A special bond — Local grandparents share why living close to their grandkids is so important.
3/5/2025These days, kids often grow up, move away and start families and careers far from where they grew up. Dinners with the extended family is now regulated to the holidays, when those who are able make the trip “back home.” But there is something about grandkids that brings about another family shift. Many young families decide their kids would benefit from having family close by, and many grandparents find retirement is the perfect time for making a move closer to family.
Eric and Monica Pugh
A bonus to living in Winterset
Eric and Monica Pugh have called Winterset “home” since 1991. Now, 34 years later, they are still proud to call it home. And there is a bonus: Not only do they have all their children still in town as adults, but they live close to all their grandchildren, too.
“Our kids decided to raise their families in Winterset because it’s a great place to live and because they wanted their kids to be around grandparents since they didn’t have that themselves,” Monica explains.
Eric adds, “This is my dream. I never thought they’d all stay here. I appreciate the daily interaction.”
All their grandkids spend a lot of time with Monica and Eric, known as Grammy and Grampy.
“The fun part is that the door is always revolving with one kid or another. We’re really blessed to have them so close by,” Monica shares. “The grandkids are growing up as sibling-cousins because they see each other a lot. I work full-time in Norwalk now, so I miss out on a few things. However, since Eric is retired, he gets a second chance to do all the things that I was doing with our kids when he was military and working full-time.”
The couple tries to make it to as many games and activities as they can for their grandkids but keep it real, knowing they can’t get to all of them.
Source: Winterset Living, February 2025; by Rachel Harrington
Chuck and Linda Myhre
A grand life
Chuck and Linda Myhre still remember Easter weekend almost 14 years ago when their daughter, Megan, and her husband, Brian, who lived in Des Moines, came to their house in Northwood with a cake decorated in baby items.
“We were so excited to find out we were going to be grandparents,” Linda says. “Being a schoolteacher, I have always loved working with kids, so knowing we would soon have a grandchild (Gabriel) gave us so much to look forward to.”
When granddaughter, Amelia, was born in August 2014, Linda provided daycare for both Gabriel and Amelia. In 2016, Ashton was born, and she enjoyed babysitting for all three of them.
“I still pick the kids up from school and love to hear about their day,” Linda says. “Chuck and I both have close relationships with each of the kids, and I know they value us as much as we value them.”
Source: Indianola Living, February 2025; by Becky Kolosik
Angie Williams
Happy in Ankeny
Angie Williams, a native of Chicago, spent years as a consultant living in the San Francisco Bay Area. At one point, her job required her to travel, and she would often fly to Des Moines as family members began to migrate to the area during the 2000s.
“Each visit included spending time with my children, grandchildren, my brother, nieces and nephews. When one of my great nephews needed a kidney transplant at 10 years old, my sister, a registered nurse, moved to the area to be closer to her grandchildren. As I continued to visit, I noticed growth in the area and found myself attracted to the Ankeny community.”
Williams liked the short drive to downtown Des Moines and Ames and the activities to enjoy in the community. She says Ankeny possesses an urban feel while offering the comfort of small-town living. She decided to purchase a townhome to have a place to make memories and spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Source: Ankeny Living, February 2025; by Ashley Rullestad
Julie and Tom Preisser
Moving to be closer
Iowa was not always home to Julie and Tom Preisser. When their son, Jonathan; daughter-in-law, Rachel; and grandchildren, Anderson, Thomas and Bennett; moved here, they decided to move west in the fall of 2021.
The grandchildren keep Julie and Tom active.
“It helps to keep us young. On the days when we have them, we don’t have to worry about getting the 10,000 steps in,” Julie says. “They teach us things. We were always asking, ‘How do you do this on your iPhone?’ ”
They have also helped with other electronic devices.
“We had this new TV, and we couldn’t figure that out,” Julie says. “Anderson came to the rescue and showed us how to find the channels that we wanted.”
The love goes both ways.
“They provide at least, if not more, enjoyment to us than we provide to them,” Julie says. “They do enjoy coming and being with us. They like being over here in our apartment, and I teach him how to make cookies. Anderson can make a cherry pie all by himself. My husband plays games with them. He’s taught them to play Monopoly and chess.”
Source: Clive Living, February 2025; by Sean Dengler
