the place she wanted to live because of its convenience to everything that was important to her. “It’s beautiful but homey at the same time,” she says.” Her advice to future residents? “Join the waiting list early — you’ll be glad you did.”
Kitty with her works of art.