Referrals Encourage Friends and Family to Move to Eagle's Trace

When a family member mentioned to Mary Lu Mase, a resident at Eagle's Trace, an Erickson Senior Living community in West Houston, Tex., that he wanted to live in a neighborhood with friends his age, she instantly knew the place for him.

"Come over and check out Eagle's Trace," she told Jim Cotten, her son's father-in-law.

"Can I come now?" replied Jim.

"Of course!" Mary Lu said.

That same day, Jim toured the 72-acre campus, intrigued by the friendliness of the residents and the number of amenities.

"Next thing I knew," Mary Lu says, "he was in the sales office picking out an apartment home."

Sharing the love

Mary Lu, who moved to Eagle's Trace fairly recently in 2022, was eager to share her love of the community with Jim - just as she had been referred by friends.

Bill and Nancy Rawl, Mary Lu's longtime friends and Eagle's Trace residents, told all three of her children, "You need to get your mom to look at Eagle's Trace!"

It was perfect, Mary Lu says, as she and her husband had previously discussed moving there.

"When my husband passed, I didn't want to take care of the house anymore, or the pool, or anything else involved with upkeep, really," she says with a laugh. "I was ready to move. My whole family came with me on a tour, and I found my apartment home that day."

Worry-free living

Similar to Mary Lu, Jim says that maintenance and repairs were the reason he was interested in moving.

"I'm from Lake Charles, La.," says Jim. "We had two hurricanes, two weeks apart. The 140-mile-an-hour winds shook everything loose with the first one; the second one demolished my business. It was too much to rebuild."

Jim's daughter offered him temporary housing, but soon enough, he was ready to be on his own again.

"I just felt like a fifth wheel. They didn't make me feel that way, but I wanted my own place with plenty of interaction with people," explains Jim.

When Mary Lu mentioned the vibrant lifestyle at Eagle's Trace, he knew he had found his next home.

"I made a commitment that, when I moved here, I was going to extend myself to the fullest, enjoy the clubs and activities, and meet as many people as possible," says Jim, who now lives an active, worry-free retirement. "I go down to dinner pretty much every night and sit with different people. I also play poker and other card games."

Immerse yourself

Mary Lu has also immersed herself in a variety of activities and clubs.

"I've joined the jewelry-making group, and I really enjoy that," she says. "I exercise too, of course. That's always important!"

One of her favorite exercise classes at the fitness center, notes Mary Lu, helped her recover from a knee replacement surgery. Having such a supportive community behind her accelerated her healing as well.

"Everyone here helped me, and I've gotten through the replacement beautifully," she says. "When I needed to take my dog for walks, a resident set up a dog-walking team for me. There were about 10 people, taking turns, to walk my dog. It's so nice to have that kind of support system in place."

Besides the Rawls, Mary Lu already knew a lot of people living at Eagle's Trace - some of whom were fellow church members. But given all there is to do at the community, she's made many new friends too.

The best advice

With so many amenities to enjoy, such as a day spa and salon, theater room, swimming pool, fitness center, and six restaurants - plus more than 100 clubs to choose from - it's easy to see why Jim and Mary Lu are grateful for their new lives at Eagle's Trace.

But what they are even more thankful for, they say, are the referrals they received from friends and family.

To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Eagle's Trace, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more.