Sisters at Judson Park weather pandemic together

July 31, 2020 -- Carol Ramstad and Edith Calder are close, even for sisters. Both spent their adulthood in the Greater Seattle area, both graduated from the University of Washington, and now, amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic, both support each other as neighbors at Judson Park senior living community in Des Moines.

“We’ve been very close all our lives,” said Carol, who can see Edith’s apartment window from hers. “We’re 18 months apart. Our husbands got along well; we hiked together, skied together.”

It’s that active spirit that continues to sustain them. Pre-pandemic, the pair would meet for dinner each night, routinely visit, and go for daily walks. They still walk together each day, albeit with masks and socially distanced, visits are now largely over the phone, and meals together are by reservation only as the community begins to resume some small group activities.

“I certainly miss her,” said Carol, who stays engaged by reading, writing letters to friends and family, and following church services through Facebook. “That’s why we try to get together. We lean on each other for support; it makes all the difference.”

It’s a sentiment Edith shares. “We know each other so well,” she added. “We have no secrets, no surprises. We’re like twins.”

While both are eager for a return to normalcy – exercise and intellectual classes on campus, regular visits and outings with family – they’re appreciative of the community’s efforts and, of course, each other.

“Judson Park has done an amazing job,” said Edith. “They deliver meals to us; they just do a wonderful job.”

Read the story in the Waterland blog: https://waterlandblog.com/2020/07/30/sisters-at-local-retirement-community-judson-park-weather-pandemic-together/