Butterfield EXPRESS
V o l u m e 3 1 , I s s u e 1 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E Resident of the Month 1 Activity Photos 2 Upcoming Events 3 Residents ’ Birthdays 4
New Residents 4 Discharges 4
We wish all of you a blessed and happy holiday season from all of us at Butterfield .
Butterfield Residential Care Center is an affiliate of CMH , Bolivar , Mo ., 417-326-6000 Facility Location : 1120 N . Butterfield Rd ., Bolivar , MO 65613 , 417-326-5200
S o n d r a G o r d o n , R e s i d e n t o f t h e M o n t h
Sondra Gordon was born Aug . 1 , 1943 , on the family farm near Hammon , Oklahoma . She was the fourth of her parent ’ s , Clarence and Ruby Lovelace , five children . Sondra had an older sister , Twila ; older twin brothers , Keith and Karl ; and younger sister , Darla . Twila and Keith have sadly passed away . Sondra ’ s living siblings and in-laws continue to live on or very near the same property they were raised at near Hammon . Darla lives on the property the siblings ’ maternal grandparents claimed in the 1907 Oklahoma Land Run . Sondra and her siblings worked hard helping take care of the farm ’ s pigs , sheep , cattle and chickens . They also tended the wheat , barley and alfalfa fields . Sondra learned many cooking and sewing skills as these were often her assigned jobs . She even made clothes for her mother !
Sondra attend the Hammon School District for all twelve years of her education . She had a difficult start because she contracted viral pneumonia during her first year of school . Sondra recovered and excelled at her studies graduating in 1962 from Hammon High School . Unlike her parents and siblings , she had the opportunity to attend college and moved 500 miles away to Conway , Arkansas , where she began her collegiate studies .
During her first year of college , Sondra met John Gordon . John and Sondra were married in 1963 . Together the couple completed their bachelor ’ s degrees in education and graduated from Arkansas State Teacher ’ s College ( currently University of Central Arkansas ). Before they graduated , they were both offered teaching positions by the superintendent of a school in Newburg , Missouri , near Rolla , and accepted the positions although they had never seen Newburg . After working for the school district for one year , the couple began their adventures in other areas of the country including Farmington , New Mexico ; Nashville , Tennessee ; Corning , Arkansas ; and Eudora , Arkansas .
In 1973 , Sondra and John had the incredible opportunity to adopt their precious baby girl , Tisha . What a long awaited joy she was to them ! Tisha began school where the family lived , and where John and Sondra were teaching , in Arkansas . Next , the family moved back to the Rolla area . As they continued to raise Tisha , John taught at the Licking School District and Sondra , after teaching for 13 years in the public school system as both a high school home economics teacher and elementary classroom teacher , began working in a civil service position at Fort Leonard Wood .
Sondra ’ s work at Ft . Leonard Wood included developing lesson plans and learning aides for soldiers that assisted them in learning skills for their various jobs . During this time , she completed her master ’ s degree in instructional technology from the University of Missouri . She worked at the Fort for 22 years .
John and Sondra enjoyed several cruises and traveling opportunities . In 1973 , the first class John ever taught graduated from high school . As their class sponsor , he wanted to do something extraordinary for them , so he arranged a class cruise and he and Sondra were the chaperones . This was the first of their many cruises which included travels to Alaska , the South Pacific , Caribbean and Panama Canal . They also traveled to Canada and Europe .
In 2002 , both John and Sondra retired and moved to Bolivar where Tisha and her husband , Zeke Clawson , and sons , Zachary and Taylor , reside . Sondra , as well as , John , were active volunteers in many areas of the Bolivar community for several years . Sondra enjoyed volunteering for the CMH Auxiliary , First Baptist Church , Polk County Library and Bolivar R-1 School District . John sadly passed away in 2012 from cancer .
In 2019 , Sondra moved to Butterfield Residential Care Center . She enjoys reading and attends daily chair exercises , socials , parties , games , worship services and much more . Thank you for sharing your story with us , Sondra . You are a blessing to all of us and we are thrilled you are a part of our Butterfield family .
Are you a caring individual who would like to assist in caring for the elderly ? Butterfield Residential Care Center has opportunities in its volunteer program . For more information call Tammie Callaway , BRCC administrator , at 417-328-6380 .