Every month the
Duneland Family YMCA Senior Center honors one active older adult and this
month that senior is Stella Markovich.
The Y Senior Center
celebrates the lives of its members and creates opportunities to bond with
other like-minded active older adults, through trips to restaurants, movie
days, board games and fitness classes.
Stella Markovich
began her adventurous life in Gary, Indiana, on March 1, 1928. She graduated
from Gary Frobel which she had attended since kindergarten. She has great
memories of her schooling there where the emphasis was not only on academics
but on art, music, drama, athletics, and gardening. She appreciates the fact
that skills developed in these areas have served her throughout her entire
life.
After high school,
Stella went to Indiana University in Bloomington where she majored in
elementary education. After graduation, she returned to Gary where she
taught second grade at Tolleston Elementary School for three years. After
this she began teaching overseas, first in Germany for one year as a teacher
in a school for US Air Force children and then taught in a NATO school in
the Netherlands. She has special memories of this two room school where
eight grades were taught in two classrooms. After her years abroad, she
returned to Gary to teach at Horace Mann School. While there she attended
classes at Indiana University Northwest where she majored in library
science. In time she became a librarian, serving in two Gary schools.
Library science became her new passion and, while she served as a librarian
and after her retirement, she also lectured on library science at Indiana
University Northwest, Purdue Calumet, and Valparaiso University. While she
treasures her lifetime memories, she also treasures her memories of her
husband, Charles Markovich from Whiting, Indiana. He passed away in 2001.
They had no children, but a special love in her life is Charles' grandson
Joe who lives in Valparaiso and works as a computer specialist. Her first
love as a former librarian is reading but close to this is employing her
skills preparing and enjoying Serbian foods. Stella cherishes special
memories of her and her husband's travels in Europe and Australia.
Since returning to
Chesterton to live near her relatives here and in Valparaiso, a special
feature in her life has been the Duneland YMCA Building Fit Friends and
Silver Sneakers programs. She especially enjoys and treasures the book
reviews and trips. Stella loves Chesterton and especially the Y where
"everyone is so friendly and helpful."
The Duneland Y
Senior Center brings active older adults together through fitness classes
and social outings. With members such as Stella, the Y Senior Center is able
to strengthen ties and promote healthy living in the Duneland community.
For more
information about activities or programs for active older adults, contact
Nancy Zlamal, nzlamal@dunelandymca.org