OWENSVILLE — Gasconade Manor Nursing Home has upcoming events such as fundraisers and fishing trips this spring to support its residents.

Amanda Skaggs, activities director, shared details about upcoming plans for the residents.

Skaggs mentioned seniors were enjoying the unseasonably warm weather on Monday.

“We enjoyed the beautiful day, Monday afternoon, and sat outside in the courtyard, had strawberry lemonade, and listened to music,” she said.

The Manor has been doing more physical activities as they prepare to welcome spring.

Skaggs talked about upcoming events in April.

“We’ll be having an in-house Easter egg hunt; we invite residents’ families and staff family members to come up and have a big Easter egg hunt for the kids,” said Skaggs.

They hide over a thousand eggs for the kids to find.

She said that there will be a little party in the activity room with hot dogs and chips for those who attend the hunt. They are also planning a trip to Hollywood Casino in St. Louis during April.

Skaggs mentioned that residents would be going bowling more often.

“We went to the bowling alley last Friday (March 5) for bowling and lunch, and I plan on taking a different group on the 20th,” said Skaggs.

She said that the Manor would be attending Lions Hall Jam sessions on Tuesday mornings this month. Their next scheduled visits there are March 24 and 31.

The Manor was scheduled to hold bingo in the morning and have a St. Patrick’s Day social in the afternoon on Tuesday, followed by music from Bernard Ross.”

Bernard Ross is a Missouri-based singer, and his services include karaoke at weddings, parties, events, and assisted living centers, according to his website.

Ross enjoys taking special requests from residents.

“I pretty much do whatever they like and open it up to the residents to what they want to hear,” said Ross. “I do the older stuff like Nat King Cole, country,  Hank Williams and Elvis.”

Skaggs is planning to do the barbecue fundraiser soon.

“In February, we just had a fundraiser with our Valentine King and Queen voting,” said Skaggs. “And we did a penny a vote fundraiser.”

The manor raised $900 with the penny votes.

There were eight nominees for king, queen, prince and princess voting. Skagg put out mason jars with the nominees’ pictures on them.

“We had a pretty stiff competition this year because — best year yet.”

Skaggs shared information regarding upcoming fishing trips. She plans on getting a few trips in for the month of April to Peaceful Valley Lake for fishing.

“We have some staff members that live out there, so we’re able to take a bus load out there to fish,” said Skaggs.

“In May, we will do our annual Reinhold fishing trip,” she added. “Mr. Jerry Reinhold invites us out, barbecues for us, we make a day of it.”

She said that she will usually load the bus three different times and try to get as many residents as she can out to Reinhold’s property to enjoy the day.

The interest in the trip gets bigger, and Reinhold just goes along with the plan.

“It’s one of the better outings that we do,” said Skaggs. “Just because we are able to get more of them (residents) out there, and we invite the family to come out there with us, if their loved ones are out there.”

Reinhold has a private residence with three lakes that are stocked.

“I always kind of joke around, it’s like it was made for us because everything is paved and level,” said Skaggs. “He has a big shed that we eat (at) indoors if the weather gets bad, we can get them inside real quick.”

She said that the manor has been making the trip to Reinhold’s residence twice a year for the past three years. They go in the spring and toward the end of summer.

The week of Mother’s Day in May, the Manor will be celebrating National Nursing Home Week.

“The whole week is just full of fun days,” said Skaggs. “This year the theme is ‘Moments In Bloom.’”