OLAF LARSON

For anyone who asks him how he lived to be 104, Olaf Larson has a stock answer.

“Good genes. Good doctors. Good family. Good friends. Good luck.”

But there’s one other answer, and it’s one he really emphasizes.

“Always do things that you’re passionate about in life,” says Olaf, a resident at Waterman Village who lives by himself. “Engaging in activities near and dear to your heart will enrich your life and help you feel fulfilled.”

For Olaf, born Feb. 26, 1910, one activity he always loved is writing. At age 98, he authored a book that highlights his life as a boy on a Wisconsin farm. The 176page book, titled “When Horses Pulled the Plow,” took him three months to write and was published by University of Wisconsin Press-Publisher.

“I wrote the book in longhand and had my granddaughter type it on a computer so I would have a hard copy,” he says. “The reason I wrote the book is because my grandchildren always asked me what it was like to live on a farm. I figured I could do my part in preserving a little bit of American history.”

Once the book was published, Olaf enthusiastically promoted it. He made public appearances at a Rotary Club in Orlando and also spoke to members of Waterman Village’s book club.

“That was lots of fun because I was able to share a little bit of my story about life on the farm,” he says. “When I was 12 my dad told me it was time to go to work. I helped cultivate corn, helped with livestock and helped move bales of hay. I also rode a pony every day to a one-room, one-teacher school.”

Olaf has authored five books, four of which were written after he retired as a rural sociology professor at Cornell University in 1975.

“I was technically retired but kept working,” he says. “My other books were researched based and dealt with sociology topics. Keeping mentally active all these years has certainly played a role in helping me to live this long.”

Today, Olaf keeps his mind sharp by managing his medications, paying the bills and watching the evening news to stay abreast of what’s happening around the world. He is also a faithful “Jeopardy” fan.

“I typically can answer one out of every five questions on “Jeopardy,” he says. “It really surprises me how contestants don’t know much about American history. Of course, I don’t do really well when the questions center around today’s popular music.”

Olaf rises each morning at 7:30, dresses himself and eats cereal. Then, he performs a variety of chair exercises to stretch and strengthen his arms and legs. That helps keep him limber enough to move around on a walker.

Although Olaf lost his wife, Clair, three years ago, he is rarely lonely. He frequently has visitors such as Betty Cox, a resident of Zellwood who comes to his home four times a week. They met when Betty worked for a home health agency and became dear friends.

“His upbeat attitude inspires me, and his mind is probably sharper than people half his age.”

Betty is helping plan for Olaf’s 105th birthday party, which will be attended by family and friends, as well as his doctors and accountants.