Aging in America- Our Heritage of Wisdom
a series of thirty-six pencil drawings by artist jim branscum

 

Eugenia Cayia, or Jen,  as she prefers to be addressed,  was born seventh of eleven children on April 3, 1890.  Jen’s journey through life has taken her to the far corners of the world and back to her place of birth,  Crystal Falls,  Michigan.  She received an education,   graduating from Marquette Normal College,  Marquette,  Michigan with a teaching degree.  While she continued her studies,  becoming one of the nation’s first reading specialists,  Jen shared her knowledge with the children in her Upper Peninsula home town and surrounding community schools.  The second World War interrupted her teaching and changed her life dramatically.  In 1942, since the call for every citizen was to do what you could for the war effort,  at 52 years of age, Jen joined the Marine Corps as one of the first Women Marines. She served at the Marine Corps Staff Offices in Washington, D.C.  Her talents as a reading specialist were utilized to create training manuals for Marines who could not read.

When her duty was fulfilled at the end World War II,  Jen returned to the classroom as a teacher and pupil.  She moved to Cleveland, Ohio and, while teaching,  earned her Master’s Degree from Western Reserve University.  While attending classes,  Jen met Ralph W. Grenell,   fell in love,  and married him.  That was in 1961,  when Jen was 71 years old. S he had been "retired" for about a year.  Jen and Ralph devoted themselves to each other and traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe.  The death of her husband ten years later left Jen with a desire to return to her Upper Michigan hometown.  She stayed with her sister while having a home built.  She moved in and lived alone for the next ten years.  At 92, an accidental fall broke her hip and she moved to the Crystal Falls Manor,  a long term care nursing facility.   Eleven years later,  Jen agreed to pose for me.

As the father of an active duty Marine serving in Okinawa,  Japan,  I was honored to have Jen agree to pose for the Aging in America- Our Heritage of Wisdom drawing series.  Her life is an inspiration to all who think.  "I’m too old." Jen states that she was too busy to think about getting old. Her life at the Crystal Manor remains active with the friends she has made at the home and almost daily visits from relatives.  Jen maintains her life long devotion to her faith.  She is a member of Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Crystal Falls.

If I could write a manual for the treatment of nursing care residents,  I would begin with the treatment of Jen Grenell by her family, friends and the staff of Crystal Manor.  From the administrator to cooks,   the staff strives to maintain the dignity of the Manor’s residents through their caring service.  Take any one factor out of the equation- friends,   family, faith or caring staff,  and a residents life in nursing care can be lonely and frustrating.  Each of us must recognize that the contributions of Jen and all older Americans give them a right to respectful dignified treatment,  and recognition of their services to us.  We are all in their debt;  Jen’s life reminds us of the debt to America’s aging population.  This debt must never be ignored or denied.

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