Coming Home to Wellness

Elizabeth Rowland and the Spirit of Gathering Place

Four stairs changed the way Elizabeth Rowland thought about her future.

After her dog Gus underwent ACL surgery, Elizabeth found herself carrying him up and down the four stairs into her Iowa City home. The routine was temporary, but it made her realize something that would stay with her. If she ever faced a mobility challenge of her own, those stairs could become a barrier to her independence. That realization started her thinking, not just about where she wanted to live next, but how she wanted to live.

Today, Elizabeth is the first resident of The Gathering Place, Western Home Communities’ new 55-plus neighborhood in Iowa City. Her decision was thoughtful and intentional, rooted in a desire to remain independent, active and connected. The first spark came when she walked into a room and noticed a sign that read, “Gathering Place, a 55-plus community.” She walked out, paused, then turned around and went back in. That small reversal became the beginning of something much bigger.

“As soon as Mark started talking about the wellness and community aspects, Thrivera’s focus on emotional and physical wellness, and all the areas that are a focus for this community, I knew it was the place for me,” she said.

Elizabeth chose a slab home with no stairs, a practical decision that offered freedom for both her and Gus. Now, instead of navigating stairs, Gus has a yard, nearby nature trails and a growing neighborhood to explore. He has quickly become a familiar presence, keeping Elizabeth moving and giving her one more reason to get outside and meet the people around her. But Elizabeth’s connection to The Gathering Place goes deeper than the design of her home.

She grew up on a farm in Monticello, Iowa, a small town of about 2,500 people where neighbors felt like extended family. She remembers what it was like to live in a place where people knew one another, looked out for one another and shared life together. In some ways, The Gathering Place felt familiar before she ever moved in. The trees, geese, ducks and water features reminded her of the landscape she grew up around. When she saw the “barn” home design, the connection became even stronger. It reminded her of the nearly 200-year-old barn on her parents’ property, a place filled with memories and meaning. Choosing it felt a little like choosing her roots.

Now, as the first resident, Elizabeth has the unusual opportunity to watch a neighborhood become a community almost from the beginning. Prospective residents walk through her home and begin imagining their own lives there. Elizabeth enjoys watching that moment happen as people notice the openness, the connection to nature and the possibilities of a different kind of next chapter. She is not simply watching a community take shape. In small ways, she is already helping shape it.

One of the things that surprised Elizabeth most came soon after she signed her contract. Before she had fully settled into life at The Gathering Place, she was offered Zoom classes tailored to her needs and private coaching focused on balance, something she believes is important at every age. For Elizabeth, that early attention made the community’s emphasis on wellness tangible. Wellness here is not limited to exercise. It includes physical, emotional and social well-being, along with the encouragement that comes from being surrounded by people who want to remain engaged in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Elizabeth explored other retirement options, but she kept coming back to that sense of connection. She wanted more than a house. She wanted a place where people would know one another, encourage one another and build something together. That spirit fits naturally with the life she imagines in Iowa City. She sees herself walking with Gus, staying strong through exercise and keeping her golf swing alive on the simulator. She hopes to lead book clubs again and create conversations around meaning, impact and shared learning. Iowa City’s museums, history and arts scene give her plenty to explore, while the city’s active culture fits naturally with her desire to keep moving.

She also sees The Gathering Place as a bridge to the larger Iowa City community. After learning more about the city’s immigrant population and the organizations supporting newcomers, Elizabeth began thinking about ways residents might volunteer, connect and contribute beyond their own neighborhood. “I’ve been given multiple second chances,” she said. “I don’t want to waste any of them.” That desire to contribute says as much about Elizabeth as her willingness to be the first person to call The Gathering Place home. She sees this stage of life not as a retreat, but as an opportunity to stay involved, keep learning and continue giving back.

That same willingness to try something new helped her make the decision to move. Elizabeth describes herself as an early adopter, someone comfortable piloting new ideas. Still, she did her homework. Before committing, she reached out to her trusted friend Craig Athans at Baird Financial Services. His research, along with his own interest in Western Home for his parents, gave her additional confidence.

Then, during a grand-opening preview in a nearby university building, Elizabeth watched the people around her and listened to their conversations. “This is incredible,” she thought. “This is for me.”

Now she is here, the first resident in a community still taking shape and already thinking about the neighbors who will come next. For Elizabeth, that means more than simply living near one another. It means creating the kind of place she remembers from her childhood, where people know one another, stay involved and show up for each other. As The Gathering Place grows, its first resident is already helping set the tone.