Father’s Day at Concordia – Looking to the Past and the Future

From all of us at Concordia, Happy Father’s Day! Fathers, father figures and great-grandfathers (and all the greats after) make a huge impact on our lives, and this year we’re highlighting a great-grandfather who found out that some of his own history is tied to Concordia.

In 1908, 111 years before Fred Slater moved to Concordia of the South Hills retirement living, his great-grandfather left a gift of $1,906 (which would be about $55,000 today) to Concordia in his will.

“My great-grandfather Conrad Friedrich Vallowe, who also went by Gerhard, had owned the Chautauqua Ice Warehouse in Pittsburgh,” Fred said. “The building later became the Heinz History Center.”

Fred isn’t sure why his great-grandfather chose to leave a gift for Concordia, but he was intrigued by the connection.

Fred grew up in the Pittsburgh area himself and worked as a funeral director before retirement. He has seven children, 18 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. When his wife passed away in 2018, he began looking for somewhere he could downsize.

“I didn’t want to clean as much anymore,” Fred said. “I found Concordia, and I knew that there’s nothing in the area that could compare to it.”

Fred made the move in 2019, and he makes sure to keep in touch with his family.

“Every Thursday, I usually have lunch with my three younger sons,” Fred said. “Those days are so valuable to me.”

As a great-grandfather, Fred’s Father’s Day advice is simple: make an effort to spend as much time with your kids as you can.

“Being with my kids was the best part of being a dad,” Fred said. “I try to stay close to all of my grandkids and great-grandkids too. God has blessed me my whole life, and I always look forward to talking to them or spending time with them.”

After moving to Concordia, Fred was excited to see the original record of his great-grandfather’s donation from Concordia’s archives (see photos of the donation from the G. F. Vallowe Estate), and he still enjoys his new home.

“I’m blessed to be at Concordia,” Fred said. “I’m very happy here.”

To learn more about the retirement living options offered at the Concordia of the South Hills, visit www.Concordia-SouthHills.org or schedule a tour today. Call Director of Marketing Christie Wahlen at 412-278-1300 or message us through the contact form on our website.