Donna Haffner shares what she loves about life at Salina PMMA

Ask Donna Haffner about her family and she’ll immediately smile. A mother of seven, the Salina Presbyterian Manor resident is proud of each one of her now grown children. It was one of those children who helped her settle on moving to Salina from Gove County, Kansas in 2017.

“I lost my husband 12 years ago and it was time to make the move,” Donna recalled. “I love everyone here at The Manor, especially (Director of Sales and Marketing) Cathy Boos. We’re quite a pair.”

As Haffner tells it she “didn’t know a soul” when she moved in, but that changed quickly.

“I love to sing, I love to play cards and I love to joke around,” she said. “I’ll do anything that gets me out of my room.”

Having made fast friends with so many fellow residents, Boos describes Haffner as the “life of the community.” Haffner doesn’t argue with that fact.

“I’ve always been social,” she said. “I was on the school board for 11 years and ran my own business for 10.”

Donna’s Noodles (the name of that business) sold to customers as far west as Denver, Haffner said proudly. She stepped away from being an entrepreneur when her husband became sick.

Her children remember what a fun mom Donna was when they were young.

“She played with us, bought us a swimming tank for the summer, took us on hikes in the pasture and picnics,” said daughter Kathy Schmidtberger. “She sometimes made comments that she wasn't a good mother because we didn't have a structured routine, but we didn't mind.  All of our cousins always wanted to hang out at our house because there were always homemade cookies and lots to do!”

Now Donna is a fun resident resident at Salina Presbyterian Manor, living her best life.

“I’m having a ball,” she said.

Please join us in celebrating Donna Haffner as this month’s resident feature!

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