Resident and co-worker bond over writing and poetry

Dorothy Jacobs, 93, a former English teacher, loves to write letters and poetry. A resident at Country Meadows of Leader Heights, Jacobs corresponds with friends, family members and former students and colleagues. But health issues have robbed her ability to hold and use a pencil.

“I was specifically hired to be her corresponding secretary,” says Country Meadows At Home Care Associate Wanda Boone. “Every time we are together we work on some kind of correspondence. I write down Dorothy’s voice and the words she wants to share in her letters.  We share a lot of happy memories and fun, silly stories.”

Jacobs taught English at Ridgeway and Shippensburg High Schools, both in Pennsylvania. Last year some of her former students held 50- and 60-year class reunions. “They shared Dorothy’s mailing address in case anyone wanted to correspond with her, and several have,” says Boone, who adds that Jacobs has a drawer filled with cards of appreciation from former student teachers and stories of how she touched their lives.