May Resident of the Month

_{May 17, 2023}
Our May Resident of the Month is Cecil Lee! For Cecil's resident spotlight, we sat down with his daughter, Joanne, who shares some background about her father.

“Dad’s real name is Cecil Lee, but anyone that knows him calls him Lee. Dad lived out on Griggs Road his whole life. His parents were Roy and Lena Smith. His brothers were Everett, Noble and Arthur Smith, and his sisters were Ruth and Grace. They had a small dairy farm and also made maple syrup. Once he met and married Mom, Evelyn, they built a home just

down the road from Grandpa and Grandma Smith.

In his early years, he went to a one-room schoolhouse on Griggs Road. Remembering those days, in 1966 he built a Kidhack, which is a replica of a horse-drawn school bus. Growing up, Lee milked cows, so now his hands are bent to reflect those years of hard work. He was stationed at Camp Pickett in 1952, during his Army service. Dad paid $250 for his first car, a 1935 Chevrolet Coup. He and Mom had four kids, ten grandkids and fourteen great-grandkids. All the kids and grandkids have fond memories of riding horses or getting sleigh and buggy rides with Pops.

Over the years, Lee helped out with his horse, buggies and carriages at 70 weddings! He also gave rides at the Jefferson Depot, and one year, during a parade down Bridge Street in Ashtabula, he transported Santa Claus! He also used to have an act where he got on stage and did an old-man comedy bit, entertaining audiences at the Falcon Follies in Jefferson and at the Pioneer Picnic in Pierpont.

Lee worked for years at True Temper as a tow motor operator until the factory closed and moved South in 1983. After that, he started driving for Amish logging crews, some lady sewing groups and many Amish families. He took them on both short and long vacation trips. He even stayed in some of their homes on the trips. Mom and Dad ran Carriage House Antiques for many years and participated in antique shows in Unionville and Mesopotamia. Dad liked the old tools and farm antiques, and Mom liked the furniture and dishes. Dad and Mom also loved to travel together. They went by air, train and boat to most of the states from Vermont, Florida, Texas and Oregon. They loved traveling on the Delta Queen stern-wheeler, and we have many fond memories of family trips to Mackinac Island.

Lee and his late wife were married for 62 years. My mom went on to heaven six years ago. Dad and Mom, along with Lee’s brother, Everett, and his wife, Berneta, were active with the Ashtabula County Wagon Train Group. That is a little about my dad! You will often see Lee in his favorite hats and his cowboy boots too!"

Our staff members at Jefferson Healthcare Center love making these special connections with our residents. We invite our residents and their families in with open arms, welcoming them into the Jefferson Family. If you are looking for a skilled nursing facility that values genuine connections and quality care, visit us at Jefferson Healthcare Center. Click the button below to reach out to our team!

Contact Us