This July, Systems turns 52 years old. As we reflect on what makes us unique, it always comes down to the people. Over the decades, hundreds of stories have emerged about the lives that have been impacted. We owe it all to some of our founding families and we will be honoring one of them today.
This past winter, we were able to interview Sharon and Larry Easler to get their story. Unfortunately, we lost Larry this past June. His memory and legacy will live on with us always.
50 Years and Counting
Fifty years ago, Sharon Easler and her husband, Larry, had hit a care roadblock. They had two children with disabilities: their son, Brad, born in 1959 and Barb born a year later with cerebral palsy.
This was a time when word of mouth, trial therapies, and institutionalization were among the only forms of solutions available to parents, guardians, and those who needed care.
The Easlers had just ended a trial period of therapeutic treatment focused on helping their 15-year-old son who was struggling with a not-uncommon experience of increased behavioral issues related to intellectual disabilities. “We needed help, and we knew Brad needed additional support,” Sharon said. “We didn’t know what we were going to do next.”
That’s how Sharon and Larry found themselves at a meeting of parents and caregivers, many of whom were facing similar challenges. As it turned out, the meeting would change the course of their lives and their children’s.
It was circa 1973–two years after Systems Unlimited was founded–when the couple sat down at the meeting next to Benny Leonard, the first Executive Director of Systems Unlimited. Benny, who would serve as director for the first 15 years, and his wife, Mary Louise, had twin daughters with Down Syndrome. That’s what had driven them to join other founding parents in Eastern Iowa in creating Systems Unlimited as an alternative to institutionalization for their children.
Not long after that meeting, the Easlers connected with Systems Unlimited. Sharon said it’s amazing to think that that chance meeting is what would lead her family to become part of the Systems Unlimited family for nearly 50 years.
In the Beginning
The Easler’s son, Brad, moved into a small group home operated by Systems Unlimited where he lived with two other clients. It’s there, Sharon said, where he started to develop lifelong friendships. “It wasn’t easy at the beginning,” Sharon said. “But eventually it got to the point where he would visit us and then want to get back to his home. That’s what you want for your kids.”
A year later, Brad’s sister, Barb, started her relationship with Systems Unlimited as she was starting junior high school. “It was hard for her at public school,” Sharon said. “As she was entering seventh grade, she was told that she would need to attend classes on the second floor and that a senior boy would have to carry her up the stairs each day. She said, “This is just not the kind of life I want.’”
Barb, who had visited Brad’s apartment and met his friends, wanted to see what Systems Unlimited had to offer. She moved into one of the first small group homes ever operated by Systems Unlimited. It was on Rochester Ave. in Iowa City and she lived there with her good friend, Susie, who was blind. “What Barb couldn’t do, Susie could do, and what Susie couldn’t do, Barb could do,” Sharon said. “It was a wonderful pairing.”
At this time, Sharon and Larry were living in a small town in Jones County, Iowa. Sharon said watching their children’s lives change and grow was wonderful. “I can’t say enough about it,” she said. “Barb has always been incredibly independent. They both are. Systems Unlimited worked for both of them because it’s focused on the individual and what they want to do with their life, or can do.”
A Caring Community
During these first few years, Sharon said Systems Unlimited also offered something she and Larry dearly needed: a connection to a community. “Everyone was just so welcoming to our entire family. Back at that time, there really weren’t support groups or communities for parents who had children with disabilities. We were so very, very happy to be part of this community.”
As the Easlers learned more about Systems Unlimited, they didn’t hesitate to get involved in helping to grow awareness about the organization. Sharon joined the board of directors. “All of the directors at that time were parents,” she said. “I served on the board for quite a few years, and when I went off the board, Larry went on and took my place.”
During her time on the board, Sharon said Systems Unlimited received federal funding from HUD to create smaller homes where six people could live together. These homes also had apartments for live-in parents. “So at the time, this was a big deal and a big step forward,” Sharon said.
As the years went by, the HUD-funded homes were deemed too big and were transformed into duplexes, creating homes where no more than three people lived together. It’s just one example of how Systems Unlimited, parents, caregivers, and board members have helped move care forward for decades.
A Lifetime of Memories
Speaking of decades, there is no doubt Brad is well-known in the Systems Unlimited community. That’s in part because of all of the friends he’s made, and in part, because of the many jobs he’s held, including as a custodian for Systems Unlimited. Staff at Systems Unlimited said they were happy to see Covid restrictions lifted in the summer of 2022 so people like Brad could get back to work as part of their Employment Systems program.
“When Brad walked back into our main office to start his job in person again, you could hear people’s excitement, “ said Jolene Sorenson, Director of Development and Communications. “Up and down the hallways you could hear people saying “Hi, Brad” and telling each other that Brad was back. It was really great.”
To Des Moines and Back
While Brad has been with Systems Unlimited without interruption for nearly 50 years, Barb has taken a different path. She moved to Des Moines to go to college and get married. During that time she was able to drive, work, and largely take care of herself. But a few years ago, her husband passed away, prompting her to move to a nursing home in Des Moines. It wasn’t a good fit and Barb wanted to come back to Systems Unlimited, which would allow her to be closer to her parents who live in Cedar Rapids.
In 2022, Barb turned 62 and Brad turned 63. Barb now lives in an apartment in Coralville that is designed for the elderly and people with disabilities who need limited support. There is one staff person on site who Barb and others can call if they need assistance to go shopping or get to an appointment. “But Barb can do most of this on her own,” Sharon said. “She needs some help with physical support, but beyond that, she’s pretty independent.”
Barb’s often out in the community on her own, using S.E.A.T.S. as transportation, stopping by the Farmer’s Market, driving her wheelchair to Hy-Vee grocery store or seeing friends.
“We are in our 80s now,” Sharon said. “We feel really comfortable with the kids and where they are. In fact, we’ve moved into independent living in Cedar Rapids and one of the directors here saw our name and said, ‘Are you related to Brad and Barb? I used to work at Systems Unlimited!’ We have total peace of mind, because we know it’s so personal with Systems Unlimited. That’s made the difference.”
Sharon, thinking back nearly 50 years, said if she was able to counsel her younger self about whether to take a chance on Systems Unlimited, she said: “Oh my, I would have said, ‘Go for it!”
After all, it’s given her children the ability to live their best lives.
