Residents’
Review
May 2019
Volume 32, Issue 5
Citizens Memorial Healthcare Facility is an affiliate of CMH, Bolivar, Mo., 417-326-6000
Facility Location: 1218 West Locust, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-7648
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Resident of the Month 1
Activity Photos 2
Employee Spotlight 3
Announcements 4
Calendar of Events 5
Birthdays 6
New Residents 6
Discharges 6
Sympathy 6
Our Mission
Caring for every generation
through exceptional services by
leading physicians and a
compassionate healthcare team.
Our Vision
Be the first choice for customer
focused healthcare to every
generation.
Our Values
I am...
P ositive
R espectful
I nnovative
D edicated
E mpowered
Together, we are CMH PRIDE!
Colleen Keets
Resident of the Month
Colleen Keets was born Aug. 11, 1921, a few years after the
end of World War I in Holdrege, Nebraska, to Harry and Aida
Peterson. Colleen was the oldest of three children. Her brother
Lamar “Pete” was three years younger and her sister, Marjorie,
was 14 years younger than her.
Colleen was born during the depression era. Her family was
very poor. Her father was a carpenter and thought he could secure
more work in Arizona during this time, so they packed up and
moved. Her mother worked at a restaurant, mowed lawns, and
anything else she could find to do to make enough money to buy
bread for the family.
Colleen remembers her shoes being too worn out to wear so she
wore boys’ shoes just to have something on her feet. Their mother
made some of their clothing. They had some clothing given to
them and they also bought clothes from the Salvation Army.
Colleen remembers their under garments were made from flour sacks, due to the tough times of her
youth. Today, she loves clothing and dressing in the current styles.
Colleen loves to tell the story of being married 2 ½ times. When asked what exactly that meant, she
told of her first husband, Robert, whom she married when she was fairly young. She met him when
the carnival came to town one summer. She & her girlfriend went together. While she was there, she
caught the eye of Robert. They rode one of the twirling rides together. The couple realized they liked
one another and she asked her father if Robert could give her a ride home. He said “no.” She wanted
to go back to the carnival before it was over to see Robert again and that was the beginning of their
relationship that turned into marriage. Her two children, Robert, who passed away when he was three
months old from pneumonia, and Barbara were born from this marriage. Several years later, Robert
and Colleen divorced.
Colleen worked for Western Union Telegraph as the senior clerk in their front office. She retired
after 37 years. Her boss was Charlie Keets. Charlie worked there until World War II. He fought in the
war and when it ended, he married another lady and came back to work at Western Union Telegraph.
Several years later, she passed away. The first time Colleen saw him she was crazy about him. She
described him as the most handsome, kind, and gentlest man she had ever met. They were married for
many years until he passed away.
She then met Jack and explained that he would later become what she considered her “half” mar-
riage. Shortly after meeting him, her daughter drove to Phoenix, where she was living, and brought her
back to Humansville, Missouri, with her to live. A few years later, Jack tracked her down, called her,
and asked her to come with him to Abilene, Texas to visit. She ended up staying for two years until he
passed away. She said Jack was quite a Romeo but she felt it was too late in life to marry him.
Colleen said the highlight of her life was the day they brought her daughter home from the hospital
after her birth. The hospital kept Barbara for a few days longer than Colleen, so Colleen’s mother and
husband brought Barbara home. Her mother laid the baby on the bed and was leaving to get back to
work. Colleen said she asked, “What am I going to do now?” and her mother replied, “Now you have
to take care of the baby.” She said Barbara was the best part of her life.
Over the years, Colleen enjoyed many trips with her family. She went to Hawaii with her husband,
Charlie. She also went to the lake, traveled to many states, and even went on a Caribbean cruise.
Colleen joined our CMHCF family in February 2019. She said her favorite thing about living here
is the kind staff. She feels as if she has known them for many years. She loves to embroidery, visit
with people, and attend the music events.
Congratulations, Colleen on being chosen as CMHCF’s Resident of the Month!