Chateau Girardeau to mark 40 years of helping seniors live independently

Although more than an inch of rain fell on Cape Girardeau on July 2, 1979, Mabel Weaver didn't seem to mind.

A photo from the Southeast Missourian's archives shows Weaver smiling broadly that morning as her furniture was moved into her new apartment at Chateau Girardeau as she became the first resident to move into the new independent-living facility for seniors.

Now, four decades later, the staff and residents at Chateau Girardeau are preparing to celebrate the senior community's 40th anniversary.

Chateau Girardeau will commemorate the anniversary with several activities, including a formal dinner and program for its residents July 2 and a public celebration from 1 until 4 p.m. July 6, featuring music, tours and historic displays.

Chateau Girardeau's president and CEO, Keith Boeller, said although it opened in 1979, Chateau's history can be traced back to around 1971 when several members of First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau began discussing the possibility of creating a retirement community here.

Keith Boeller points to the health center in an original sketch of Chateau Girardeau on Thursday in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

"Christian-based senior living communities were something that was in vogue at the time," Boeller explained. "They (the church members) had an interest in creating a retirement community that was consistent with their values."

The church formed a committee in 1972 to consider the idea and the following year the church authorized funding for a feasibility study. Results from a subsequent market survey indicated there was a clear need for an independent senior living facility.

By the end of 1974, a 12-member, not-for-profit non-denominational corporation called Cape Retirement Community Inc. was formed to oversee the project. Members included president Leta Bahn, vice president Charles Knote, First Presbyterian pastor Dr. Edwin Brasington, Carlston Bonsak, Paul Loiseau, Dr. Dale Blankenship, Naomi Earley, Paul Ebaugh, Thomas Froemsdorf, Louis Sewell, Dr. Raymond Ritter Sr. and Norman Wood. Barbara Calvin, who would become Chateau Girardeau's administrator in the mid-1980s, served as assistant secretary to the board.

Two major milestones in the project's development happened the following year: The board chose "Chateau Girardeau" as the retirement community's name and it acquired a 40-acre tract on the corner of Independence Street and Mount Auburn Road.

Mount Auburn wasn't much more than a two-lane "road" back then, according to Boeller.

Keith Boeller, president and CEO of Chateau Girardeau, poses for a portrait Thursday at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

"At the time, there was nothing out here," he said. "It was practically out in the middle of the country."

In fact, the only thing on the property was the Nunn-Miller family burial plot with markers dating to the mid-19th century. The small grave site still exists on the grounds, tucked away behind a line of shrubs along Independence Street.

Pre-construction newspaper ads in the mid-'70s said "apartments can be offered for as low as $9,950 for lifetime occupancy" and explained residents of the first 75 apartments would be guaranteed up to 90 days lodging in Chateau Girardeau's health center each year at no additional cost "except for physicians' fees and extra meals."

Access to Chateau's full continuum of care is still one of the facility's key features.

"Someone who comes here might move into an independent living apartment, then transition into assisted living and then, if they need more care, they can go to skilled care," Boeller said.

Keith Boeller, president and CEO of Chateau Girardeau, poses for a portrait Thursday at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

Construction of the main four-level apartment building began in the fall of 1977. Soon after it's completion, Chateau Girardeau's health center opened, and by the early '80s, the facility was providing therapy services.

Two years after opening, all of Chateau Girardeau's apartments had been reserved and a waiting list was started.

A 40-bed assisted living center and a 22-bed addition to the health center opened in the spring of 1988 and by the early 1990s construction began on the first homes in Chateau's Estates area, which today consists of 44 one-story ranch-style homes, of which 43 are occupied and one is being renovated in preparation for a new tenant.

Additional enhancements and expansions have taken place over the past decade, including the opening of the Chateau Rehabilitation Center in 2011.

Chateau Girardeau is accredited by the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission and last fall was named a "Best Nursing Home for 2018-19" by U.S. News & World Report.

"Today we have 75 licensed skilled nursing beds, 55 licensed assisted living beds and about 90 apartments plus the homes in the Estates," Boeller said. "And we're at about 85% occupancy."

Boeller joined the Chateau Board of Directors in 2010 and has been president and CEO since 2015.

There are currently about 250 residents at Chateau Girardeau and approximately 200 full- and part-time employees serving the needs of those residents, he said.

Amenities and services for Chateau residents range from exercise classes, movie nights and weekly social hours to culinary events, special presentations and excursions to off-site events and activities.

Looking ahead to the next 40 years, Boeller said there will be more and more need for facilities and senior living communities like Chateau Girardeau.

"The demand is going to be great," he said. "You can't build bricks and mortar fast enough to support the aging population."

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