Allison Campbell Jensen

Interviewing more than 30 people, ages 9 to 90, digging through scrapbooks of newspaper clippings and photos, and delving into historical papers led to Croixdale: A Community Treasure. I started the research and interviews about this Bayport senior community in March and in December 2010, this book was published to mark its 50th anniversary in 2011. Here’s a snippet from the chapter Daily Gladness:
“Wii games could hardly have been imagined in 1961, when one newspaper trumpeted the original residence’s opening with this headline: ‘Oldsters Have Plush Haven and Few Worries at New Croixdale.’ They also had plenty of activities: crafts, coffee hours and game parties with prizes.

“From the start, Croixdale not only provided meals and personal care, but also the daily gladness of companionship for the lively people who made it their home. A few months after Croixdale officially opened in September 1961, the residents created their XYZ Club: its initials stood for ‘Extra Years of Zest.'”