Everyone has unique experiences in life. Each person has a story to tell and words of wisdom that can be shared with others. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to some of the wonderful people who live here at CHCC. Here is a recent resident spotlight interview we did with Merle.
Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Oh, sure. I started out as a kid in South Dakota, then we moved to Spokane. I loved Spokane; it was just my town. Then we moved to Bellingham and now I’m here.
What industry did you retire from?
I was an electrician in Bellingham and worked for different contractors.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
Well, I can’t say it was fun, so I don’t really have a favorite thing. I had to crawl under houses and in attics, but being an electrician was a good thing because the union was a good one to be a part of.
If you could have any type of food, what would it be?
Boy, that’s a tough choice. I like pancakes and waffles and little pigs. That’s what I call sausages. We get all that here, it’s good.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
Being a soldier in World War II. It took us 21 days, but we went across the Pacific to the Philippine Islands. I was about as young as you could be, too; I was just out of high school. I served about 18 months, and I was proud to have served.
What is one thing you did or experienced that was scary?
Once I was checking on factories in Japan where they make ammunition. My lieutenant and I started walking toward one and all of a sudden three German Shepherd dogs came rushing out at us with some soldiers. That was scary, but they ended up letting us in to do our job.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
My favorite time of life to live in was when I got married. I met this girl named Margaret who was introduced to me by some guys I worked with at the union printing company. She was a horsewoman; she grew up on a ranch. She was a loner and I was a loner, so two loners got together.
Her dad gave us 20 acres of his ranch on Lummi Island in exchange for helping to take care of the property. That’s where I built our house. That time of life tied me down and gave me something to work for.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
They taught me to always be kind and generous. That always paid off in my work because I was always kind to the people I worked for and not everyone was.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
My advice would be to go on to college, if you can afford it, because the more education you get, the better your chances are of getting a job later.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
Most people don’t know that I am left-handed. I also had two sisters. I used to hunt and fish, and I called bingo for 27 years.
You’ve lived through other historical events — wars and recessions and such. What do you think of the pandemic that we’re living through now?
Oh, it’s a real dirty shame. I guess eventually we’ll work our way out of it, hopefully. The people working here do their best to get us through things and help us to enjoy things.
What do you like about living at CHCC?
I like the breakfast here. I like the trip we took on that double bicycle! The helpers here are also very kind and patient with me, even if I am not always very cooperative. This old man enjoys being around all these young people. They kind of bring me to life and get me going.