Friends of 76 years reunite at Keystone Villa at Fleetwood
From her apartment at Keystone Villa at Fleetwood, a poised Ruth (Fahnauer) Mengel found it difficult to contain her excitement. The 93-year-old was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her best friend, Lois (Albrecht) Henne-Tearney, who she had not seen in almost 50 years.
“I look forward to reminiscing and catching up on everything with her; I really can’t wait to see her!” Ruth said, smiling.
Ruth and Lois first met in 1946 during an art class at Reading High School.
“We became friends immediately,” she said.
The pair was inseparable and often accompanied each other to basketball and football games, even getting their first job together at a local candy factory that summer.
“We put doll heads on the chocolates; it was something,” she recalled, laughing.
Ruth also introduced Lois to her first husband, Glenn Henne.
“He was a good friend to my husband, who at the time was my boyfriend,” Ruth said. “They actually got married before Ralph and me.”
Both women were married in the same church — St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hamburg — and remained tightknit until Glenn’s death.
From then, Ruth and Lois communicated by phone and then Christmas cards, dropping each other notes once a year.
“I look very much forward to our reunion; it’s been so long, but I’m just so thrilled that we will be together in old age,” Ruth said.
It wasn’t until recently that the pair would get a chance to reconnect faceto-face, thanks in part to Michael, Lois’ son. He had come across a picture of his mother as a teenager, posing alongside Ruth. The description on the back noted Easter Sunday, April 21, 1946, City Park.
Michael tracked down Ruth and surprised her with a copy of the image. While visiting, he expressed to the staff at Keystone Villa at Fleetwood that he would like to arrange for the women to reunite.
To help facilitate the overdue get-together, the staff reached out to the rehabilitation
center where Lois is staying, and planned to have her brought to the retirement community in Maidencreek Township.
“My heart overflows with joy when we’re able to reunite friends after so many years!” said Kendra High, sales and marketing director at Keystone Villa at Fleetwood. “I am honored to play in role in making that happen. I love to learn their history, listen to their life stories and to help them overcome challenges. It’s a privilege to witness the huge smiles and first face to face hug in 50 years!”
The joyous reunion was marked with celebratory greetings and two champagne glasses, raised in honor of an endearing friendship.
Fleetwood offers an affordable and flexible month-to-month lease with no buy-in fees or hidden costs. Enjoy an abundance of social opportunities, deliciously prepared meals, housekeeping, and so much more! Our retirement community
provides independent living and personal care options with services and amenities that create a carefree and comfortable lifestyle. Keystone Villa at Fleetwood has spacious floor plan options to choose from, including studios and one- and twobedroom
apartments. Winner of the 2022 Caring Super Star by Caring.com for service excellence and A Place for Mom’s 2022 Best of Senior Living Award. To learn more, visit www. keystonevillaatfleetwood. com or call 484-637-8200.