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Around our table: Senior adults answer top Thanksgiving dinner table questions

This Thanksgiving, we asked residents at Buckner senior living communities to answer the top Thanksgiving dinner table questions. Here’s what they had to say. 

What Thanksgiving dish do you always sneak a second helping of?

“Candied yams. My daughter puts marshmallows on top, but I don’t. It’s delicious either way!” –Nita Lindsay, 93

“Cornbread dressing. It was an old family tradition. When my mom and aunts passed away, I took it upon myself to make the dressing during the holidays, and now I make it as well as they did!” –John Templeton, 91

Cowboys or Chargers this Thanksgiving?

“The Cowboys! I watch a little football, because my grandsons played and so did my son. I went to every one of their games.” –Marie Pendleton, 83

“I’ve been a cowboy fan since the beginning. When Jimmy Johnson was a young boy, I had him in my Sunday school class. His parents attended church where I did all through the years.” –John Templeton, 91

If you could thank one person for their influence on your life, who would it be?

“My mother and daddy, because we were raised in a Christian home and went to church a lot.” –Nita Lindsay, 93

“I would thank my journalism teacher, Gertrude Loch. I worked on the school paper my senior year, and she was a sweet, positive example during that time.” –Marie Pendleton, 83

Most memorable Thanksgiving you’ve had?

“My most memorable Thanksgiving would be the last one right before my wife passed away. We were married 65 years and never had children, so we had a whole lot of togetherness.” –John Templeton, 91

“The most memorable Thanksgiving was the first Thanksgiving we had grandchildren come. Now I have four children, 11 grandchildren and a lot of great grandchildren!” –Marie Pendleton, 83

What were you like as a child at your Thanksgiving table?

“I was very serious as a child, very quiet. There were eight children in my family, so I just watched the wild ones and listened to them.” –Nita Lindsay, 93

“I was mischievous! Thanksgiving meant we were out of school, and I looked forward to that. I knew about the pilgrims and why we celebrated it and all, but I really wasn’t all that impressed.”  –John Templeton, 91

What were your family’s holiday traditions?

“Everyone convened at our house in New Jersey. My mother was the chief cook, and I was the dish washer. As an Italian family, we ate all day! Everything was always a big affair up there. We probably had 27 cousins who would be at the meal. Up there, all the kids would go around to the neighbors’ houses in the morning. They’d give us nuts and fruits and little cakes to take home to our families. We called it “ragamuffin,” and it was our version of trick or treat.”  –Ray DeMartino, 85

Your signature Thanksgiving dish?

“My mother’s corn casserole recipe. It’s not Thanksgiving without it! And I always had to make the pecan pies too.” ---Nita Lindsay, 93

“I think I’d be famous for my dressing and hot rolls. I probably make well over 100 rolls each Thanksgiving, as many as I can get in the oven to feed all those kids!” –Marie Pendleton, 83

These residents and nearly 2,000 others at Buckner senior living communities across Texas will enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday with the Buckner family. If you or your loved one are interested in learning more about life at a Buckner community, call 800-381-4551 or contact us here.

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. 

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