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Discovering The Mature Lifestyle

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Health & Fitness

January 19, 2017

January Issue

Edina’s Rhinestone Rockettes still going strong after 30 years

By Sue Webber Contributing writer

son said. “The teacher really is great and likes changing things up on us. It’s lots of fun and good exercise.”

Her exercise program also includes walking around What might appear to be a glamorous workout oc- Lake Harriet almost every day of the week, she said. curs every Wednesday morning at the Edina Senior At one time, she said, “I took ballet for quite a few Center. years.”

Four women, ranging in age from 67 to 79 and com“You’ve got to keep moving,” Christianson said. prising the Rhinestone Rockettes, meet to rehearse familiar songs from the 1930s and 1940s, including “In Joanne Hed, St. Louis Park the Mood” and “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy.” A 10-year member of the Rockettes, Joanne Hed forSeveral times a month, the group performs for a merly was a member of the New Fogey Follies with the church group or at Twin Cities senior citizen facilities. late Allan Lotsberg (WCCO-TV’s Willie Ketchum).

Rhinestone Rockettes was founded by the late Ruth “I got my first pair of tap shoes when I was 40,” she Bakken in 1987. She had been a teacher, choreographer said. “I was 80 in January. I’m the oldest dancer with and dance studio owner. The group originally had up to the Timberwolves and Lynx. I like setting an example 20 members, and is always looking for new participants. for my six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.”

Now the Rockettes are down to what one member At one time, Hed was with the Methodaires Singers at calls The Final Four. They are: Methodist Hospital, a volunteer show choir that raised

Adelines, and a member of the Betty Rydell Christmas show.

And now she and Mare Saffe are performing 40-50-minute shows with the New Fangled Fun Co. A native of Detroit Lakes, Hed said, “I love to sing and I love to dance. I’ve been singing since I was a kid.

I always thought singing and dancing would keep you young. I didn’t want aerobics. So, I got some tap shoes because I wanted to have fun and keep in shape.”

“I’ve always worked, too,” said Hed, who added, “I’ve got a great husband who understands all that. He golfs and fishes.”

Hed calls the Edina-based Rockettes group The Final Four.

“All four of us are really versatile,” she said. “We’re lucky to be together.”

Mare Saffe, St. Louis Park

funds for Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital programs.

She also did Hawaiian dancing for six years with an“I’m a tap dancer,” said Jerilynn Bergeson, a 19-year other group that entertained throughout the Twin Citmember of the Rockettes. “My mother thought I was ies. She has performed with the Minneapolis Aquatengoing to be the next Shirley Temple.” nial seniors singing group, was a member of the It was while she was taking tap lessons that Minneapolis City of Lakes chapter of Sweet she was referred to the Rhinestone Rock- ettes group, Bergeson said. “It has been a good fit for me,” she said.

Bergeson, Joanne Hed and Mare Saffe also are member of the Timberwolves and Lynx senior dance lines. The Timberwolves troupe is a 20-member group that practices once a month.

“I go to the YMCA every day except Wednesday and do dance aerobics and weight lifting,” Bergeson said. “On Wednesdays, I’m tap dancing with the Rockettes.”

The group has separate costumes and fish net stockings for each of its six numbers.

Members of the Rockettes have achieved notoriety in other venues, as well. Bergeson was the Minneapolis Aquatennial senior queen in 2005; Mare Saffe won that crown two years ago; Jan Christianson also is a past Aquatennial senior queen; and Joanne Hed was a candidate.

Prior to retirement, Bergeson worked in the credit department at General Motors.

“Now, this is just my way of life,” said Bergeson, a native of Minot, North Dakota, who has five children and nine grandchildren.

A tap dancer since the age of 3, Mare Saffe said, “I got over it for a while.”

But singing, dancing and acting haven’t been far from her mind ever since. She was a member of the New Fogey Follies from 2003-09, a group that gave two shows a year with 18 performances each time. “It was great fun and I miss it,” Saffe said.

Now, she, Joanne and Jerilynn dance for the Timberwolves and Lynx. “There are 20 of us,” Saffe said. “We do a new dance each time. It’s like being in Madison Square Gardens.”

Saffe also has been an actress, singer and dancer in local community theater groups, including the Lakeshore Players Theatre, Edyth Bush Little Theater, the Black Box Theater, the Jewish Community Center in St. Paul, Beth El Synagogue and the Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park, New Fangled Fun Co. variety shows and the Aquatennial Singers.

“I took a few acting courses, and I did stand-up comedy for six months,” Saffe said. “My opening night was at Knuckleheads Nightclub. I had to write my own material and perform for three minutes.”

In 2015, she was senior Aquatennial queen. “I learned how to wave and visited coronations,” she said. “The queen has to wear white, and David’s Bridal had a wedding gown I could wear.”

She’s active in other ways, too. She does aerobics, and bowls each Tuesday.

“I’m having a really good time,” she said. “With any group, you’ve got to have a sense of humor, love to laugh Members of the Edina Community Center’s Rhinestone Rockettes, shown in their “Singin’ in and do outrageous things.

“When you get to be our age, anythe Rain” costumes, are, from left: Jan Christianson of Edina; Jerilynn Bergeson of Wayzata; thing you can do, you should do it.

Joanne Hed of St. Louis Park; and Mare Saffe of St. Louis Park. (Submitted photo) Never retire.”

Saffe has a son, a daughter and four granddaughters.

The ourLife writers and editors can be reached at editor.sun@ecm-inc.com.

Jerilynn Bergeson, Wayzata

Jan Christianson, Edina The only member of the group who lives in Edina, Jan Christianson has been a member of the Rockettes since 2005. She is a 1966 graduate of Edina High School.

She said she became a Rockettes member after seeing a variety show in Richfield while she was still working at the University of Minnesota. “I thought I wanted to do that when I retired,” she said.

“It really helps you mentally,” Christian-

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Health & Fitness January Issue

Discovering The Mature Lifestyle January 19, 2017

Weekly bowling keeps 95-year-old on her toes

By Sue Webber Contributing writer

Activity Center. “I tried Curves and an- punch operator at Minneapolis Moline other [workout location] first,” she said. and then worked at Toro before a 22-year She has been active in Hopkins aero- career at Tait’s Super Valu.

Elsie Syverson’s love affair with bowl- bics classes for seven years, and also She recalls that growing up, girls were ing goes back a long time. allowed to play only half-court basket“I was on Bowlerama, on TV with Bill ball. “We played neighborhood softball and Nancy Carlson, in the 1950s,” she when I was growing up, but there were no said. “I won $875.” organized sports for girls,” Larson said.

Now 95, Syverson lives at The Glenn in Minnetonka, and said she still bowls Mitzi Lindquist, a resident of Hoptwice a week. One of those outings is kins, also is a regular at Tuesday and with the bowling club every Thursday at Thursday exercise classes at the Hopkins the Hopkins Activity Center.

She and her husband were longtime dancers, too, until her husband died after the two had been married 70 years. “We used to dance a lot, and I miss that a lot,” Syverson said. “We used to go to the Medina Ballroom with eight other couples.”

A native of South Dakota, Syverson grew up on a ranch 100 miles north of Rapid City.

“We milked cows and herded sheep, and we walked to school,” she said.

Elsie Syverson, 95, of Minnetonka (left), and Later, Syverson taught school herself, Debbie Vold, (right) assistant coordinator at first in the country and then in town. the Hopkins Activity Center, are at the bowling Once she got to the Twin Cities, she alley weekly. (Submitted photo) worked at Honeywell and then at Eaton Corp. “I sold jewelry at one time, too,” has tried adult gymnastics. “It had to she said. be someplace convenient,” Larson said.

“My husband was from Glenwood, “Our teacher, Ben Walker, is very innoMinnesota,” she said. “He flew 53 mis- vative. We never do the same thing twice. Mitzi Lindquist, of Hopkins, enjoys the twicesions during World War II.” weekly exercise class at the Hopkins Activity Everyone there is very friendly.”

She and her husband had twin boys, Now the classes are fixed on her calen- Center. (Submitted photo) though one died three days after birth. dar, Larson said. “I work the other stuff The surviving twin lives in Seattle. around it,” she said. “Sometimes I walk Activity Center. I’m a morning person, or bike, too.” so I like the 9 a.m. workout,” she said.

Nita Larson is another Minnetonka The mother of three children and She says Ben Walker, who leads the resident who is active at the Hopkins grandmother of two, Larson was a key- Fitness Focus classes on Tuesday and

Thursday, is an ex-Marine. “It’s the most fabulous class,” she said. “He changes things up. He makes us work. I really

Nita Larson, of Minnetonka, has weekly exercise classes in Hopkins on her calendar.

(Submitted photo) love it.”

“I just found my niche and the right place to be,” said Lindquist, who says she’s been “faithfully exercising” for three years. “I find I have a lot more energy, I sleep better and my clothes fit better. I just swear by it.”

“I tried the YMCA, Curves and Snap before this,” said Lindquist, who retired eight years ago from working as a medical transcriptionist. She has five grandchildren.

Columbia Heights couple exercise, bike, hike together

By Sue Webber Contributing writer Joel Andrychowiz of Columbia Heights is described by some at the Columbia Heights Senior Center as “an absolute exercise fanatic.”

“I taught school until I retired in 2006,” he said.

“I’ve been assistant basketball coach at Irondale for 11 years.”

Practice is from 2:15 to 4:30 p.m. each school day, and then the players lift weights until 5 p.m., he said.

Andrychowiz said he worked out daily for many years at the YMCA. “I taught and coached football and basketball and was the weight room supervisor at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights for 34 years,” he said. “This is my 45th year of coaching high school basketball. “I enjoy it; it’s fun. I still enjoy the kids.”

While he was teaching, he worked out at the YMCA in

Shoreview at 5 a.m. each day.

Now after his workout, he and his wife, Jeanne, go to Arden Hills two mornings a week to get breakfast for their two grandsons and put them on the school bus.

“We’re pretty busy,” Andrychowiz said. “My wife and I go to as many of Delynn Mulligan’s exercise classes [at the Columbia Heights Senior Center] as we can, at least two a week.”

All three of their grown children are active as well and have tackled 5K and 10K runs, marathons and Iron Man competitions.

“I used to bring them to school with me when I coached,” he said. “All three of them were in high school sports at Columbia Heights High School. We live five doors from the high school. Our oldest was in college sports. They just kept going.”

Jeanne and Joel Andrychowiz, of Columbia Heights, enjoy biking together. (Submitted photo)

BIKERS - to next page

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Health & Fitness January Issue

Discovering The Mature Lifestyle January 19, 2017

Seniors must be their own health care advocates My dictionary Guest defines an “advocate” as a supportcolumn er, defender, and intercessor; some... by Bob one who pleads on Ramsey behalf of someone or some cause.

We all need an advocate like this sometime to stand up and speak up for us — especially when dealing with today’s complex, confusing and convoluted health care system. There are situations when we need a defender to help get the care we need, navigate today’s Medicare maze, make our wishes known, get answers and keep the health care professionals honest.

Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are usually competent professionals. But they are also human beings — flesh and blood — fallible. They get tired, distracted, worried and sloppy — just like the rest of us. They make mistakes: • Like the time my wife received the

results of someone else’s sleep study.

That not only violated the other patient’s privacy; it could have been harmful if we had acted on this other patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan.

Fortunately, my wife was paying attention and caught the mistake.

• Or another incident when an inattentive technician overlooked a metal bolt in a patient’s pocket as she readied to undergo an MRI. If undetected, the magnetic force inside the MRI machine could have propelled the bolt right through her body. Scary!

• Or the time a patient had completed treatment in the ER, but was left waiting an hour for a physician to sign the release form. Eventually, the patient signed an AMA (Against Medical Advice) form and walked out.

At times like these, someone needs to set the record straight, point out mis-

You are best qualified to speak up for yourself. takes and keep medical personnel attentive and accountable. Who’s the best person for the job? Who can best represent your rights, interests and care preferences? You can!

You are your own most effective advocate. You care the most. You know your body better than anyone. You also know what you don’t know and need to know.

You are best qualified to speak up for yourself.

This doesn’t mean you should take over and tell the doctor what to do or what to prescribe. Some seniors think they can check the Internet and read the latest health magazines and they’re amateur doctors. They’re not. As Mark Twain observed, “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”

Health care isn’t adversarial. It’s a partnership. You hold up your end of the bargain simply by advocating for yourself. Advocates aren’t surrogate

physicians; but they are the voice of the patient in the treatment dialogue. Make your voice count.

Of course, it’s also wise to have someone you trust accompany you to important doctors’ appointments to help you decipher and understand today’s medical mumbo-jumbo. They provide an extra set of eyes and ears.

But the final responsibility for making your symptoms concerns feelings and fears known is yours. We all want doctors to listen to us. But they can’t listen if we don’t speak up.

In the modern collaborative health care process, don’t be a silent partner.

Instead, become an advocate—for yourself.

Bob Ramsey is a lifelong educator, writer and advocate for vital aging. He can be contacted at 952-922-9558 or by email at joyrammini@comcast.net

‘We try to keep going, keep moving’ BIKERS - from previous page Andrychowiz played football, baseball and basketball at DeLaSalle High School, and continued with the three sports at the University of WisconsinStout.

Now, he and his wife keep busy with a place Up North. “We spend a lot of time there and do a lot of hiking,” Andrychowiz said. “We really enjoy that.

We try to keep going and keep moving.

It’s important. We try to get to the doctor for the preventative stuff and we try to eat right, too.”

Jeanne Andrychowiz says she tries to stay active, too. However, she added, “Joel can run circles around me.”

“I like to do flower gardening, walk, bike, hike, and work out through Columbia Heights community education programs,” Jeanne said. “I have been taking Judy Trempe’s adult aerobic dance for the last nine years, and more recently high intensity and toning exercises with Delynn.”

Jeanne also takes care of all the needs for her 91-year-old mother, who lives at Brightondale Assisted Living in New Brighton.

Jeanne volunteers at Brightondale, and also at the Coon Rapids Animal Humane Society.

“In my spare time I like to meet with my friends, do some reading, knitting, or work on arts and crafts,” Jeanne said.

“For 20 some years, Joel and I have a set date night on Saturday night that involves church, dinner and a movie. To me, that is the most important time of the week.”

Another exercise regular in Columbia Heights

Steve Weselenak also has been a regular member of the exercise classes at Columbia Heights Senior Center for four years. He’s been in the groups for sit-down exercises, some high intensity, some low intensity.

“Some weeks I go three times, some weeks I go four times, and some weeks I go five times,” Weselenak said. “Delynn Mulligan is an excellent instructor. I’ve lost 40 pounds and my muscle tone is good.”

Weselenak was with FMC for 40 years prior to retirement. He and his wife have 12 children, 65 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

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HAPPY JANUARY

1960 to 2017

January is a new beginning for many in the New Year. In our business, many senior citizens who need care will start a new phase in their lives by becoming a resident in one of our buildings. They get to know all of the people that live here and enjoy being part of a large group that get involved in many activities. Studies show that you will live longer if you socialize with other people with common interests. So come and see us and start the New Year with us.

Happy New Year Wish My Happy New Year wish for you Is for your best year yet, A year where life is peaceful, And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish The past year’s memories, And live your life each new day, Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday With happiness galore; And when it’s done, I wish you Happy New Year, and many more.

By Joanna Fuchs

Visit us on the web at http://www.heritageofedina.com

1960 to 2017