Love of reading leads to library gift

By LORI BERGLUND
Special to Lumen Media
 
Marilyn Moeding has left her mark on the Fort Dodge Marian home thanks to her family. It started with the family dining room table.

It was at that table that the family gathered for holidays, prayed together before meals, laughed together and made countless family memories.

  The table is gone now, but memories of it will not soon dim. Moeding’s son Jack fashioned from the table a number of wood crosses that he shared with his siblings after her passing this summer. One of the crosses that he made has found its way to the Marian Home and Village in Fort Dodge, where it rests upon a Bible gifted to the Catholic nursing home as part of a library dedicated in honor of Moeding.

 Both educators, the late John and Marilyn Moeding raised a family of six children in Manson, before retiring to Fort Dodge several years ago. Marilyn, in particular, taught their children not just the value of reading but the simple enjoyment of snuggling in with a good book at the end of a busy day.
“Most of us in the family like to read, to different degrees,” said daughter Jayne Kolacia of Fort Dodge. “We all value the importance of reading and education.”     

 Marilyn lived at the Marian Home for approximately 18 months before passing away in July. During her time there, she delighted the staff with her desire to share her own love of reading with her fellow nursing home residents.

 “You would never catch her without a book,” recalled Tracy Trotter, administrator at the Marian Home. “She always had a book going.”

As a life-long avid reader, Moeding had amassed quite a book collection, and had already started donating books to the Marian Home. She had even visited with staff about donating a rolling cart to serve as a traveling library to take book selections to residents in their own rooms.

 After Moeding’s passing, her six children put their heads together and decided to honor their mom with a gift they knew she would appreciate. After visiting more with Trotter, they opted to use the memorial funds they had received after the funeral to donate and outfit a complete library for Marian Home residents.

 “We had been looking to do a small library or a book nook,” Trotter noted. “And we thought Halverson Hall would be the best place.”

Halverson Hall is a large, popular social room at the Marian Home and is a place where residents can gather together and with their families. The library would grow to include expansive bookshelves, comfy seating, and a handmade Bible stand, featuring one of the crosses made from Moeding’s dining room table.

The Moeding family took their gift a step further by not simply donating their mother’s personal book collection, but by adding to it and including large print books, Kindles, Audible versions and headphones.

 For those with difficulty seeing, the large print books are especially helpful. The Audibles subscription actually reads a book out loud so that even a resident who has very low vision can hear and enjoy a book.
 Trotter is very appreciative for the gift and said it’s one that can be enjoyed by many different residents.

 “The library was such a great idea from Marilyn’s kids,” Trotter said. “They really took the lead and this is such a nice place for residents to just go in there and sit awhile, read a book or talk about books. It’s another way to socialize.”

 In addition to the handmade cross, Jack Moeding also made the Bible stand that serves as a focal point of the library. Kolacia and her daughter found two of the side tables at a thrift shop and refinished them. Together, the blend of new and restored furnishings gives the library a stately look, while still creating an inviting feel.

 Kolacia knows her mother would be so happy in knowing that her children came together to give a gift of reading to others.

“She would have loved it,” Kolacia said. “She taught us patience, and compassion, and the importance of family.”

In addition to a book club, Moeding enjoyed Bible study groups. A member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Moeding cherished her faith.

“She taught us to trust in our faith,” Kolacia said.

For Trotter, the library donation is a welcome addition to the Marian Home and Village. She is pleased to see residents enjoying the new space and perhaps perusing a few titles to check out for themselves.

“Who doesn’t love a good book,” Trotter said.
 
Berglund is a freelance writer based out of Dayton. She is a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Webster County.