Page 5 - Fall Access 2016

r Part Two
“I’ve met great people
and made many friends...
I’ve been able to
experience some
pretty amazing things.”
a disease that claimed thousands of lives within Guinea and the adjoining countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Weertz read an article which stated that the outbreak was traced to a little boy who died in a small village in the southeast part of Guinea months earlier in December. “Thankfully, there were no cases of Ebola at CEH,” said Weertz.
Eight visits under his belt, Weertz confessed, “I'm not sure I would describe these trips as fun, but they are extremely rewarding. I’ve met great people and made many friends at CEH. I’ve been able to experience some pretty amazing things.”
On his upcoming ninth journey to CEH, Weertz’s team plans to install the plumbing and electrical in a new ward building, which will increase the number of in-patient beds to 32. The team will also make improvements to the electrical infrastructure to conserve limited electric power.
Weertz exclaimed, “Who would have thought that little George Weertz from the east side of Detroit, a guy who barely graduated from high school, would one day be using his God-given talents in Guinea, West Africa.” For more information on CEH, visit online at www.cehguinea.org.
Alpha Bees Team Caption Marlene Zeckzer (front row left) is enthusiastic about this fall's competition.
There is no fee to compete, but you must be a member of a Macomb County Senior Center. However, you don’t have to be a resident of Macomb County to become a member. “Winners at this year’s event will receive a certificate and if it’s like past spelling bees, they will receive a gift card,” said Zeckzer.
If you spell the word contender Z-e-c-k-z-e-r, then you’re absolutely right. For more information about the 2016 Senior Spelling Bee, contact Debbie Travis at the Clinton Township Senior Adult Life Center at 586-286-9333.
George Wertz (left) and Dr. Dwight Slader of CEH in Guinea, West Africa.
You’re never too old for adventure.
George Weertz – Age 69
Oakland County resident
A plumber who answered the call of a lifetime
In March of 2009, George Weertz retired from Great Lakes Works, a division of U.S. Steel Corporation, after working in the plant's engineering/maintenance department for 32 years. A licensed master plumber
You can keep your mind sharp at every age.
Marlene Zeckzer – Age 69 Macomb County resident Winning Spelling Bee Captain and competitor
Teams of older adults from Macomb County senior centers will convene at the Clinton Township Senior Adult Life Center on Friday, October 21st at 10 a.m. to participate in the 2016 Senior Spelling Bee. Team Coach Marlene Zeckzer is looking forward to leading her team, the Senior Center Alpha Bees, to their fourth victory. What’s their secret? “We study the 300 word list at home and are committed to practice sessions as a team,” she said. “Preparation for the spelling bee begins at the end of summer.”
As captain, Zeckzer also participates in the spelling bee line-up. “The spelling bee is a personal challenge for me,” she said. As it turns out, a talent for spelling runs in Zeckzer’s DNA. Her mother, Helen, earned first place after participating in her grade school spelling bee and was awarded a dictionary. Like the Olympic torch, Helen passed the prize forward to her daughter to carry on in winning fashion.
The K-12 schools that Zeckzer attended didn’t participate in spelling bees, so her first experience was at a Macomb County Community College spelling and proofreading competition. “I earned first place on the state level, followed by second place at nationals,” Zeckzer exclaimed. “This year’s competition in October will be my fifth seniors’ spelling bee.”
since 1980, Weertz held many managerial positions, but retirement would be far from traditional when he got a phone call that changed his life.
Dr. Dwight Slater, Co-Founder and CEO of Compassion Evangelical Hospital (CEH) in Guinea, West Africa, contacted Weertz about helping to build a hospital there. "I have to say that going to Africa was definitely not part of my retirement plans,” Weertz said and mentioned that the only time he had been out of the U.S. was on short visits to Canada. At that time, he was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. Weertz explained, “My doctor advised me not to travel, especially to a third world country.” But over the course of the next few months, with his doctor's permission, it became abundantly clear that Weertz was to go to Africa.
In February of 2011, he left his wife Susan at home and made his first excursion overseas to explore the great unknown. “When we arrived at CEH we quickly settled in and went to work.”
During his second voyage to Guinea in December of 2011, Weertz helped to complete the surgical building. “I remember looking at all the structures, the crowds of happy people and thinking that just a few years ago this was all just empty land. So often we hear about what God is doing in various parts of the world, but what a privilege to be able to see it with my own eyes and be a part of it,” Weertz said.
In the spring of 2014, as word spread about Ebola,
“I find that active people who like to read are the ones who get involved in spelling bees.”
Zeckzer’s talent for spelling was fostered by a love of books and reading. She also has a natural love for word games like Scrabble, word jumble, word searches, crossword puzzles and enjoys watching her favorite game show Wheel of Fortune. Zeckzer added, “I find that active people who like to read are the ones who get involved in spelling bees.”
Always looking to add teammates to the Senior Center Alpha Bees, Zeckzer, exercises at the senior center’s fitness room four to five days a week. “More than half of our team members are physically active on a daily basis, either taking fitness classes, utilizing the fitness room, mall walking or bike riding,” she explained.
But even with that winning combination, it’s not always smooth sailing. “At one spelling bee, I sneezed midway into spelling a word,” Zeckzer said. “It caught me off guard and my mind went blank.” When contestants misspell two words they are eliminated. Unfortunately, Zeckzer lost out, but maintains, “Spelling bees are usually a good way to monitor how well your memory still functions.”
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