On April 4th, Inland Christian Home wished a fond farewell to a beloved member of its staff who retired after forty-four years of dedicated service.
Carol Howlett, who retired from her position in the dietary department as a night cook, was at ICH from the beginning. As the first dietary aid hired, she began her career at Inland when the facility consisted of only thirteen cottages. At the time, the office was just a construction trailer, and the skilled nursing and assisted living buildings were in the process of being built. The apartments and the Friendship Center were just a distant dream.
Over the years she saw many changes and watched the facility grow into the multi-level community it is today. Along the way she made many friendships and enjoyed working at a place that cares about its employees. What she loves most about her time at ICH is the fact that people support one another, and employees can feel as if they are part of a family.
Carol, who fondly remembers regular visits with an elderly neighbor when she was a child growing up on a dairy farm, feels that her desire to help the elderly is what led her to a career at ICH. Now that she is retired, she says the reality of it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. She looks forward to pursuing her hobbies, like gardening and sewing, and is excited about the free time she will now have to spend time with family and catch up on what she calls her ‘Carol-Do List.’
After more than four decades of service, Carol will be greatly missed by the many employees and residents at Inland whose lives she touched. We wish her happiness and the best of luck in her future endeavors as she enjoys her well-deserved retirement!
