Living long and living well is a way of life at Mallard Point, a Holiday by Atria community in Cedar Falls. In fact, 19 of the longest-tenured residents at Mallard Point have lived there for a combined 158 years. Leading the way is Toledo, Iowa native Janice Halverson, who first moved into Mallard Point on April 7, 1998, and has chosen to live in the same apartment in the community ever since.
Janice Halverson, resident for 24 years
Over these last 24 years, she says “I’ve made new friends around, that’s for sure. More friends here than I had ever met before. I think it’s kind of nice having a bunch of you together. But I’ve also learned a lot of new games to play, too.” In her earlier years, Janice and her husband ran a farm near Toledo, Iowa, and they raised a family as well. Today, Janice’s son lives nearby and visits almost daily, and a daughter lives nearby and visits often. Janice enjoys the meals at Mallard Point and loves spending time in the chapel on Sundays.
When asked the secret to living a long life, Janice wryly says “just do it like I did it, and it’ll turn out.”
Lois Hylton, resident for 10 years
Lois Hylton, a community resident for 10 years, took a different path to Mallard Point. A Kansas native originally, Lois and her husband moved to Saudi Arabia in the mid-1960s, where her husband served as principal for a company school organized by the former TWA airline company. It was there at a wedding dinner one evening where they met the Saudi royal family. “We were the only Westerners at the party. I had been invited by Madame Faisal (wife of then-King Faisal). Suddenly we were approached by two tall slender young ladies and turns out they were the daughters of Prince Khalid (who would later become the Saudi king).”
Delighted with the same detached cottage she’s had for her 10 years at Mallard Point, Lois enjoys trekking to the main building three times a day for her meals, even in winter. “It’s good for me to get out and walk, every chance I get. I used to exercise all the time and now at 93, I just tell people I’m tired and don’t want to do that anymore,” she laughed. “And I love not having to cook these days,” she said.
Loyd Lane, resident for 9 years
Another long-tenured resident, Lloyd Lane, is a former engineer with John Deere who helped develop the air-conditioned cab for the company’s tractors. “I traveled everywhere from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles and from Minnesota to Louisiana, talking with farmers and manufacturers who used our tractor parts,” he said.
Lloyd has been at Mallard Point for the last nine years, arriving with his wife who passed away from dementia five years ago. These days, Lloyd and his close friend Anita Siglin spend their days together, with a high point in their day being welcoming new residents to the community. “I really love the size of my room,” he said, taking pride in hosting community guests. “We’ll have big crowds, and we manage really nicely – plenty of chairs, plenty of room, nobody’s cramped,” he said with a smile.
“Janice, Lois and Lloyd are all highly regarded in our community, and they are a delight to be around along with all of our other residents here,” said Kathryn Miller, General Manager of Holiday Mallard Point. “Not only do we have so many residents who have really long tenure with us, but we also have a number of key staff members who have been here many, many years as well. It’s a joy to serve them and serve with them as well,” she said.
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