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My 100-Year-Old Friends

Mary, 111

b. December 25, 1912

The first chapter delves into Ms. Mary’s life, starting with her birth in 1912 and continuing to her current age of 111. Her Quaker ancestors moved to rural New London, Indiana, where centuries of Miami Indians once called home.

The book highlights Ms. Mary’s unwavering religious devotion, disciplined lifestyle, keen cognitive abilities, and the joyous gathering of five generations to commemorate her 110th birthday.

Her story also reveals her struggles during the tumultuous years of the Great Depression and a lifetime of dedication to the Quaker community.

She has persevered in her quest to hear the voice of God and follow His commands. She married Marland in 1925 and remained married for seventy years until he died in 1995.

They had four children, ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren. She has seen nineteen presidents come and go, two World Wars, and six pandemics with unwavering grit.

Ms. Mary's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Morrie, 110

b. January 11, 1914 (America’s oldest man)

The second chapter begins with Morrie's past, tracing his roots from immigrant parents to a cramped, rat-ridden East Harlem tenement filled with scurrying cockroaches and mattresses crawling with bedbugs. He unravels the complex web of his family history, exploring his relationships and career endeavors. Through Morrie's eyes, we gain insight into his nearly eighty-year marriage to Betty (despite his unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise). One of the oldest married couples in the world, Betty reached one hundred-three before she died. He had a brief stint as a member of the Communist Party and became a skilled metal sculptor and photographer whose brother and sister became accomplished violinists. He was mugged in East Harlen and a victim of an armed robbery in Los Angeles. He lived in an L.A. high-rise until his death in June 2024.

Morrie's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Hellen, 107

b. April 30, 1917

Chapter three dives deep into the intricacies of Ms. Hellen's life. From her two-year stint in the Navy, where she helped decipher German code, to her family dynamics and health challenges, every aspect of Ms. Hellen's life is explored.

One quiet evening in 1943, Ms. Hellen was sitting on her front step, restless and not knowing what she wanted.

She had been working at a law firm but didn’t like it much. “I figured that life was passing me by,” she says, “and I didn't know what I was going to do about it. I was twenty-six, and I wasn’t making any money, and here come these two kids, Navy recruiters, so I thought I would join the military. And I did.”

Readers learn about Ms. Hellen's clandestine meeting with Ralph Guthrie (he borrowed a motorcycle to visit her and wrecked it en route) and their fifty-year marriage.

She takes us into her job at an insurance company and later at Western Electric. The narrative also follows her involvement in local politics and her interactions with prominent figures of the time. Often, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt joined military employees for lunch outside the Navy Communication Building where Ms. Hellen worked. Later, Ms. Hellen met First Lady Ms. Hellen Reagan at a reception.

Ms. Hellen was Grand Marshal of a Veterans Day Parade, received the Honorary Admiral of the Indiana Navy recognition, and the prestigious "Sagamore of the Wabash" award.

Ms. Hellen's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Bob, 106

b. November 12, 1918

In chapter four, readers discover a comprehensive narrative of Bob's existence, shedding light on his journey from being an esteemed WWII fighter pilot (with eighty-six combat missions) to a beloved choir conductor. His profile illustrates his unwavering devotion to Jewish beliefs, heartwarming interactions with others, and extraordinary experiences, like serenading the crowds with the National Anthem at Tampa Bay Lightning games at ninety-nine, one hundred, and one hundred one. Bob's life is a tapestry of selflessness, spirituality, and camaraderie. He was married sixty-six years to Betty and now flirts with the slightly younger females in the senior living community.

Bob's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Charles, 101

b. September 2, 1922

The fifth chapter opens with the train wreck half a mile from home that killed Charles's mother when he was ten. Kezia was thirty-nine when she left behind her six kids. Adding to the family’s misfortune, his great-grandfather was shot and killed by his second wife at his son’s bakery (she had planned to kill herself but was tackled by some nearby customers.)
We follow Charles on a journey through pivotal moments and trials, from his humble beginnings and education to his valiant service during WWII, including braving the treacherous shores of Omaha Beach and recalling the brutality of the Battle of the Bulge soon after. (He talks about the fascinating “Ghost Armies” used by the U.S. to fool the German Army and how the prisoners in the brig were assigned to the first batch to reach the beach). Readers learn Charles’ first wife became a prostitute during his two years overseas. Back home, he also explores his professional endeavors in accounting, his cherished family life, meaningful connections with loved ones, and reflective thoughts on growing older, painting a vivid portrait of a life filled with a mosaic of experiences, relationships, and profound appreciation.
He slept on the hospital floor the night his five-year-old grandson, Mark, died of cancer – and left a touching story.

Frank's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Frank, 102

b. September 18, 1923

As chapter six opens, we are greeted with a comical anecdote: While sleeping, Charles was convinced he had swallowed a bolt and drove himself to the hospital. Doctors took X-rays only to discover it was all a dream. Later, the story shifts to Frank's experiences serving in the Navy during WWII, his eighty-year marriage to Betty, and the successes and challenges of raising children. We gain insight into his love for golf – he sank a hole-in-one at ninety-three. He talks about the fascinating life of his father, Tenny Swingle, a renowned citrus botanist whose work revolutionized the cultivation of dates in Coachella Valley and worldwide. He reminisces on reaching one hundred, his interactions with friends, and even his unique approach to tying shoelaces. Through all this, Frank captures the essence of aging gracefully and finding joy in small moments. You will, too.

Barbara, 101

b. April 26, 1923

In chapter seven, readers are taken through Ms. Barbara's childhood, familial dynamics while growing up in Amityville, New York, musical talents, and teaching English.

“My mother disapproved of how I ran my teenage life, and most tragedieswere with her.” Ms. Barbara became an accomplished musician, skilled in piano and guitar.

She lived nomadically on a boat and in a mobile home for a decade with her WWII pilot husband, Al Smith. She married when she was twenty; Al was twenty-seven. They were married for fifty-seven years.

Her son Bill was a child prodigy. He played piano with the Fort Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra when he was ten before he believed aliens abducted him and drilled a hole in his head.

Ms. Barbara showcases her interests in playing the piano (she has a beautiful grand piano in the sunroom of her stylish, contemporary apartment), water skiing in her seventies, ballroom dancing in her eighties, and making cherished memories with loved ones today.

She also explains her transition from driving her red sportscar to relying on an electric bike and Uber rides. The impact of Ms. Barbara's presence on her granddaughter Nikki, her family lineage, and her experiences during WWII are all interwoven into the narrative. Her challenges, such as loss, loneliness, and deteriorating eyesight, are also explored.

There’s a Memory Book called “The Vivacious Barbara Smith” on her coffee table. “I cry a lot,” she says, “with memories.” Ultimately, the central themes of Ms. Barbara's strength, sense of adventure, and resilience leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Ms. Barbara's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Sue, 101

b. November 19, 1923

In chapter eight, Ms. Sue details the intricacies of her vast clock collection and the difficult decision to downsize. Each timepiece holds a cherished memory from her world travels.

This chapter also offers glimpses into Ms. Sue's personal life, including her family dynamics, two marriages, children, religious beliefs (LDS), financial struggles (she lost tens of thousands in the market), health challenges, volunteer work (11,000 hours with Suncoast Hospice), and hobbies. It provides insight into her marriages to Albert “Pete" Eggeman and later to Bill Guest, adoption of her beloved children Christy and Robert, and various life experiences that have shaped her character – including her brother’s murder-suicide of his wife.

Ms. Sue’s mother was adopted at forty by a German banker. Her grandfather worked as a fireman, conductor, and freight and passenger engineer at the Wabash Railroad Company. He couldn’t retire as planned because WWII had started, and the railroad needed him. So, he stayed on and, after sixty-six years, retired at eighty as the oldest running engineer in the country. Wherever Ms. Sue and Pete moved is where they joined the closest church. They were Presbyterians one time, Methodists the next, and Congregationalists the time after that.

Ms. Sue's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Rita, 101

b. January 14, 1923

Chapter nine tells the tale of Ms. Rita, who reached her centennial year on January 14, 2023. Longevity runs in the family: her grandmother Margaret Harmuth immigrated from Germany and lived to ninety-nine; Ms. Rita's father, Joseph, had a prominent position at the American Cyanamid Company, holding three patents and lived to one hundred.

She often shares her reflections on mortality and the end of life. She is adamant about being aware of and involved in what’s happening when she dies.

From her early days as a secretary for three federal judges to her late-life marriage to Bill, an Air Force Colonel, Ms. Rita discusses her journey through career and love. She discusses her struggles of aging, including health issues (deep depression) and falls, but finds solace in the unwavering support she receives in her adult living community.

Along with heartfelt messages from loved ones in her Memory Book, this profile is a tribute to Rita's influential life.

Ms. Rita's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

Rosemary, 101

b. August 15, 1923

Grandfather Custer was a man of many talents, juggling the roles of farmer, musician, carpenter, and jeweler in a time when such diversity was necessary for survival. He even crafted a tiny chair for Ms. Rosemary as a child, only to have it comically break under the weight of their mother. With his modest farm in Ohio, jewelry shop, and skill at making violins, he embodied the American spirit of hard work and perseverance.

Meanwhile, on the maternal side, Theophilus Bernard Custer, likely descended from German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania or Ohio. And on the paternal side, Ms. Rosemary's family ventured westward to Nebraska thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862. However, her father John Swift (originally known as John Everett) distanced himself from his family due to his love for music being frowned upon by his father.

John Swift's travels took him all over the U.S. and even into Alaska during the Gold Rush, where he sought fame through performance and journalism. Later on, the family settled in Florida during the land boom but faced challenges like hurricanes.

Ms. Rosemary fondly recalls memories of Grandfather Custer in Florida, including a memorable encounter with a snake. Even after his passing, a kind neighbor helped comfort her during that difficult time.

Throughout the story, we see glimpses of family dynamics and reflections on simpler times. Ms. Rosemary is an only child who humorously thought her middle name was Dawn until she found out otherwise.

From her childhood experiences at West Central Elementary School to facing fears and navigating through innocence and adulthood, Ms. Rosemary reflects on pivotal moments in her life. This includes meeting her future husband Calvin while attending vocational school and their Fourth of July wedding in 1953. Together they faced societal tensions surrounding naming a new school.

One eventful road trip with a friend brings spontaneity and joy, even amidst car troubles. Later on, after decades of working in a law firm, the author reflects on an attorney's tragic suicide and her bond with Calvin's son Skip, whom she raised as her own.

In her retirement, Ms. Rosemary treasures friendships with neighbors and fondly remembers her late husband and their shared aversion to snakes. Through humor and reflections on life's challenges, this story captures the author's journey through family, friendship, and personal growth.

Ms. Rosemary's complete profile is coming soon.

Emma, 100

b. July 8th, 1924

The tenth and final chapter of Vol. 1 introduces readers to Ms. Emma, a strong-willed woman descended from German immigrants. During the Revolutionary War, “Colonial” George Washington stayed at Ms. Emma’s ancestors’ infamous Boylan House.

In her reflections, she speaks of her Grandma Emma, who lost her eyesight on a plane ride to California, and her Grandma Hattie, a skilled seamstress and sewing teacher for young girls. Despite being in her seventies, Ms. Emma won a Gold Medal in the Senior Olympics for pitching horseshoes, showing her determination and competitive spirit.

She married Ray at seventeen and remained devoted to him for seventy-four years as he embarked on a thirty-year military journey, sticking with the Army after serving in WWII. Even when faced with a lymphoma tumor near her eye, Ms. Emma persevered through ten years of treatment. She also won a Gold Medal in the Senior Olympics for horseshoe pitching in 1983!

Ms. Emmay's complete profile is featured in "My 100-Year-Old Friends" coming soon.

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