All together now!
When is three not a crowd? When it’s three members of a family living happily in the same community. Mary Hiddleson moved to Simpson Meadows in January 2021, followed a few months later by her son, Hank, and his wife, Pat.
A big move
Mary was born and raised in Germany. After World War II, her sister married an American soldier and moved to the United States. In 1953, the couple sponsored Mary and her young son, Hank, to come to America, too. Mary got a job in the meat department at what was then the A&P and worked there for more than 25 years. She loved to sing and dance, and was a big fan of Lawrence Welk. In 1955, she wed George Hiddleson of West Chester. On their 50th wedding anniversary, their grandson, a minister, presided over the renewal of their vows at a dinner/dance party.
As a teenager, Hank milked cows on a dairy farm. He graduated from Henderson High School in West Chester and served in the Air Force for four years, working on B52 bombers and managing the tech order library. Back in civilian life, he did payroll for West Chester Area School District and Norcross Greeting cards before getting into property management. He managed Ramsgate, off-campus housing for West Chester University students, for more than 40 years.
A happy accident
One day Hank had an accident on a ride-a-mower and nearly lost his thumb. That’s how he met Pat, who was working in physical therapy at the hospital where he was treated for the injury. Pat had grown up in Avondale, where she started waitressing at age 15. She graduated from Avon Grove High School and West Chester College (now University). She wrote training manuals for Bell Telephone and was a manager at Tupperware before getting into the insurance industry, when she was hired by National Liberty in Malvern. In 2001, she retired as vice president of claims in GE’s financial division.
“Our happiest memories are of getting married to each other,” Pat said. “And we are happy that the children grew up to be responsible adults and good parents.
Hank and Pat have two sons and a daughter, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild—and a great relationship with Mary.
“She is a wonderful grandmother, and was very welcoming to my two children from a previous marriage and treated them as her own,” says Pat. “And she has always been the best mother-in-law.”
A familiar place
When Simpson Meadows first opened, Pat’s aunt moved in. Pat visited often and thought highly of the community and the staff.
“When Mary needed to move, we automatically thought of Simpson Meadows,” Pat says. “And it was the only place we wanted to be.”
Mary moved into Wesley Commons assisted living in January. In April, Pat and Hank moved into an independent living apartment in Asbury Crossing. They got involved and take advantage of the amenities available to residents. Pat was recently elected to the resident council. All three enjoy great peace of mind.
“We’re safe here,” says Pat. “And there’s so much to do!”
Call us today at 610-269-8400 or submit the form below to see for yourself why The Hiddlesons and other close-knit families choose Simpson Meadows for retirement living.