The Cedars is a hub of activity for folks in the community. To them, it is important to help seniors in the community. After all, these seniors are church members, former teachers and neighbors who deserve to complete their lives with dignity and respect in familiar territory. And Bertsch and Lightfoot know The Cedars likely will be their home some day. This is a very unique situation here,'' said Larry Watkins, administrator of The Cedars.
Experts agree such a facility is rare.
Only three or four of the state's 614 nursing homes were built, owned and operated by residents of a community and not connected to a particular fraternal organization or church. Bertsch was among several visionaries in the Leo-Grabill community who saw a need for elderly care in northeast Allen County. A member of the Leo Apostolic Christian Church, Bertsch and several other church members believed it was God's will that they buy a 73-acre farm on the edge of Leo when it came up for sale in 1971. Their vision included a home for troubled children, and thus was born Gateway Woods Children's Home. Other churches were asked to join in planning a nursing home.