New resident Janice Pyle enjoys her new neighbors’ stories

There are a number of activities that Janice Pyle enjoys to keep her mind busy and occupied. But few things are more enjoyable than doing the work she’s loved to do for more than 50 years.

“I’m still working as a bookkeeper for my church,” Janice said. “That’s what the majority of my work has been. I have worked for my church off and on since 1972. I started as a volunteer then became a paid employee…I like brain fitness tasks, but more so the work.”

Her hobbies, however, include reading books about World War II and the Holocaust.

“I find new and interesting things. I read about the Norwegian side of the war and had never done that. I also read a book about some high school students in Southeast Kansas had a project, and girls there found some survivors of the war in Poland who had freed Jews by writing notes that they put in little jars - and they got to meet one of those women.”

Before coming to Wichita Presbyterian Manor, Janice lived in Wichita. She came to the area in 1972, when her husband, Don, took an engineering job at Boeing. Before the move, she lived in Joplin, Missouri, until Don’s education took them to Columbia, Missouri. Don passed away in 2018.

Janice moved to WPM in February and has found the transition to be seamless.

“It’s wonderful, oh my goodness,” she said. “Every meal you can sit down and talk about different things. Three or four ladies that are in independent living, they’re nearly 100 years old. I talk to them, and I listen for cues on things they say and then start asking them questions. One lady, she is smart and animated. Sometimes she’ll say something about WWII, and that she worked at Boeing on the B-29s, and she was 25 years old. I’ll ask her, ‘Did you meet Rosie the Riveter?’ She said, no, but that she knew that Rosie was on the same floor she was. Then I’ll tell her that I had met her during an event for the restoration of the Doc.” (the famously restored B-29 bomber used in WWII.)

Janice and Don had three children, and now has nine grandchildren ranging in age from 7 to 25.

“It’s interesting, I can look out my windows and see the first house that we bought over 50 years ago,” Janice said. “It’s kind of interesting to land a block from where we lived.”

Janice said she’s appreciated a number of things about her move to WPM, including the attention to detail and the way everything is so well organized in her apartment.

We’re thrilled to have Janice as part of our Wichita Presbyterian Manor family.

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