Mt. Pleasant Times

1805 E Remus Road Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 ~ (989) 772-3456 ~ greenacresmtpleasant@rlmgmt.com ~ www.rlmgmt.com

Reside ~ Reflect ~ Relax

The desire of Retirement Living is to honor God by providing the elderly

with a lifestyle that values their identity, their independence, and their dignity. June 2020 RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT

Green Acres welcomes the addition of Moonyeen (Moonie) Albrecht, who joined the

community of Building Four. A Chicago native, Moonie moved to Mt. Pleasant in 1963 for a

career teaching music theory and composition at CMU. She lived in Shepherd until her recent

move to Green Acres.

“I loved my childhood,” said Moonie, who was an only child. Moonie’s father played trumpet

for dance bands which performed in ballrooms across the nation throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s. Her

mother worked at Walgreens as a soda fountain manager and cashier. Accompanied by her

friends, Moonie would walk to the beach and sunbathe, or frequent one of the theatres which

featured different types of movies, including foreign films. In the safe Chicago of her childhood,

Moonie attended a downtown Saturday matinee ballet performance, by herself, at age 14.

Summers she was transported to Dubuque, Iowa. She stayed with aunts, uncles, and cousins who

became like brothers and sisters. She said traveling by train was great fun, and she enjoyed the experience of small-

town life.

Moonie suspects she has always had a passion for music. At age two her mother found her with a sheet of paper

covered in dots; little Moonie explained she had written music. She began piano lessons in second grade, and as a fresh-

man in high school switched to organ. Moonie also sang in the choir of an all-girl Catholic high school, and later in

college and church choirs. Although she dabbled in composition in elementary school, it was during her first year in

college that Moonie began to write music in earnest, responding to a teacher’s coaxing. “I was really lucky, really

blessed to have people who encouraged me,” she said. Moonie’s first pieces, written for choir and orchestra, were

performed by her classmates. Her first major composition was 15 minutes, followed one year later by a 30-minute

cantata which she wrote while attending Mundelein College, for her undergraduate degree. This step landed her a

scholarship at Northwestern University where she earned her master’s and doctorate of music degrees.

Moonie loved teaching and strove to make the complexities of theory and analytical work enjoyable for her students

throughout her 37.5-year career. As a professional musician, Moonie wrote primarily church compositions for organ,

flute, choir, and soloists, and was a church organist and choir director for 65 years.

Moonie has additional passions: creating stained glass art, and the nation of Russia, which she has visited 24 times.

Moonie’s curiosity about Russia began as a teen. As a teen, Moonie was listening to imported Soviet operas (which

interested her on a strictly musical, not political, level). She purchased her first Russian grammar book, Twenty Lessons

in Russian, from the department store she worked at in Chicago. Moonie was 18, and it cost $1.78. That was the 1950s -

fast forward to 1995: Moonie took her first trip to Russia where she realized, “I was right all along,” she said. “I was

born to study Russian.” Moonie took Russian classes at CMU for two years, then from 1998 – 2006 commuted to MSU

for additional studies. While in Moscow, she was often mistaken as a native. Moonie marvels that her first little book

with a clear presentation of the alphabet is still useful today, and she refers to it often. Moonie has since taught Russian

to several individuals, and taught CMU students to sing Russian lyrics. Moonie would be delighted to enjoy Russian

with others: in fact, if anyone Green Acres speaks Russian or would like to learn some, she would love to converse and/

or share her knowledge.

Moonie has had many unique experiences, though getting a late start to her travels, at age of 52. Moonie walked on

the Putorana Plateau in Northern Siberia, rode an elephant in India, and gazed upon the Himalayas in Nepal. After

trekking part of the Great Wall of China, Moonie rode down in a “one-man” toboggan – an exit limited to those under

age 60, but Moonie, then in her 70s, slyly fibbed about her age in order to participate in the thrilling descent.

Moonie’s experience creating stained glass art began over Christmas break in 1990. A local store had advertised

classes, and Moonie decided to give it a try. She attributes her enjoyment of the art to her love of jigsaw puzzles, as

well as sewing. Stained glass work, which involves following a pattern, cutting, and piecing together the glass, holds

appealing elements of each activity. Although it took time, Moonie was determined and eventually became adept and

even began to teach it. On Friday nights, Moonie would take to the studio and instruct students in the art of stained

glass.

Of utmost importance to Moonie is her children: Elise, who lives in Marquette, and twin sons: David – who lives in

Chicago, and Karl, a Grand Rapids resident – and her faith. Though raised Catholic, and she considers herself so,

Moonie began attending an Episcopal church later in life. Advice she offers a younger generation: be a good and honest

person. “Show people love,” she said. “That is what the world needs.”

Moonie, we are inspired by your zest for life, along with the warmth that invites us to take it in alongside you.

Thank you for openly sharing your remarkable adventures, your talents, and your wisdom with us!

JUNE

“Far up in the deep blue sky,

Great white clouds are floating by;

All the world is dressed in green;

Many happy birds are seen,

Roses bright and sunshine clear

Show that lovely June is here.”

- F.G. Sanders

Thank you for

celebrating with us

during our

Mother’s Day

Parade and our

Memorial Day

Parade! We loved

seeing your

smiling faces!

A few of our visitors

have been a little on

the…

furry side.

Mt. Pleasant Times

Things To Do

In June…..

BIRTHDAYS

2nd - Truman G

9th - Chloe H

10th - Jordan B*

11th - Krista F*

14th - Barb S*

22nd - Kristen A*

29th - Jan J

30th - Esther W

*denotes staff member

June

2020

Activity

Calendar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Gaming Hour

(LR)

2

11:30 Exercise (AR)

1:00 Outdoor Visits

from Charlie, George,

and Fred!

3

11:30 Manicures (LR)

2:00 Bingo (AR)

4

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Visits w/

Hank the Dog

5

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Activity w/ Kris

(AR)

6

Puzzles

Or

Board Games

7

2:00 Devotions (LR)

8

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:30 Movie Matinee

(LR)

9

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:30 Ice Cream Social

(AR)

10

11:30 Manicures (LR)

2:00 Flower Pot

Painting (AR)

11

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Patio Time ft. Iced

Tea

12

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Gaming Hour (LR)

13

Movie

Matinee

14

2:00 Devotions (LR)

15

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Walking Club

16

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Bingo (AR)

17

11:30 Manicures (LR)

2:00 Patio Time ft.

Root Beer Floats (AR)

18

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Visits w/ Hank the

Dog

19

11:30 Exercise (AR)

12:30 Father’s Day

Cookout

2:30 Car Show Parade

20

Puzzles

Or

Board Games

21

2:00 Devotions (LR)

Happy

Father’s Day!

22

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Free Paint (AR)

23

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Music w/ Mark

DeNoyelles (AR)

24

11:30 Manicures (LR)

2:00 Scenic Drive

25

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Flower Planting

(AR)

26

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Patio Time ft.

Lemonade

27

Movie

Matinee

28

2:00 Devotions (LR)

29

11:30 Positive

Reflections (LR)

2:00 Patio Time ft.

Sherbet

30

11:30 Exercise (AR)

2:00 Gaming Hour

(LR)

All activities and times

are subject to change.

*AR = Activity Room

*LR = Living Room

*OB = Other Building

*DR = Dining Room