Gretchen Dobbs, left, Julianne Kirstens, and Doris Trotter, right, share a happy moment during a recent visit at Sequoyah Manor Nursing Home in Sallisaw. Dobbs and Trotter brought Kirstens a chili dog to celebrate her 81st birthday. Kirstens had a special request for “no cheese, add onions.”
Submitted Photo
The duo are known by some of the residents of the home in Sallisaw as the “Little Debbie” ladies as they bring a snack cake to the residents each week. In addition to the sweet treat, they always have a cheerful card, picture, Bible quote or holiday-themed gift to leave behind with the nursing home residents.
“We needed a special ministry,” shared Doris.
“After we’d taught school for so many years, we needed to have something to plan and look forward to doing each week…something where we felt we were making a difference.”
With 60 years of combined teaching experience, the pair has former students who are now grandparents and great-grandparents themselves. Gretchen taught at Cedarville (Arkansas), Sallisaw Adventist School, Gum Springs and Gore schools during her career. She retired in 2006 as a fifth-grade teacher from Gore Schools and was recognized by the system in 2005-6 as Teacher of the Year.
Doris taught at Quinton, Liberty, and Gore in Oklahoma, and Van Buren, Ark. Doris has actually retired twice…the first time as director of Special Education Services with the Gore Schools in 2003 and then again as a special education teacher from the Van Buren School System in 2008. During her tenure, she’s been recognized as a Teacher of the Year. Doris also served as the president of the Sequoyah County Teachers Association.
When Little Debbie Snacks, manufactured by McKee Foods in Collegedale, Tenn., learned that two ladies were delivering their sweet treats to nursing home residents each week, Debbie McKee-Fowler, executive vice president and namesake of the company, sent personal letters of appreciation to both Gretchen and Doris. She also included coupons for the ladies to purchase some snack cakes for their weekly gifts since they ladies buy the snacks cakes from their own pocketbook.
“What a wonderful thing to do for these folks. I’m sure they look forward to your visit each week,” Debbie McKee-Fowler commented.
Incidentally, Gretchen’s grandson Cannon Dobbs is a computer programmer at Little Debbie Snacks as he completes his degree at Southern Adventist University also in Collegedale.
Over the past two years, the two have delivered over 3,000 snack cakes and cards to residents as they keep records of the special sweet each resident requests from week to week. Gretchen and Doris are sensitive to the diabetics and have other treats for them.
During their visit tenure, Gretchen and Doris have made lot of special friends at the home. Recently Gretchen purchased a pair of handmade crocheted and embroidered pillow cases from resident Vernie Lee Kohler as a gift for Doris on her birthday. The 78-year-old resident invested 60 hours to craft the pillow cases.
Lou Maddox, an 88-year-old resident of the home, is a special friend to Doris.
“She’s the popcorn lady from the old Vian Theatre,” reflected Doris.
Lou started working at the theatre when she was a teenager and has multi-generational friends who know her from her famous profession.
On the weekly trips, Gretchen also visits relatives Catherine “Cat, the Avon Lady” Beck, formerly of Vian, and 104-year-old Ninnie Irby.
The two have become the unofficial nursing home representatives at funerals for the residents. During the past two years, they have attended eight services.
Gretchen and Doris occasionally dress up in some theme clothing ranging from tropical to seasonal attire.
“We love to see the ‘Happy Ladies’ come each week,” Jamie DeBois, activities director of Sequoyah Manor Nursing Home, said.
Their other ministry is with their church, the Sallisaw Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are affectionately known as “the committee” as they are the committee to plan wedding and baby showers, special programs, Bible school and even decorations for special Sabbath programs.
