Our Seniors

Over the course of his lifetime, it’s hard to count the number of lives Clifford Wilbon has touched. Hundreds? Maybe thousands? For 20 years he taught band or music to kids in Cincinnati Public Schools. On the weekends, he was part of the music team at his church, saving souls with the sounds of his trumpet. Helping others was always the key to the song of his life, whether it was through his teaching skills or playing ability, and he made sure he shared it with everyone he could. Then things started to go dark. READ MORE

“Old Brown” sits inside the carport under Janice Simpkins’ home. She loved driving that 1978 Chevrolet Caprice. Being inside it made her feel comfortable and secure against the unpredictability of the outside world. Life was an open road. Unfortunately—sadly—those days have passed. Simpkins renewed her driver’s license last year, but it’s really just a form of ID now. She doesn’t drive anymore. She can’t. Over the course of the last several years the strains of life and the fragility of the body crossed paths, leaving her almost exclusively homebound. The open road has come to a halt. READ MORE

Somewhere within the double helix of Asta Hellman’s DNA is a strand of stubborn independence. After a broken engagement when she was in her 20s, she wanted to start a new life, so she boarded a steamship, said goodbye to her native Netherlands and set sail for North America, knowing only one person on the other side of the Atlantic. When it got too cold in Toronto where she initially settled, she boarded a bus and rode 38 hours to Florida just to warm up. When she got tired of asking her husband for some spending money, she opened Asta’s Baby Corner, the first consignment store in Ohio. Do not tell Asta Hellman she can’t do something.  READ MORE

Patricia Kleine opens her refrigerator and points at two shelves that are loaded with boxes. “This is where I keep my medicine,” she says. “It’s about $3,000 worth of medicine.” For the last 15 years, Patricia has suffered from diabetes and must take insulin in order to keep her blood sugar at a normal level. “I have to give myself five shots a day with one of these,” she says, pulling a gray pen from one of the boxes. She puts the pen back and slowly closes the door. “I can’t begin to tell you how lucky I am to have this refrigerator.” READ MORE

William Rankins Jr. always had a gift for seeing things a certain way.  He would see something that moved him and then draw it — sometimes on a pad of paper or a canvas — and sometimes on the side of a building.  If you’ve ever been to downtown Cincinnati, you’ve probably seen his work. He was paid to get your attention after all, or inspire you in some way. William Rankins Jr. is an artist — a muralist to be more specific — one of the first in Cincinnati and highly sought after during his time.  Some call him iconic. For decades, he adorned urban life in Cincinnati with his paint and his vision. Until he went blind. READ MORE

Patricia Crenner has outlived two of her three ex-husbands so far. Only her second husband is still  around, and he used to visit Pat somewhat regularly. If he went to the store, he’d ask her if she  needed anything and then stop by to chat. But after their conversations became too political too  often, as they so often do these days, they agreed to disagree one last time and go their separate  ways — again. Apart from a granddaughter who visits when she can and a neighbor who will  accompany Pat to lunch occasionally, Pat’s most loyal day-to-day companion is her cat, Bootsy. READ MORE

As we get older, once simple tasks around the house may become more difficult. From running errands to working in the yard and even making dinner can be much harder than in the past. Add in an illness or mobility issues and it can seem almost impossible to manage on your own. “If it hadn’t been for Meals on Wheels,” says Frank Snider. “We’d have been in trouble a lot of times.” READ MORE