Flo was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois, north of Chicago. After getting married, she and her husband, Bill, spent four years in Valdosta, Georgia, where Bill, who was in the Air Force, was stationed. During that time Flo worked as a receptionist at an Air Force dental clinic. Her son was born during this period.
After Bill’s discharge in 1956, the family returned to Waukegan, where they lived for the next 50 years. Flo worked for Ocean Spray Cranberries in Kenosha, Wisconsin, for 16 years, as head of Transportation and Customer Service – a “hard job”, she recalls. She also gave birth to three daughters during that time.
In 1989, Bill and Flo moved to Reno, Nevada, to be near two of their daughters, both with small children – grandchildren to Flo and Bill. Later on they moved to Santa Cruz, following a daughter who lived here and a son who lived in San Francisco – and of course, more grandchildren. Flo reminisces, “We enjoyed our small kids and grandkids because they are safe at home when they are young. As they get older, they go out into the world and then you worry more about them”.
When Flo’s daughter-in-law was looking for a senior community for her mother to move to, she considered La Posada. Although her mother found another place, she suggested La Posada to Flo and Bill. Flo liked it immediately. “The fact that my husband had health issues was what really made me want to move here, because I felt that should anything happen to me, he would have a safe place to live”, Flo explains. They moved in on April 1, 2011. Five years later, Bill died suddenly during a trip to Denver.
Around that time, Flo was elected President of the Residents Association. She wanted to be active and made many changes, which resulted, among other things, in an increase in membership and a much-improved store. Flo recalls, “I persuaded Janet Smith to let me remodel the store and the Association paid for half of it. The old store brought in about $50 per week; now we bring in about $200 per week” She acknowledges that the Association has very good people who help in many ways. “I couldn’t do it all by myself”.
Flo is also active in the La Posada Book Club and reads a great deal, especially history and historical fiction set during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. As for living at La Posada, Flo is very happy here. “I feel at home here. When my husband died in Denver, I couldn’t wait to get back to La Posada. I don’t just feel like a renter – this is my home”.