The wisdom of centenarians
Is there a recipe for a long life?
One way to find out is to ask centenarians— those who are 100-years or older— their secrets.
Although those 100 and older make up a tiny segment of America’s population, U.S. Census reports show that centenarian ranks are growing. Between 1980 and 2010, the numbers rose from 32,194 to 53,364, an increase of almost 66 percent. The World Atlas reported that in 2021 the U.S. has the highest absolute number of centenarians in the world, with 97,000.
You may be surprised to learn that Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake is home to four centenarians, all women.
Adeline Floy is the oldest of the group at 108-years. Carrie Baskett celebrated her 107th birthday in October. Evelyn Crone is 102 and Dorothy “Dot” Gerdes is the youngster of the clan at 101.
While they did not know each other in their early years, they share several common experiences and traits which they believe has helped them achieve a long life.
“I think attitude has a lot to do with it,” said Gerdes, who grew up known as Dot Grattidge. “I pass each day as happy as I can be.”
Like the others, she grew up on a farm in a family of eight. “Growing up in a big family was a lot of fun. There was always a little bit of mischief. There was also a routine on the farm and work. Without a good attitude I would have been lost in the shuffle. I remember the bad days during the Depression, but we just had to go with the flow.”
Dot was married twice in her lifetime and was a homemaker to three children. She calls Judy, Ronald and Kurt the greatest joys of her life and looks forward to their visits. Like the others, she found COVID challenging, mostly because it limited the ability to see her family.
At 108-years-old, Adeline (Peski) Floy has the good fortune to share her home at Oakwood with her daughter, Rose Wilson, who is 89. The two do not share rooms, but devote much of their time to each other.
“It’s pretty wonderful,” said Rose. “People just don’t get to share time like this with their mom.” The two relished sharing Adeline’s youth spent in the lively bohemian community of Dilly, Wis. She attended country school through eighth grade. Her mother died when she was just 16, so Adeline chose to stay home and helped raise the 10 kids in her family. “Music was a big part of Bohemian life and once a week there was a dance. That’s where she met her eventual husband, Merlin. The couple made their home on a farm north of Thornton and raised six children. As the eldest, Rose was a second mom to the youngest, according to her siblings.
Farm life— and the work it entails, is likely a major contributor to a long life, say Adeline and Rose. Adeline was known for her gardening prowess and the family’s home was always well-stocked with canned goods.
“We ate good, nutritious food and always had livestock that provided milk and we could butcher a pig or steer if we were hungry,” Rose said, reflecting on the Depression. “We didn’t have it nearly as bad as many others. And we always had each other.”
Adeline and Merlin eventually moved off the farm and into Clear Lake, where she continued to be a hard worker, doing housekeeping until the age of 90. At the age of 93 Adeline was experiencing heart problems and she was asked to consider bypass surgery. “I’m no good this way,” she said while giving Dr. Dan Waters, from North Iowa Mercy Hospital, the go-ahead to perform the operation. She smiled as she recalls receiving a card from the doctor on her 100th birthday.
Longevity may also be in the genes for Adeline. One of her brothers lived to be 100 and she has a sister who is 97.
Carrie Baskett has also lived not only a long, but incredibly healthy life. She resided in her own home until this year, when a fall resulted in a broken hip.
Activity, curiosity and independence have been the cornerstones of her life. In addition to volunteering for a number of local causes, Carrie was also an avid golfer. At the age of 100 she was on Arrowhead Golf Course south of Clear Lake with her grandson and two great-grandsons and she beat them all. She still longs to be on the course, either here or in Florida, where she spent part of her year.
When asked what her secret to a long life has been, Carrie admits she’s unsure.
“I don’t take pills— only aspirin and I don’t like doing that,” she said. “I don’t think about my age. It’s just a number.”
Editor’s note: While this story was in the process of being prepared, Oakwood Care Center resident Dorothy “Evelyn” Greiman, passed away at age 107. “Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and being born again and baptized with the holy spirit,” was what she said was the secret to her long life. Evelyn (Jante) and her husband, Kenneth, lived in Garner and raised their family of four boys there on a farm. They had been married two months short of 70 years when Kenneth was killed by a drunk driver. She said her greatest joy was raising her children.
