Paul and Marcia Onkka do not need assisted living services. Why on earth did they move into our only residence that offers them?

Paul and Marcia Onkka celebrated their 62nd anniversary in May, 2008. The couple hails from Faribault, where Paul built a chain of three pharmacies, and where Marcia had been a nurse until their family of three sons and four daughters started coming along. They’ve been blessed with 16 grandkids (so far).

The road to Iris Park Commons began in the early 70’s when Marcia’s mother moved to Episcopal Church Home and was happy with her choice. Paul and Marcia’s journey included selling their home, vagabonding in a RV for three years, then selling the RV and dividing their time between an apartment in Faribault and a house in Yuma, Arizona. “In about 2002, we thought it was time to settle down for good,” says Marcia. “We wanted to move while we were still young enough to make new friends, and we decided on the Twin Cities because four of our kids live here. We included Episcopal Homes in our home search because we trusted them and thought they might be able to use a couple of ordained deacons.”

Paul and Marcia fell in love with a particular apartment at Iris Park Commons. “We had to wait four years for it,” says Paul. “We don’t need any assisted living services yet, so we could have moved into Cornelia House a year earlier (2005), but we had our hearts set on the apartment we have now – and if we need assisted living services someday, well, here we are!”

Marcia doesn’t miss cooking, and weekly bus trips make shopping a breeze. A special menu is keeping Paul’s diabetes in check (“I only have to test myself once a week”), and the Church Home’s Spiritual Life programs have become a rewarding shared mission.

Paul and Marcia Onkka are two of the reasons people call Iris Park Commons “a Community of Heart.”