MAKING HAPPY HOMES

Birgit Dickerman, A Swedish Immigrant who has
created homes for both the youth and the elderly

She’d always wanted to come to America. She dreamed about it
as a child growing up in Sweden. At 17, she got her chance.
Her father, a famous singer, had 2 tickets to NY intended for he
and his wife. But she got pregnant, so he asked his daughter,
Birgit, to come along

Birgit Dickerman, “Bea” said, “I was overjoyed. My dream was to
see America. We were among the first ones who left Sweden to
fly here. We landed in Scotland. I remember I heard the bagpipes
in the distance and thought, ‘Oh I’m out in the world.”

When then landed in NY, she said, “I’ll never, ever forget when the
airplane came slowly over the Statue of Liberty and the skyscrapers.
I thought “This is absolutely wonderful.’ I was so excited.”

That was 1946. Two years later the whole family immigrated to
Chicago. Birgit managed to get her boyfriend here. They got
married and had a son Floyd, then a daughter, Marie.
“After a while we thought Chicago’s not the place, so mom and
dad took us west. West to California,“ Birgit said. They came
down to the coast in 1965. Her husband was the
first station chief at the San Onofre plant.
“He was a brilliant man,” Birgit said.

Birgit’s marriage however didn’t last. She needed to raise her family.
Bea had been good friends with Casa Romantica’s owners, the Welsh’s.
With their encouragement, Bea started the first Board and Care
Home. It was located above city hall. “It was called Bea’s Rest Home.”
The home grew from 5 residents to 12. “I loved nothing more than
giving to older people. In those days you didn’t need a license.
You just had to make sure you had parking places outside the house.”
While licenses weren’t required then, inspectors were sent to see if
the homes were OK. Birgit’s was.

Birgit had taken care of her own mother until she passed away,
then her second husband who had Alzheimer’s. “The best thing
is to have the elderly at home if that’s possible. The next best
thing is get them into a Board and Care home.” Currently Bea
herself is in a Board and Care home after a stroke two years ago.
“We have 5 people. It’s like a home.” Years ago Birgit had placed
another woman in this very home. “I can’t believe
I’m here. Isn’t that something?”

But Bea doesn’t dwell on what if’s. She is pleasnt and cheerful with
a profound faith. “My greatest influence is the love of God.
My parents were wonderful Christians. They cared so much for
other people. I saw the love in them.”


Bea told some stories about the home. “We had a lady with
dementia, not Alzheimer’s, but very forgetful. She came from
Utah. She always wanted to go home to Utah. One day she
managed to slip out. My son came home and said ‘Mother,
you’ve got to get Myrtle. She’s out walking on the street with
a doll in her arms.’ So I got Myrtle back. We watched her very
carefully. But one night, bless her little heart, another lady came
to me and said, 'You’ve got to watch Myrtle. She says she’s
going to Utah tonight. She has her coat on. I went into the room.
There Myrtle lay with the sheets up to her neck. I said, ‘Hi Myrtle.
How are you doing? Are you going to sleep good tonight?
You’ve got your nightgown on?” I pulled down the sheet.
She had her coat on! So there were funny things.”

Birgit kept the home from 1968-1973. “I stayed until I felt in
my heart it was time to do something else.
Now it’s time to do what God wants me to do.”

In 1946 her father took her to the Mexican border.
“What I saw I could never forget - coming from Sweden with
all we had - an Indian woman had a baby on her back. She
looked so sad. A priest came by and patted her.
I thought, ‘You poor woman. You need more than a pat.”

It was one of those synchronistic events. Bea and a friend
had been going down to Mexico delivering food. One day
her friend said, “I want to show you a lot that was given to us.
Wouldn’t it be a great place for an orphanage?” Bea started
the orphanage in Mexico called Bethlehem. “Belen” in Spanish.
Belen is going strong today with 70 children. Bea has a favorite
photo of the children. “To see them happy, that really stays with you.”

Birgit loves San Clemente. “This is the most beautiful spot.
I’m so thankful I‘m in America. Especially these days.
God bless America. This country has given so much. I was in
Europe during the war so I saw. During the war, an American
plane flew in. My dad said, ‘Put your hand through the fence and
touch the American plane.’ I’ll never forget that!”

Bea helped make loving homes for both the young and the
elderly. Around San Clemente all the way down to Mexico,
people are being served by the influence of this woman who
gave so much to provide caring homes.

“That’s what life is all about – is to serve,” says Birgit.
Thank goodness we have her.

Live like a hero!

Terri Marie
Award winning author of “Be the Hero of Your Own Game.
Hero stories on www.heroesamongus.blogspot.com

Life Lessons from Bea
As I wrote these I noticed that almost all of them started with “Be.“
How perfect!

• Be Givers
“I admire my children so much because they truly are givers.
I think that’s the greatest thing you can show your children.”
But Bea thinks you shouldn’t give so much that you forget
yourself. Bea lives as a giver. She gave me a beautiful book when
I finished our interview.

• Be Appreciative
Bea is thankful to be in America. Thankful her son comes by to help.
Thankful for the way her parents raised her. It is this attitude that
keeps her so cheerful and happy about life.

• Be Kind
Traits she admires. “Unselfishness. Giving to other people and
loving God. That to me is number one.”

• Be Enthusiastic
Bea’s mother taught her to work hard but Bea puts the cheer in and
delights in life. “I love the trees. I love the birds,
I love everything about life!”

• Be at Peace with Life
“My mother always said. ‘You do your best. God will do the rest.”
Bea is totally at peace because she believes Heaven’s going to be
wonderful. She quotes, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, what I
have prepared for those who love me.’ I love that. So it must be more
beautiful than this and I love this! But if God says it’s going to be
more beautiful, it must be wonderful.”

• Be an Animal Lover
“I had two cats and one dog. I always thought older people should
have animals. Oh that makes them so happy. Those little cats.
They were absolutely a joy.”

• Be of Service
“To serve is the most joyful thing in this world. I loved that.
I miss that. Now I have to be served.”