My mother moved into Carefree Assisted Living (Silver Bay, MN) in late 2019 and about a year later she (and I) met our next featured alumnus, Cheryl Hart. Cheryl had just accepted a position as Carefree’s Activities Director and quickly met the residents to find out what they enjoyed doing in their spare time. My mom loved her right away.
As many have experienced, when our parents need caregiving, we look for qualified and happy people to help when we can’t do it ourselves. Carefree is blessed to have numerous such employees. Cheryl became part of my mom’s world and we have been blessed by her presence ever since.
Not long after she joined Carefree’s staff, Cheryl became a Resident Assistant and continues in that role today. As a Resident Assistant, Cheryl assists many with the activities of daily living. She helps residents with their morning routines, distributes food and medications, does laundry, performs small maintenance tasks, helps in the kitchen and most importantly, brings a daily dose of smiles and conversation to many.
Cheryl was born in Cloquet and moved to Silver Bay in 1973 with her mom and younger sister when she was in the 5th grade. She didn’t especially like school but considered herself “street smart”. She loved to ski and was a member of the Ski Club. She and her friends were frequently found on the slopes at Lutsen. Her favorite teachers included Mr. Yoki, Mr. Kaiser, Mr. Smekar, Mr. Mozzetti, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Jurasin. She attended cosmetology school after high school and worked as a beautician in Two Harbors. She also worked at the Beaver Bay Inn for many years as a cook and waitress. In 1994 she attended the Duluth Area Vocational Technical Institute to become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant. She was hired at the Silver Bay Veteran’s Home that same year as a caregiver and continued there for 10 years.
Cheryl married in 2001 and became stepmom to her husband’s daughter, Celeste. In 2004, they moved to Wright, Wyoming to be closer to her husband’s family. She worked as a kitchen manager at the local elementary school, loved her job and has many happy memories of her family life there. After a divorce and Celeste’s high school graduation, she moved back to Silver Bay where her mother, sister and multiple friends still lived. She worked several jobs around town and, in 2020, found her current employer. She is one of the courageous and dependable caregivers that helped get Carefree Silver Bay through the worst of the COVID pandemic.
In 2021, Celeste asked Cheryl to officially adopt her. I saw pure joy on her face as she told me this! She is currently blessed with a one-year-old granddaughter, too, and the three of them are never far from each other in spirit.
Cheryl offers a special kind of spunk to the residents at Carefree. On any day, she never knows what she is going to experience when she enters a resident’s apartment. Residents often struggle with the loss of physical capabilities, boredom and loneliness. Regardless of what she finds, she handles their physical care and emotional wellbeing with grace, humor and confidence. I am so happy I know her and that she takes care of the Carefree residents, including my mom.
Cheryl and my mom