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The Meadows is celebrating their 10th anniversary this month. Ten years of meeting, embracing and serving. Ten years of learning, growing and emerging. And 10 years of living out the legacy of the foundation. From the decades of ministry and various entrepreneurial moves, Dr. and Mrs. Warren Bathke started from the ground up. Dr. Bathke spent 20 years in the church and 20 years in education. A majority of his time in education was spent at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Mo. He served as their Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1977 and later as the Interim President for seven years upon his retirement. He also spent nine years as the President of Grace College of the Bible in Omaha, Neb. In between the church and edu- cational setting, Warren and Gladys also bought and managed several residential apartment complexes and commercial properties. Consequently, they moved into the first apartment complex they bought, so they could ef- fectively learn to manage and maintain the building along the way. They did everything themselves: Gladys cleaned the apartments when tenants moved out and kept records; Warren, with the help of his son, Brian, took care of all maintenance needs and renovations. It was during his work within the property setting that the Bathkes' dream of facilitating a community for "the greatest generation" took root. They purchased the land nearly two decades before The Meadows came to fruition. They built a home on Lake Loch Lomond a decade before The Meadows was built. They had every intention of "living out their days" in their own home. As this dream became a reality, they requested family take part. Their daughter, Ann, agreed to come alongside as the administrator; and their granddaughter, Megan, and her husband, agreed to move to the area for the project. Finally, the building process started. While the Bathkes still envisioned this as a project they would oversee from afar, it became evident that they would benefit from the assistance of- fered through The Meadows. While Dr. Bathke was still quite independent, he was experiencing more difficulty pre- paring meals, caring for Mrs. Bathke and still maintaining his own personal well-being. With some reluctance, as it meant "giving up" an element of inde- pendence for the couple, they moved into the facility as soon as it opened in September 2007. What felt as though it veered from their plan, quickly proved its benefit. Gladys became in- creasingly ill, but Warren was able to receive much-needed assistance with his beloved bride, while he was able to remain involved in his business ven- tures. They remained together much Furnished & Unfurnished Rental Homes Nightly • Weekly • Monthly • Long Term Full-Service Professional Property Management Vacation Homes • Investment Properties 430 Town Center • Bella Vista, AR 479-855-1111 • 800-386-4628 www.vacationrentalsinc.net Vacation Rentals, Inc. Your Home Away From Home Time for some healthy fun! Senior Health Fair 20C F Wednesday, September 13, 2017 The Weekly Vista e Meadows treats residents like family PAID CONTENT See MEADOWS on Page 23C