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Schowalter Villa
200 West Cedar
Hesston, KS 67062
620-327-0400 v
620-327-4262 f
info@svilla.org
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"One only has to walk a short distance to visit the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, attend church, attend a college class, go to the business district or a park. Some small towns turn me off, however, Hesston is unique and Schowalter Villa has a good mix of people."
Merle Bender
Resident
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About Schowalter Villa
Mission Statement
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Schowalter Villa
provides optimal quality of life & quality of care to enrich those we serve
in a Christian not-for-profit retirement community.
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Corporate Values
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Quality & compassionate care
Quality of life
Pioneering spirit, resourceful and progressive
Fiscally responsible
Christian value focused
Dedicated to developing people - staff as our biggest assets, Employer
of Choice
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History
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Mennonite Board of Missions
and Charities of Kansas, Inc., doing business as Schowalter Villa, was
established in 1961 as a not-for-profit retirement community by the Mennonite
Church.
A retirement community in Hesston was the fulfillment of the
vision of a number of people. In 1957, Orie O. Miller and Albert Weaver were
members of the board of Schowalter Foundation, helping to administer the bequest
of the late J.A. Schowalter, farmer and businessman from Halstead. Mr.
Schowalter’s will stipulated that $25,000 should be used to provide care for
retired church workers. So Miller and Weaver promoted the building of a
retirement community in Hesston, which was later named after Mr. Schowalter.
The location near Hesston Mennonite Church and Hesston College was a conscious
decision to allow residents to enjoy the religious, cultural and entertainment
opportunities of the Church and a Christian college.
In September 1961, the first residents moved into six duplex cottages and in
December the main Villa was completed with 12 self-care rooms and 16 nursing
care beds. During the years, the retirement community has expanded with services
for approximately 420 persons in 161 independent-living homes and suites, 38
assisted living units, a 50-apartment low-income HUD housing center (Hickory
Homes), and a 105-bed health care facility.
In 1992, Lake Vista began to take shape and by January 2000, 68 units were
completed. This addition included duplexes and fourplexes with storm shelters in
each of the fourplexes.
In the Spring of 2000, the Hesston
Wellness Center, Water's Edge Restaurant, and twenty-five independent living
suites in Lakeside Village were opened all under one roof. Expansion has
continued in Lake Vista and we are in the preliminary stages of developing
Prairie Lakes, a new independent living community at Schowalter Villa.
These developments integrate the benefits of the Hesston Wellness Center, Dyck
Arboretum of the Plains, and Hesston College, and are linked by the "Walkway of
Life" creating a seamless campus or transition from one site to the next.
Future developments will also incorporate plans for the city-wide walking trail
system. |
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