American Wisdom

American Wisdom Centenarians Across America

P h o t o g r a p h s b y P a u l M o b l ey T e x t by L e s s a n dr a M ac H a m e r

“The complete life, the perfect pattern, includes old age as well as youth and maturity. The beauty of the morning and the radiance of noon are good, but it would be a very silly person who drew the curtains and turned on the light in order to shut out the tranquillity of the evening. Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth.�

— W. Somerset Maugham

Walter Bruening G r e a t Fa l l s , M o n t a n a . 1 1 4 y e a r s o l d .

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M elrose , Minnesota. The doc would come to your house—that’s the way it was at that time. You didn’t go to where he was—he came right to you. He had a horse and buggy— he’d hitch up his horse and go out to where you were if you were out in the country.

My father (John Bruening) was from Melrose—he died at age 50. My mother (Cora Morehouse) was from Springfield, Illinois—she died at age 46 from an operation. I had two brothers and two si◊ers—they all lived into their 70’s.

Everybody was poor years ago. When we were kids, we ate what was on our table. You ate what they put on your plate and that’s all you got.

I remember all about my childhood from the time I was three years old. I remember my Grandfather—he was in the Civil War. I remember when I was four years old. I got my fir◊ haircut. I had curls clear down to here (shoulders). I went down and got a haircut and cried like a baby, you know. My father was a civil engineer and a farmer— but no electricity—we had to make up ◊eam in a boiler you know. 1905 our father left us—us kids we had to all go to work as soon as we could. I ◊arted in the railroad in Minnesota in 1913. They (Great Northern Railroad) didn’t want anybody that wasn’t 18. I was only 16 so I had to lie. They transferred me to Great Falls, Montana in 1918. I was working all the time until I was 99. I had two jobs all the time. I worked for the Shriners Office and the Albon Club at the Rainbow Hotel for 15 years (from age 84 to 99).

My fir◊ car—from Kenny Moore—lives right over there next to the po◊ office. Second hand Ford coupe. $150.00. Fir◊ car.

Got married in 1922 to Agnes Twokey. My wife was a good cook—served a lot of good food. We ju◊ ate so much. When she passed away in 1957, I ◊arted eating in re◊aurants and only two meals a day. I never ◊arted eating supper again. I eat a lot of fruit every day and I drink water all the time. Cup and a half of coffee for breakfa◊ was

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and a cup with lunch. I have weighed the same for about 35 years and that’s the way it should be. You get into the habit of not eating at night and you find out how good you feel. I could live to be 120—I’ve got a good doctor. I meet with him every six months. Medicine? Ju◊ one baby aspirin. That’s the only pill I ever take, no other medicine.

My bigge◊ regret is not getting into the fir◊ war. They were setting up a railroad unit and I put in my notice to go but he sent me a letter and said “you’re not a college graduate so I can’t take you”. For the second war I was married and I was 46 years old, so I wasn’t called.

The greate◊ changes in the United ◊ates came fir◊ with radio around 1920 that’s when radio came on and 1940 that’s when television came on, boy, I’ll tell you that changed everything else. And then in the 1960s that’s when the computer came in and that changed the condition of the whole country—the railroad—immediately they know all the curves, high and low. Same with the automobile, they got rid of thousands of workers in the 60s (because of the computer). Even the farmers, they don’t use anybody any more with the machines they got. Greate◊ invention was the telephone. In 1920 I had to call central and have them ring the number for you. Give them the number and they’d call. And look today, everyone I know carries one.

They have one in their hand or in their pocket.

My life purpose—be good to people and do something for them if you can.

I’d advise everybody to do everything you can for somebody else because that’s the be◊ thing in the world for everybody—to help each other. That’s what I think we’re here for and that’s what people should do. And one thing they should do—they should be kind to one another—which they’re not you know. n Officially li◊ed in the Guinness World Records 2011 edition as the world’s olde◊ living man until his death April 14, 2011. He was 114 years old. He was also the olde◊ Mason and Shriner. Mr.Bruening was photographed and interviewed less than a month before he died of natural causes. He felt “great” until the very end.

Frank Sower Frankfor t, Kentucky. 100 years sold.

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third generation Frankort, Kentuckian, Frank has been mayor of Frankfort, a businessman—he helped create the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce—a dedicated Rotarian, former President of the Kentucky Hi◊orical Society, an author on his own recollections on the hi◊ory of Frankfort, and on the boards of many charities such as the YMCA and Salvation Army.

Minnie Lynn was born in Panama where her father was an engineer during the con◊ruction of the Panama Canal. She came to Frankfort as a young girl. Raising three children with Frank, Minnie Lynn played a key role in his life as wife, mother, and ◊aunch supporter of everything he did. Frank’s major decisions always had to be “cleared with Mama.” They were true partners.

Minnie Lynn: I met Frank on the river. I was sitting on the river bank.

Frank: I hadn’t married yet. I was driving my boat on the Kentucky river and when I got there (to the bank), a lady came up to me and said, “Mr. Sower, who are you looking for?”

And I said “Somebody ju◊ like you.”

Minnie Lynn Sower Frankfor t, Kentucky. 100 years old.

They were married three months later.

F: The greate◊ invention in my life is my wife.

ML: I’d better be!

F: I’ve been crazy about this girl ever since she came into the area and I really try to behave myself when I see her coming.

It was from the doorway of his grandfather’s hardware ◊ore that he watched his future bride pass every day before he met her.

F: It’s amazing we’re both the same age. It’s been a long time. And I ◊ill love her! This woman is number one as far as I’m concerned. That’s pretty good, I think.

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Mildred Manning L ouisville, Kentucky. 100 years old.

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B elmont , M ississippi , and I had a brother and a sister. My Mother died in childbirth at home. We were in a very small town and in those days they didn’t go to hospitals because hospitals were far away.

The doctor came, but ◊ill she died.

I ◊arted with music when I was very young. I ◊arted—not on a piano—but on an old pump organ—an old fashioned one—that was what my Mother had and that was what I ◊arted on for a time.

We didn’t have anybody in our town who could teach.

Finally a Pa◊or’s wife came to the town to live who was able to teach piano and that was where I ◊arted my fir◊ lesson. I served a lot when I was down home because there were churches out from Belmont that didn’t have anyone to help them with their music so I went with my uncle— he was a good singer and I went and did the playing for churches and revivals and things of that sort. I always played in my home church a lot too. I kept it up (the lessons) through high school and then the high schools began to have piano teachers.

I finished high school in 1928. I was 18 years old and my piano teacher recommended that I come to Louisville for further ◊udy so I came to ◊udy piano that fall at the Louisville Conservatory and I’ve been in Louisville ever since. I was very young to leave home but I did it. was born in

The Jefferson County school board education sent us out into the country to do practice teaching and I went to a school called Mill Creek. I taught in the classroom for a half a day and music for the remainder of the day. I was there for a number of years then I wanted to help out in getting the school accredited and in order to do that they had to have libraries and a librarian and so many books per child and so I left the classroom then and took the necessary courses that would enable me to do that work. I was in the library for 9 years.

The bigge◊ change in my lifetime was my marriage to Harry Manning.

He was a Louisville boy and he was a blind date. We went to the Pa◊ Time Boat Club on a date and then he asked me if I’d like to go down to the Brown some night and dance.

I didn’t believe him but he said he would call me and he did. So we began dating then but we didn’t marry right away. In fact, we went together for about 8 years because we both wanted a home, a house, rather than an apartment or otherwise. We got married in ’39 He was a wonderful man. Very talented. And my life with him was really wonderful. I think it was that any problems I had—he could fix them. I lived with him about 40 years and he died. I had no children but I have lots of ‘children friends’ and relatives.

I was alone in my home for 23 years before I came here (retirement home) and I’ve been here for almo◊ 11 years.

My friend Willard grew up near me in Belmont. We were the same age, we went to the same school and we were the close◊ of friends and it has been that way all through life.

Her husband was named Larry and my husband was named Harry so it was Mildred and Harry and Willard and Larry! They came to visit every year and we’d go to Churchill Downs to the Kentucky Derby. That went on for twenty years.

Now we can’t visit each other like we always did. She is unable to travel and I’m unable to travel so we talk on the telephone. We keep in touch so we know how each other is doing.

The one thing that I would say (to people in their 90’s) is be active and try to get intere◊ed in things. Don’t ju◊ sit around and moan—but DO things.

I think there is a purpose for everyone and I think if you look you will soon find out what it is. I ◊arted with my music when I was very young and I ju◊ kept it up. n Other than her friend, Willard, Mildred doesn’t know any one else who is 100 years old. She says she would like to know other people who are 100 so they could talk about what it means to be that age.

Leonard Segerstrom Houghton, Michigan. 100 years old.

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ou ’ ve got to keep your legs going .

I t ’ s not good to sit down all the time .

You need to walk every day. I have to have my walker with me. My balance isn’t the same any more.

My dad Johann and mother Margretta came from Sweden in the 1890’s and met in the town of Chassell in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Dad worked on the railroad then, and mother worked in a boarding house for men. She got $3 a month in pay. They got married when they were in their 20s. There were seven children. One brother was ◊illborn. One brother drowned in 1913. I was about four years old then, but I can ◊ill remember that. I didn’t know what it was all about, but I can ◊ill remember it. My si◊er lived to be 90 and my brother died when he was 72. I was the baby and now the only one left.

We lived on a small farm, about forty acres with apple trees and plum trees. We grew vegetables, had some cows, horses and chickens. It was poor living. Dad should have ◊ayed with the railroad. When I was a little kid I had to round up the cows and horses. I remember when I was young I would have to go into town with butter and eggs and deliver to people when my Dad couldn’t go. I had responsibility since I was very young. I realize it now—it was our daily life. It was how we were raised. I don’t think children these days have as much responsibilities as they used to have. It all depends on the families, and how the parents raise their children.

I walked mo◊ of the time. I walked about a mile to school and I walked three and a half miles to town—sometimes a horse and buggy and in the winter a horse and sleigh. We got our fir◊ car for $50—a ◊ar Car. My wife’s name was Hannah Swanson. We got married in 1933. Her parents came from Sweden, too. My parents knew my wife’s parents. They would come and visit us on the farm. Our town had a mixture of people—Swedish and Finnish, some were Croatian and some Irish. We didn’t speak Swedish too much. I know a few words like, ‘How are you?’ Hur mår du? I remember a Swedish tradition at Chri◊mas time. We would have lute fish. My dad would get dry fish and soak it.

Chri◊mas Eve dinner. We had to have that or it wasn’t Chri◊mas Eve without it. My wife’s family did the same thing. Swedish Gingerbread Cookies were another Chri◊mas favorite of my family.

My wife died in 2003 at the age of 92. We had one child, a daughter named Shirley. I have two grandsons and three great grandchildren who are eleven, nine, and seven. They live one hundred miles away. The little one climbs all over me when she sees me. That makes me happy when I’m wanted. I didn’t know any of my grandparents because they were in Sweden, so I have that pleasure now of being with my great grandchildren. I hope they think so, too. They are not too much intere◊ed in my life. I think that will come later.

I ◊ill have so many things to do. I live on my own and I feel good. I want to ◊ay active. Keep going. Keep walking. n

V e n i c e S h a w a n d I n e z H a r r i e s , Pa s a d e n a , C a l i f o r n i a . 1 0 0 y e a r s o l d .

Edna Parker S h e l b y v i l l e , In d i a n a . 11 5 y e a r s o l d .

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115 th birthday . S he ’ s the oldest living person in the world. We mention that to her every now and then, and she’ll say, “Oh, I couldn’t be that old.”

Her whole life, she hardly ever saw a doctor. To treat a cold, she made herself home remedies. And her health today, she ◊ill doesn’t have to take any prescription medications. She’s never had a drink, never smoked, and never been overweight, but she’s always had bacon and eggs for breakfa◊, every day of the week. So maybe that’s the secret.

She was born in 1893 and she taught school for a year when she was nineteen before she married her husband Earl in 1913 and gave up teaching to become a farm wife. They had chickens, cows, pigs, and a big garden, berry patches, and fruit trees. She really enjoyed canning the vegetables and fruits. I’m sure she loved cooking ’cause she always wanted you to ◊ay and eat—I remember her fried chicken. It was always real greasy and delicious.

Earl died young of some heart complications in his fifties and Grandmother never remarried. She’s been widowed for sixty-five years now. She ◊ayed on her farm till she was 100 years old.

My parents finally talked her into coming to live with them after they went to visit one day and found her up on a ◊epladder cleaning the lights.

Grandmother loves to laugh. We always leave smiling when we’ve been to visit her. She’s had a good, long, enjoyable life. If she passed away tomorrow, I don’t think there’d be anything that she felt like she didn’t get to do that she wanted to. n randmother just celebrated her

Based on an interview with Edna Parker’s grandson, Don Parker. Edna Parker died on month, day, year.

 W a l t e r J a c k s o n , Vero Beach, Florida. 104 years old.