Bud and Jeani Poe have been traversing life’s adjustments hand in hand for more than 75 years. Their most recent adjustment was moving into a senior care community together.
Though moving into their two-bedroom apartment-style unit at the Sunshine Gardens Senior Community a year and a half ago was a change from the larger North Durango home the couple was used to, the adjustment was fairly smooth, the pair said – in part because of their solid relationship.
“We’re fortunate to be here together – it’s worked out great,” said Jeani, who recently turned 90. “We’ve been able to adjust together.”
The couple’s children moved the two into Sunshine Gardens for safety reasons, said Bud, 92.
Many parts of Bud and Jeani’s day-to-day at Sunshine Gardens mirrors the routine they used to keep in their North Durango home, Jeani said. They wake up, have breakfast, get dressed, go to activities and spend quality time together, much like they always have. But other aspects of their life in the care community – like the couple each having their own room and bed – have been an adjustment.
“We’ve tried to push these together,” Jeani said, referring to the two single beds in the unit. The couple said they’ve shared a room and bed for most of their lives, and miss sleeping beside each other.
Sunshine Gardens Director Rita Horst said choice and autonomy is paramount at Sunshine Gardens, and that tenants at the care home are always treated as individuals with unique needs and care plans, whether they reside by themselves or with their partner.
There are three couples in the senior community, including Bud and Jeani, Horst said.
“It’s very cute. It’s sweet to see,” she said of the interactions she has witnessed between the couples in her care.
Like most couples, the several sets of lovebirds residing at Sunshine Gardens occasionally bicker, too, Horst said – but not very often.
Bud and Jeani’s unit in the care community appears largely like a normal apartment – except for the lack of stove and oven in the kitchen, which Horst said is by design for the safety of tenants.
Bud and Jeani’s living room boasts homey furniture and framed family photos, and each of their bedrooms, which are separated by a bathroom, have their own decor and personal style.
Most of the units at Sunshine Gardens – including Bud and Jeani’s – have a lock on the front door. Ensuring privacy and respect for all tenants is paramount at the senior community, Horst said.
Though Bud and Jeani are just as in love now as they were as teenagers, they aren’t always joined at the hip at Sunshine Gardens. Sometimes the pair attends events together in the senior community, and sometimes they separate for their own activities, Horst said.
Bud said Jeani caught his eye the very first time he saw her, back when they lived two blocks apart in Detroit.
Bud saw a 10-year-old Jeani riding her bike around the neighborhood with her long blonde hair flying behind her and was immediately intrigued.
“I liked the way she pedaled,” he said. “I said, ‘I want to get to know that girl.’”
The fondness between the two continued to grow as they got older. The couple began dating in high school, where they flirted at their side-by-side lockers, Jeani said.
When asked how long the two have been married, Bud responded, “Forever.” The couple estimated it’s been more than 50 years, but said aging memories sometimes make it difficult to remember when exactly they tied the knot.
The couple went on to have four children and moved to Durango in the 1990s.
Since then, Bud and Jeani have curated reputations as generous donors for organizations and groups like the Animas Museum, the Merely Players, the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College and the Durango Arts Center.
Bud also co-authored a book in his 70s, titled, “Trail Canyon: 6 Miles Long, 10,000 Years Deep.” The book explores the history of the rugged 6-mile-long canyon that runs north from McElmo Canyon west of Cortez, where Bud and Jeani bought parcels of land in the early 2000s.
Keeping the romance alive has never been an issue for Bud and Jeani, no matter where they’ve lived, the pair said.
“It’s easy,” Bud said. “Look at her: she’s very pretty.”
According to Bud, the couple’s secret to a strong relationship – especially while adapting to changes like moving into Sunshine Gardens together – is the pair’s nearly life-long foundation of friendship.
epond@durangoherald.com
