Once upon a time in a nice, little town called Midland...

King’s Daughters Home was founded in 1947 by King’s Daughters and Sons of Midland, Inc., a nonprofit organization with a rich history of commitment to social services in our community.

The story began in 1945 as King’s Daughters and Sons of Midland formed a committee to determine future projects. The committee included Dorothy Dow Arbury, the daughter of Dow Chemical Company founder Herbert H. Dow and his wife, Grace A. Dow. The committee recognized the need for a place where elderly people could live and be cared for. Fundraising began in 1946, a board of directors was named, and a house in Midland on the corner of Jerome and Larkin Streets (the O’Brien house) was purchased for $20,000.

In November of 1947, King’s Daughters Home opened its doors as an assisted living facility, and eleven women became the first residents, along with a nurse/director who lived in an apartment on site. These early residents were involved in the operation of the home. They cleaned, painted, and maintained the building – they even canned garden produce and made savory dinner casseroles. (Mmmmm, doesn’t that make you hungry?)

But residents were reluctant to make a long-term commitment to living at King’s Daughters Home because the services did not extend beyond assisted living. Thankfully, in 1949, Grace A. Dow provided a generous contribution so that a “convalescent wing” could be built, creating the continuum of care that King’s Daughters Home still offers today.

By 1954, King’s Daughters Home was filled and the waiting list was growing. A bigger facility was needed. Architect Alden B. Dow started drawing plans, and William and Hannah Baker donated a three and one-half acre plot of land on the corner of Rodd and Nelson Streets. Mrs. Rollin M. Gerstacker contributed $1 million for the construction of a new building – her only stipulation that a beauty shop be included in the plans. (Because a nice hairdo makes a world of difference, right?!)

On October 11, 1959, the present King’s Daughters Home was dedicated. We remain dedicated to our values of consistent care, quality and comfort, staying true to our roots today and tomorrow.