Swampland:The World's Oldest Living Person and My Nonagenarian Friends

The World's Oldest Living Person and My Nonagenarian Friends

Posted: Apr 08, 2009

The current adage “Old age is not for sissies” has never been more true. Gertrude Baines, who became the world's oldest living person on January 2 of this year, turned 115 years old on Monday, April 6. She was born in 1894 in Shellman, Georgia, the daughter of former slaves. In November of 2008 Baines cast her vote for Barack Obama. The last time she cast her ballot was for John F Kennedy in 1960. .Baines still enjoys life's little pleasures like extra-crispy bacon, sweets, and her favorite shows "The Price is Right." and Jerry Springer.

Except for her arthritis, Baines says she has never once suffered a serious injury or illness. Her secret to longevity? She told doctors she has never drunk, smoked, or fooled around. Baines is confined to a wheelchair these days in the Los Angeles nursing home where she resides. When queried about being the world's oldest living person she responded that only God knows, adding " I never asked for this."

I have a number of friends in North Alabama who are nonagenarians. Most of them have never been seriously ill in their lives and take few if any medications. All still live in their own homes and lead active lives. My dear friend and neighbor on Elk River, Eunice Hutchinson, is 91. Eunice attends professional hockey games when her grandson-in-law is playing, and she never misses a home football game at Auburn University or a party on Elk River. See "Celebrations on the River" for Eunice’s mint julep recipe.

When I called Eunice today to tell her about this blog, I asked if I had disturbed her nap. “Oh, no," she answered, “I just got home.” She had just returned from Athens (Alabama not Georgia) where she had played bridge in the morning at the First United Methodist Church and then attended Holy Week Services at noon at the First Presbyterian Church. Did I mention that she usually drives herself?

About a month ago, Eunice told me that she had left home at seven in the morning the previous Saturday and did not return home until after midnight --having gone out for breakfast, attended the Chili Challenge in Athens, traveled to nearby Huntsville to a baby shower for her granddaughter, and stayed for the hockey game that night. I was exhausted just hearing about her itinerary. As if all that were not enough, she added that after she returned home at midnight, she still had to prepare her Sunday School lesson for the next day.

Eunice also told me that the longest time she ever spent in a hospital was when she broke her ankle during a trip to Australia about twenty years ago. " I met the loveliest people in that hospital" she declared. Then she giggled and said, "The doctors wanted to know what medications I was on and I said none. I don't think they believed me." To this day, she takes no prescription medications.

Another nonagenarian friend of mine, Frank Lutz, celebrated his 97th birthday in October of last year. Frank still dresses in crisp chinos and insists on walking me to the car and holding open the door. His mind is like a steel trap, and I wish I could siphon all that he knows into my little brain. Frank’s wife of over sixty years, Nell, is the queen of Elk River fisher(wo)men, a computer whiz, and a gourmet cook. She knows a dozen ways to prepare bream (pronounced brim). Nell, who is still in her eighties, was a WAVE during WW II. She will be flying to Washington DC on April 25th to be honored along with other veterans at the WW II Memorial.

I cannot end this account without telling a delightful story about Nell and Eunice. A few years ago the two of them were on their way to a bridge game in Athens when an elderly gentleman ran a red light and plowed into their car. As soon as the wrecker appeared, Nell and Eunice presented themselves to the driver and asked if they could be taken to their bridge game. With a hoist and a push (Eunice is under five feet tall), the driver complied and off my friends went without missing a beat. What is a little wreck when a bridge game is waiting?

This man and these women are my role models—along with Louise Steele, Lucille Johnson who just turned 90 last month, and my colleague and mentor Dr. Elva McLin who now lives in Leander, Texas. In June of 2007, I flew out to Austin to attend Elva's 90th birthday party. Louise Steele was also in attendance. When I returned, I commemorated the grand occasion in a blog called "Ninety is the New Forty Five."

These beautiful people have a tremendous zest for life. They think the younger generation is totally cool. They honor the past, but they believe in the future. They greet every day with optimism and enthusiasm.

Several summers ago, my sister and I had been out boating and were headed home likkety-split to escape the pouring rain. As we sped past Nell and Frank’s river cottage, we saw Nell leaning out of her boathouse fishing intently, apparently oblivious to the rain. My sister turned to me and said, "I wish I had a passion for fishing like that." To which I replied, " I wish a had a passion for anything like that."

That is the bottom line: life is all about passion. As I move toward the latter phases of my life, I pray I may be granted even a smidgen of what my friends have in such abundance. I can't manage the clean living, but maybe--just maybe--I can manage the passion.

---Penne J. Laubenthal

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asmweed says...

Penne, This is a delightful article about three delightful folks. Our lives would be very dull without having known them. . I can see Nell and Eunice riding in the wrecker to the bride game and the ladies peering out the window as they get down out of the big truck. There's never a dull moment with folks like these. Thanks so much for sharing this bit. Star

PenneElk says...

Thanks, Joe. As the author of numerous books on psychic empowerment and life enhancement, you should know. I look forward to posting an interview with you on Swampland. Good luck with your upcoming book.

Joe H. Slate says...

I loved the article on age. If age 90 is the new 45, could we say that 100 is the new 50? My grandfather made the transition at age 102, and was in excellent health until his departure during sleep. I learned from him that the "holy grail" of longevity is a sense of humor--it adds quality to life as nothing else can. So, theres's my lecture for today!

cgregg says...

I, too, am blessed to know most of these river folk. I met most of them at one or another river gathering, and over the 34 years that I have lived on or near the Elk, the meetings have faded and run together. I do, however, remember meeting Enuice at a Clements basketball game in 1993, my first year teaching English there. Eunice was settled in a lawn chair at the end of the bleachers nearest the concession stand in the old "new" gym. Her daughter Susie, who was also a member of the Clements staff, introduced us because I had Susie's daughter Tenille in my ill-fated creative writing class. I knew that Tennille must be complaining daily about my first-year-teacher mistakes in a class with no textbook to guide me and whose objectives and materials I had to invent, but both Eunice and Susie were--and ever have been--nothing but gracious. (Even Tennille apparently forgave my ineptitude.) Along with Andy, I appreciate the entire family. As matriarch, Eunice has set an example that her children and grandchildren have followed. Now if we could just clone her . . . .

darepatton says...

What a wonderful article... I too, am very proud to say that I know Nell, Frank, Eunice, Louise and Elva. I have fond memories of each of them... More with Nell than the others as we email daily.and her daughter is one of my oldest friends.. we met in Dr. Johnny's office in first grade.. Nell is my inspiration... Mrs. Hutchinson helped me with my horrible math skills (lack of) and Elva lived across the street and would let me come over and call long distance and talk to my then boyfriend (now husband) from Decatur.. they had a watts line.. and my Daddy would not allow long distance phone calls to be made... (no one has that much to say).. How very blessed to have such positive persons in our lives...they continue to bless generations close and far away....

clements says...

I have been blessed to get to know Mrs. Hutchinson, Chip, and Susie. They are wonderful people and all seem to possess an outlook on life that I value. Chip and I talk between classes, and Susie and I compare pictures of our babies/grandbabies.My older brother Joe was the last class to have Mrs. Hutchinson. Otherwise, I might be teaching Math today. With so many people being written about and discussed in the local media, I think Mrs. H is a silent hero of our community. She and Susie gave my wife and I Sugar Bowl tickets a few years ago. We had a wonderful time in New Orleans that we will never forget. When I tried to pay for the tickets, Mrs. H. just smiled. Susie told me to smoke her a ham which I did. I took her the ham and thanked her again. She said "Thanks, honey. Let me know if I can help you with anything." I felt like a member of the family. Great article in tribute to a great lady!!!Hope everyone is well.Tell LC hello. Andy

pegfarlow says...

I agree totally with Susie! Thanks Sissy for the tribute to our "role models"...they are all a hard act to follow!

Susie says...

Thank you so much for the wonderful article about my mother, Eunice! She is a wonderful, amazing person and runs circles around all of us. She has had her 2 great grandchildren here visiting and is loving every minute of it. Her face has a continuous smile on it. She has another little miracle coming in June and she can't wait! My husband, Joe, has said before that whenever she does leave us the visitation will take three days because she has touched so many lives. That is a very true statement. We all love Nell too!

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