Beverly Weeks put a deposit down for an apartment 20 years ago when Harvest Hill was just breaking ground. Well, she finally moved in last November. She’s getting every penny’s worth of that deposit, too, taking advantage of all the community has to offer, trying out new activities, getting to know her neighbors and is so pleased to call Harvest Hill home.

The Harvest Hill community creates a new lifestyle for Beverly after living as a single working person for over 40 years. She was born in Chicago, Illinois but moved to Lebanon in the early 60s, then to White River Junction before moving to Harvest Hill.

Her daughter and son graduated from Lebanon High School, and both now live out of state. Beverly began to volunteer at the Lebanon Junior High School helping students with learning difficulties in the late 1970s. To become a licensed special education teacher Beverly commuted to Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire for three years while working full-time at the junior high school. She earned a master’s degree in education in 1987. Upon retirement from the Lebanon school district, she embarked on a new career working part-time in the floral department of the Hanover Co-op Food Store in Hanover, New Hampshire. Her floral career lasted 18 years.

“As I had an undergraduate degree in biology, I was familiar with plants, but had no training in design techniques, sales, or marketing. My co-workers were excellent teachers and very supportive. It was truly a learning experience,” Beverly says.

Beverly shares an apartment with her cat, Violet who is, “head of the household.” She has an assortment of plants that need a green thumb and greatly enjoys the Harvest Hill Conservatory with plants “that bring color to a gray or snowy day,” Beverly says.

As reading is her favorite pastime, she is pleased that the Harvest Hill library is “outstanding and so well organized I do not want for anything to read,” Beverly says.

She has gotten more involved in her new home and accepted a three-year appointment as a member-at-large on the Executive Board of Harvest Hill Residents Association. Concerns expressed by residents and staff are shared with board members.

“Living at Harvest Hill is so comfortable and pleasant. The staff members called me by name soon after my arrival. They are all friendly and helpful. The activities abound thanks to the energy of Activities Director, Carla Venti. There is something for anyone who wishes to participate,” Beverly says.

Beverly enjoyed the recent Mardi Gras Party Carla organized, complete with New Orleans food treats, beads, decorations, and live music from the Dixieland band that played handclapping, singing, toe- tapping tunes, “and lots of smiles complimented the laughter and good cheer of this event,” Beverly says.

Beverly appreciates the ever-changing selection of food provided by the Harvest Hill kitchen. Residents enjoy choosing from a wide variety of healthy fresh foods and requests are usually honored, from fancy fare to the basics.

We’ve introduced Ray before, but in this recent video interview you can hear from him directly about his move to Harvest Hill. Enjoy!

Watch the Video Interview

After moving to Harvest Hill in July, independent living resident Gretchen Fairweather has only good things to say about it, from the community’s staff to the interesting residents, activity choices and delicious food, to her comfortable apartment.

“It’s a very friendly, warm environment, and there’s always a lot going on,” said Gretchen, 78. “The staff is terrific, and the food is unbelievable. I couldn’t get over it! I’ve made some good friends, and my apartment is the perfect size for me.”

According to Gretchen, she actually set her mind on moving to Harvest Hill years ago. Working in Lebanon, her daily drive by Mascoma Street took her past a large building site, which she assumed was an addition to Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital.

“I’d just drive by it and wonder what it was,” she said. “It got bigger and prettier, and then one day I just drove into the driveway and found out it was going to be a retirement community. I decided right then and there that’s where I was going to live when the time came.”

Born in Rochester, New York, Gretchen grew up in Pennsylvania and attended The University of Vermont. She started her career at a Philadelphia publishing house, and later worked at Woman’s Day Magazine in New York City. It was there she met her husband, then a student at Columbia University.

After her husband secured a job teaching at the University of Connecticut, Gretchen took a job at the Willimantic Chronicle as a newspaper reporter. She spent her later career as a station manager for radio stations in Connecticut and New Hampshire and supported her husband and their two children while he attended medical school.

“I loved the people and the personalities I encountered working in radio! You get one announcer who wants to be the next Wolfman Jack, another who wants to be the next bigshot news reporter,” said Gretchen. “It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends.”

After she retired from radio, she and her family opened a bed and breakfast in West Hartford, Vermont for six years. She went on to spend a lot of her time volunteering: as a trail guide at a local natural museum, in the cancer center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and at David’s House, a residence for families of children being treated there.

“It’s been a good life,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences, and I have no regrets.”

Now, at Harvest Hill, Gretchen loves to remain active and involved, just as she always has. She loves that there is always something going on, whether it’s movies, van trips, live entertainment, lectures, classes, clubs or something else. She currently belongs to a book club, attends three exercise classes a week, and likes taking advantage of the nearby hiking and biking trails.

Most of all, though, Gretchen appreciates those parts of the community you can’t see from the outside: the people who work there. They’re the ones who make Harvest Hill truly special, she said.

“The staff here are just wonderful, from the nurses to the cleaning crew, to the maintenance men, to the people who work in the office,” said Gretchen. “And I think every resident here would say the exact same thing.”