Exactly what we were looking for

Realife Cooperative has provided worry-free, cooperative living for 20 years

By Scott Thoma

Realife Cooperative’s residents left to right, Don Nelson, Denis Weis, Roger Dohrmann, Andy Doom, Steve Zinsli, and Gerald Karol prepare the garden area for planting earlier this spring. Contributed photo

Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens of St. Cloud will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with an Open House from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.

Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens is a form of multi-home ownership and not-for-profit organization, solely owned and operated by the residents who live here.

Many of those residing here attended a previous Open House or made arrangements to tour the facility. Each of them came away with a positive feeling.

“I was on a tour here with some friends and I was excited about the prospect of living here,” said Jan Gembol, who has lived at Realife Cooperative for the past two years with her husband, Larry Pfleger. “We immediately knew we liked it. The people are so friendly here. It’s exactly what we were looking for.”

“I like that there is a lot less work to do here,” Larry said. “If something goes wrong with the plumbing or something like that, we don’t have to worry about it. And there is no 2 ½ hours of mowing like I had to do at our home.”

The Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens sign is nestled among flowers planted by residents. Photo by Scott Thoma

Realife is a 50-unit cooperative nestled among trees and wildlife, reminiscent of a country environment, although homeowners are close to the city so they don’t have to travel far to shop, make medical appointments, attend entertainment venues, or to go out to eat with friends.

“I was looking to downsize and I heard about this place from some of the women I used to bowl with,” said Sharon Lorton, a resident at Realife Cooperative for the past six months. “I like the diversity of lifestyles and it’s interesting to hear about all of the different jobs the people here had at some point in their life. People are very caring and sharing here.”

Those living at this cooperative have no one to oversee their decisions and set their rules. Realife Cooperative is owned collectively by its resident members, who elect a board of directors that provides direction to a management staff.

“We both worked full time and when we retired we wanted to downsize so it wasn’t a burden to our children when the time comes,” said Mary Ann Padgett, who has lived at Realife Cooperative with her husband, Henry, for the past month. “We wanted to interact on a daily basis and we liked the social interaction of this place.”

Many people enjoy owning their own home, but as they age, keeping up with maintenance inside and out gets to be too much. In that case, Realife Cooperative Housing Association Manager Brenda Williams urges people to sign up now to go on a waiting list so there will be an available home when they are ready to join the cooperative.

These residents at Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens enjoy a cup of coffee together on the patio. Left to right: Sharon Lorton, Jan Gembol, Larry Pfleger, Ruth Mestnik, and Bob Lacroix. Photo by Scott Thoma

“The residents are free to do what they want to make their home more comfortable and enjoyable,” Williams said. “If they want to paint or fix up their home, they can. It’s their home.”

Andy and Kathy Doom signed up to be placed on the waiting list as they knew the day would come when maintaining a home might become difficult for them. They have now lived at Realife for nearly three years.

“We were glad that we got on the list early,” said Kathy. “We came to the Open House and signed up. We were on the list for 4 ½ years and when a place opened up here, we were ready. A lot of people wait to sign up because they aren’t ready yet, but when the time comes, they wish they had signed up.”

One of the things many people miss when they move out of their home is their garden. They are still able to continue gardening vegetables or flowers at Realife’s spacious backyard garden area with raised beds that limit back strain.

There is a myriad of committees that homeowners can join at Realife, allowing them to make decisions that they feel will benefit the other residents. Those committees are: Activities, Building, Entertainment, Finance, Grounds/Landscaping, Kitchen, Marketing, and Security.

Residents can also just relax with a cup of coffee while socializing, or they can enjoy a barbecue on the large patio area with comfortable seating, or sit and read on a bench in the garden area.

Jane Gembol, left, and Teri Reetz check out the sand crane on a field trip residents took. Contributed photo

“We really like the atmosphere here,” said Ruth Mestnik, who has lived here for two months with her husband, Bob Lacroix. “We visited two other places and there is a much friendlier atmosphere here.”

“We used to live in a three-level home and I have some medical issues,” said Bob. “My doctor suggested I should live on a one-level home. We were invited to a Christmas dinner here by some friends and they showed us around and we really liked this place.”

If a unit becomes available for sale, residents currently living at Realife Cooperative are given the first choice of purchasing it as they might want to live in a larger or smaller home than the one they currently own.

Features included in each unit include individual heating/cooling system, 36-inch doorways for easier wheelchair/walker access, lever door handles, large bi-level islands, dishwasher, step-in showers, comfort-height toilets, patios/decks, and phone/internet/television package.

Interested homeowners can choose from the following 10 various floor plans:

• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 702 square feet

• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 852 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1,067 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,179 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,202 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,213 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,239 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1,362 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, den, 1,391 square feet

• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,452 square feet

Also available to each homeowner is a storage space, as well as raised dishwashers and dryers to make it more convenient for someone who may have back problems.

Among the other amenities available at Realife Cooperative is a woodworking shop with an abundance of power and hand tools, a craft room, seven laundry rooms, a heated and secure vehicle parking garage that includes a car wash bay, wellness room, fully-equipped kitchen with a large dining area, and a guest suite.

“I really like the camaraderie here,” said Sonja Berg, a resident for the past two years. “You don’t feel alone here. There is a connection with the others.

Tea time. Residents often enjoy socializing in the dining area or outside on the patio. Enjoying a cup of tea are, left to right: Andy Doom, Kathy Doom, Mary Lee Kragenbring, Linda Urbik, Joan Karol, and Mary Jane Brewster. Contributed photo

Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens is located at 6670 Northwood Lane in St. Cloud. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 320-258-3094 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.