Elderly veteran relocated to Omak

Clarence Roosevelt Jerred, a homeless man featured in The Star last week, was settled in an assisted living home in Omak Tuesday.

Jerred, 84, who insisted that he was 86, was taken to Omak Tuesday by Kathy Baty, where he met with Social and Health Services officials and then was located in Katimbang House, an assisted living facility. He is now one of seven living there.

"This is already better," Baty said he told her after arriving. "He ate a good meal and was in fine spirits," Baty said.

She said he had been nervous about the move and hadn't eaten in two days. But he finished a big breakfast meal not long after arrival.

Baty said Jerred has a nice room and a balcony where he can look out.

The story last week drew responses from Clarence's niece, Nancy A. Mellon, from Keller.

She stated in a note that Clarence was not homeless, but had walked away from a similar home in Moses Lake. She stated that his bills were being paid, and she wrote "paying rent for motel room, lessens the funds that would be going toward assisted living facility."

Mellon stated that Jerred did have money and that there was no restraining order against him, who claimed otherwise in the initial interview.

"Really, things would have been better if some mind their own ...," Mellon wrote. "Sometimes people are homeless by the choices they make."

Mellon also commented on a reference to Baty and Harvey Moses Jr. as "good Samaritans." She stated that Good Samaritan defined a charitable and helpful person. Moses, who manages the Tribe's VA program, was very helpful to Jerred last week.

Kathy and Dale Baty have looked after Jerred since late September when he was brought to their motel, Center Lodge, in Grand Coulee, because he didn't have any place to stay. They have helped him deal with the processes of getting agency help for Jerred. He is a Colville Tribal member and a veteran, having served in the Korean Police Action.

Agencies have responded well since the story was published last week.