A Friendship Through the Ages

Long-time friendships are truly special. They are built on years of shared experiences, trust and mutual support. These friendships often feel like a second family, where you can be your true self without any pretenses. The beauty of such relationships lies in their resilience; despite life’s ups and downs, the bond remains strong. Two Cornwall Manor residents, Ingrid Erb and Katie Albert, exemplify this with their special friendship and shared interests that have spanned the globe.

Ingrid Erb was born in 1928 in Berlin, Germany. She was a dedicated homemaker to her family – a husband and three children, a son and two daughters. Despite her busy schedule, she never got her driver’s license. In 1968, at the age of 40, she moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, with her husband, who had taken a position in the Army.

Katie Albert was born in Trier, Germany in 1940. She met her husband in Germany in 1959 while he was serving in the Air Force. In 1960, Katie moved to the United States with her husband and their eight-month-old daughter. His Air Force career took them to various places, including Massachusetts, Germany, Texas, Oklahoma, France (where they welcomed their second daughter), Florida, Panama City, Delaware, and back to Germany.

After Ingrid’s husband retired, they moved to Pennsylvania. Two of her three children, one of her daughters and her son, stayed in Germany. Her other daughter and son-in-law settled in Jonestown, where Ingrid visited regularly. Jonestown is a small borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,629 at the 2020 census and the rural area covers a total of 66.23 square miles. Katie’s in-laws also lived in Jonestown, bringing them to the small town to visit frequently. These family ties allowed the two women, both born across the country, to meet for the first time in a small Pennsylvania town in 1970 by a mutual neighbor. Ingrid and Katie quickly became close friends.

Katie and her husband lived near her in-laws in Jonestown for a year before moving to Florida to enjoy the southern sunshine for a decade. They returned to Jonestown to help care for her husband’s aging parents. After a one-year residency in Missouri with their daughter and son-in-law, they relocated permanently to Jonestown.

Despite a 12-year age difference, their bond strengthened over the years. Both born and raised in Germany, they shared similar life experiences, including their husbands’ service in the Armed Forces, raising children and enjoying grandchildren. They became like sisters, with Katie often driving Ingrid on errands since Ingrid didn’t drive. Since their first introduction in Jonestown in 1970, they have stayed in touch daily and their families have also grown close, maintaining regular contact.

In November 2022, Katie moved to Corson Hall Personal Care. She participates in many of the activities Corson offers and enjoys crafts, bingo and the Nintendo Wii. Katie loved the independence Corson offered and found it a wonderful place to live, with a staff that was kind to everyone – so much so that Katie’s daughter works here at Cornwall Manor in the Campus Dining Room as a hostess.

When Ingrid needed additional care, Katie encouraged her to come to Cornwall Manor and look at Corson Hall. Ingrid and her family came for a visit and they were all very impressed with Corson Hall. They also looked at several other facilities and found that none of them compared to Corson. The added benefit of having Katie here made her decision easy. Ingrid moved to Corson Hall in December 2023 – and Katie even arranged for them to live on the same floor! Ingrid loves sitting on the porch, enjoying the view of the trees and she walks every morning and keeps her afternoons open for her daily call from her daughter in Germany.

It’s fascinating how life can bring people together in unexpected ways and over 50 years later, the two ladies continue to enjoy each other’s company immensely, now at Cornwall Manor! Together, they continued to share their lives, proving that true friendship can withstand the test of time and distance.