Keri Rasmussen walked for her grandfather.

Wednesday, September 22, 1999

Keri Rasmussen walked for her grandfather.

Deb Kolb walked for her father.

Deb Willmert walked for both loved ones and strangers.

The eighth annual Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk Tuesday was for everyone.

Austin area nursing homes sponsored the fund-raiser. According to Sue Warmka of Burr Oak Manor Care Center, final tallies of monies raised Tuesday were unavailable at press-time.

Bright sun and warm temperatures greeted walkers, who assembled for the trek along the Mill Pond Pathway in Horace Austin Park near downtown Austin.

It was an intergenerational walk with grandparents and other adults as well as children walking to raise money for the charity.

Among the walkers were the trio of Rasmussen, Kolb and Willmert.

Keri Rasmussen is the daughter of Deb Kolb. Their grandfather-father, respectively, Vern Bulson died in 1998 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Both the daughter and her mother work at COMFORCARE Good Samaritan Center in Austin, where Willmert also works.

Willmert brought her son, Darrick Marcks, 5, who rode his bicycle around the Mill Pond Pathway.

"We hope to help raise money just to find a cause so they can do something about this disease," said Willmert.

"It is a cruel disease," said Kolb, "In the end, my father, Vern, didn’t even know who I was."

Helping at the registration and refreshment tent were Rose Smith and Art Haas.

Smith’s husband, Merrill, died in 1991 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

"I have helped at five straight Memory Walks," said Smith, "I enjoy it. It feels good doing something for somebody else."

Haas, a retired Austin Public Schools teacher-coach-athletic director, lost his wife, Janann, also to Alzheimer’s disease in 1996.

"We hope raising money will help us learn more about the disease to stop it from hurting so many people," Haas said.

Warmka, activity director at Burr Oak Manor, coordinated the Memory Walk events for the sponsoring care facilities.

Other care facility activity directors and other staff helped.

"Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects so many people with memory loss and other problems," said Warmka. "Not only does it affect the person, but it affects those around them.

"Hopefully, the walk will also generate awareness about Alzheimer’s disease," she said.