Every community has a unique culture. People tell us all the time, “There is something special about Carriage Oaks. I can’t tell you exactly what it is, but I could feel it when I walked in the door and met the staff and residents.” Collectively we create a cultural collage unique to Carriage Oaks. Every strand of life experience, every pearl of wisdom gleaned every piece of adventure, joy or life challenge goes into creating our culture. This is who we are, visit us and experience it for yourself. Join us and add to our richness, texture and color!

I am a wife, a mother of three. Throughout my life I have always enjoyed volunteer work. I served as president of the University of Tennessee Hospital Auxiliary in Knoxville, TN.     I am a wife and mother of one son. I emigrated from Cologne, Germany in 1949. I loved to cook, to sing and was active in the Philadelphia German Society.      I am a wife, the mother of 3, grandmother of 4, great-grandmother of 1. I went to a Catholic boarding school in Stengue, WA and won a scholarship to Holy Name College.  I taught school for 29 years. I sailed across the ocean for 3 months on a freighter and visited King Tut’s tomb in Egypt.    I am a husband and father of 5 children. I was stationed in Italy as part of the Occupational Forces. I married my high school sweetheart. I’ve moved around the country a lot with my work. I loved to travel and have been to Singapore and North Africa.    I am a true Chicago girl; born, raised, married and had two sons there. I once worked at the Chicago Union Stock Yards. Talk to me about Aberdeen Angus beef! I played golf and did synchronized swimming. I have seen all 50 states. I am an avid volunteer.    I was a journalist and editor of the Geneva Republican. I was a husband and father of two daughters and two sons. I loved golfing, hiking and bird-watching. At one point I was honored as Man of the Year by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. The fox at the front entrance of Carriage Oaks is named after me.    We have been married for 61 years and have 4 children. We lived in Aurora, IL for 35 years. We have volunteered on mission trips to Haiti to help build churches. We are loving grandparents of seven boys and three girls and of five great grandchildren.    I lived in my house in Batavia for 54 years. I had four children. I survived a divorce. I worked at Mercyville in Aurora. I now have five grandchildren.   

I grew up riding horses in Ponca City, OK. I have been a control tower operator for an aviation school training British Air Force Pilots and a cryptographer working on Japanese code. I was one of seven women that traveled in a convoy to England transporting 5,000 GIs overseas. My wedding dress was made from the parachute my husband used throughout the war. I have twelve grandchildren.    I have lived in St. Charles my entire life. I attended Cornell College and worked as a bookkeeper. I have two sons. I was one of the first residents to move into Carriage Oaks. I took 14-day trip of a lifetime to Alaska and saw the top of Mt. McKinley.     I was adopted from an orphanage when I was 4 years old by a wonderful Missouri farm family. I was a mechanical engineer that worked on top secret projects in the Nuclear Weapons engineer Program for the U.S. government. I met my wife at a Howard Johnson’s in Oklahoma. I am the father of two. I love having coffee each morning in the Carriage Oaks coffee shop with all my friends.    I spend much of the winter in Florida. I taught Sunday school 18 years. I lost my husband when I was only 55. I have two wonderful sons and am very proud of my six grandchildren. I have great friendships and love to travel.    My wife and I have four daughters and have been married 61 years. I was one of ten men who was responsible for the breakup of Illinois Bell in 1984. I graduated from Grinnell College. I served in the Navy for three years. We used to summer near the Indian Dunes.     I grew up and went to school in Minnesota. I have played the piano since I was a child and love to play for events at Carriage Oaks. I am a mother of five daughters. I have lived in St. Charles for 31 years. I was married for 50 years. I am involved in the Stephan’s Ministry with my church. I am the father of three children. I lived in Indianapolis and attended Notre Dame. I worked in sales, marketing and general management. I once owned my own business. I survived the loss of my beloved wife. I searched for three years to find a right retirement community. I am the president of the Carriage Oaks board.    

I used to work for the telephone company. I have traveled the world. I once worked at Bailey, Banks and Biddle and survived a robbery at gun point. I am the mother of four children. My husband was a home builder and I decorated his model homes winning “Best Decorated” wards for the Cavalcade of Homes. I moved to Carriage Oaks to be near my children and grandchildren.    I was born in Berlin, Germany. My grandmother was Russian, my grandfather was Swedish. During the war I was evacuated to the countryside. I have many stories of the war years during my childhood. I married a Frenchman and had two children. I survived a divorce and continued raising my children as a single mother. I lived in NYC and worked at Pace University. I now live near my daughter and her family. I speak German, French and English.    I am originally from Quincy, IL. I have been widowed and am now remarried. Between us we have six children, 15 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.