Nursing home resident continues hat business despite pandemic

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    OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — Due to the coronavirus pandemic, nursing homes have stopped letting visitors come through their doors. At one Millard facility, that meant one of its residents couldn’t run her business as usual.

Meet Merna Priestley.

“I just celebrated my 90th birthday in May,” said Merna.

At 90 years old, Merna runs a successful business, making and selling hats at the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home where she’s lived for more than a decade.

She’s crocheted most of her life, but her hat business didn’t start until 2013.

Each year she makes about 75 hats using a loom she keeps in her room.

“That’s what it looks like with the little pegs around it,” said Merna.

From a table she sets up in the lobby, Merna sells the hats to staff, residents, and visitors.

“And when it gets cold and they come in a say Hey I know where you got that hat!” Merna loves the tradition she’s created, but in 2020, it just couldn’t continue.

David Castillo said, “This year was totally different with following guidelines and having to shut our doors at any moment, so it was all about marketing and getting the word out.”

David Castillo is the activity director at Good Samaritan Society.

Wanting to help her continue the business, he shot this video, starring Merna and her hats, and he sent it out to residents and their families. Almost immediately…

“I was getting phone call after phone call, writing down information, taking orders,” said David.

43 hats later, they sold out, and Merna pocketed the cash.

“It wasn’t almost a daily occurrence for probably a week where I would visit her daily and drop off money because people would come and pick up their hats.”

“David stepped right up and did a good job. I was glad to see him every time he’d come to my room with money,” said Merna.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Merna says she’s thankful for David’s help.

Merna plans to continue her hat business as long as she can, and hopefully, she’ll be face to face with her customers again next year.

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