For lifelong gardeners Chet and Ruth Musser, tending the soil has always been a source of joy, purpose, and peace. They’ve spent decades tilling, planting, watering, and savoring the homegrown vegetables they nurture each year. So when it came time to downsize and choose a retirement community, they wondered if gardening would still have a place in their future.
However, the Mussers are thrilled to have found the best of both worlds at Chapel Pointe’s Pointe Place neighborhood.
A New Chapter, Without Giving Up What Matters Most
They moved into a brand new 1,000-square-foot townhome with amenities like high speed internet, 24/7 medical help at the push of a button, home maintenance, and lawn care. They may also connect with friends and family in the Pointe Place Community Center, meet new people at Chapel Pointe events, and enrich their lives with Carlisle’s unique culture offerings. All Pointe Place residents benefit from these services and amenities, while enjoying total independence.
The Mussers were drawn to Pointe Place because of its proximity to two of their four children and because the community felt like family. Chet has preached in the Chapel Pointe’s Henry Chapel and often visited residents when he was the visitation pastor at Immanuel Alliance Church. “When visiting other facilities, they all felt just like big businesses, where Chapel Pointe seemed like a family,” Ruth said.
“Knowing that we are in good hands and can very easily get more skilled care if we need it is very reassuring,” Ruth pointed out. Pointe Place residents are a part of the Chapel Pointe family, so Chapel Pointe promises them a full continuum of care to meet their needs no matter what the future holds.
Also, thanks to the benevolence fund, they never have to fear running out of funds and having to leave their home.
Keeping Their Love of Gardening Alive
One thing the Mussers love about living at Pointe Place is being able to keep a garden through the Dickinson College Community Garden. The 10-by-10-foot garden plot that they rent from Dickinson is conveniently located just a half a mile from their townhome. This is the perfect distance for Chet and Ruth to walk every day and enjoy some exercise and fresh air.
Gardening provides the Mussers with all kinds of vegetables and they know that no fertilizers, pesticides, or preservatives were used on any of their crops. Chet and Ruth make their own ketchup (You can try their recipe to the right!), pickles, applesauce, pickled beets, and canned fruits every year. Making these for themselves is not only enjoyable for the couple, but they are able to save money and eat healthier as well.
“Gardening is an outlet, a way to clear one’s mind and to get some exercise and fresh air,” Chet said. For the Mussers, gardening offers therapeutic benefits, keeping their minds, souls, and bodies healthy.
A Perfect Fit: Independence, Community, & Peace of Mind
For Chet and Ruth, Pointe Place offered exactly what they hoped for:
- A supportive, faith‑based community
- The independence to keep living life to the fullest
- Access to higher levels of care if ever needed
- Nearby family
- The opportunity to keep gardening—a lifelong passion
Choosing Chapel Pointe was easy. It meant joining a community where neighbors feel like family, staff offer heartfelt care, and residents live with purpose, independence, and support.
Contact us to discover how Chapel Pointe, a nonprofit, faith-based CCRC in Carlisle, PA, helps seniors thrive by engaging in the opportunities, relationships, and faith that give life meaning.