What’s New at RiverWoods

RiverWoods Resident's Love of Trains as a Child Remains Through Retirement

January 14, 2008

Rev. Luke Brinker is a native of Lehigh County.  His grandparents and great-grandparents lived not too far from a railroad, and he spent many hours watching the trains as they passed by.  Luke recalls it was at this early age that he took an interest in trains, despite growing up during the depression and knowing his parents could not afford to buy him one.  At the age of 11, his ‘pappy’ took him to Hess Brothers, a well-known store in Allentown.  To Luke’s surprise, his great-grandfather informed him that he could choose one of the trains for himself.  Luke was like a kid in a candy store—all the locomotives, cabooses, villages, and tracks to choose from—but, after studying each one carefully, he was made his selection.  His first set, purchased in 1936, is still in running order today in his son’s home.

After graduating from high school, Luke entered the ministry and married, but never lost his love of trains.  Even though the itineracy moved his family from parsonage to parsonage, he wanted to keep up the old Pennsylvania German tradition of placing a ‘Putz’ under the Christmas tree as a way to relive the real nativity story which generated from the Moravians in Bethlehem in the early 1700’s.  After retiring in 1991, Luke and his wife, Theda made the decision to move to Lewisburg United Methodist Homes (now RiverWoods Senior Living Community).  In the fall of 1991, Luke and Theda purchased a train to be put on display in the facility.  

To date, the train has been displayed for 13 years, some years in the Nursing Care Center and some years in common areas of the RidgeCrest Court & Commons building, where it appeared this past holiday season.  Luke is committed to having it set up by the Thanksgiving holiday so more residents and their families can enjoy it. 

When asked why he spends days and hours getting the train ready every holiday season, Luke replied, “The train is not only here for entertainment, but for therapy as well.”  He recalls one particular moment a few years ago when a staff member wheeled a resident into the room to look at the train.  This resident had not spoken a word for months and didn’t utter a word while the train rounded the corners and the whistles blew; he just sat there in shear amazement.  Then he suddenly began speaking. “This was all the thanks I needed,” Luke remarked.  He truly believes that the train enabled this man to reconnect with his past.  This moment, which Luke will never forget, was very rewarding.  He continues to feel the train has a therapeutic purpose – it allows people to remember their past experiences and share those memories with children and grandchildren.