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Living to 100
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Nellie Putney celebrated her 100th birthday in April, putting her in a group of at least 10 people in the Basin over the 100-year mark. Putney lives in the Keno area with her daughter, Jackie Perez. |
The region has at least 10 people who are centenarians
By STEVE KADEL
H&N Staff Writer
Nellie Putney of Keno voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and drove an automobile into her 90s.
She danced until the age of 90, too, but knee trouble has slowed her down a bit. Still, the woman who turned 100 last April easily looks 20 years younger than her age and gets around well with the aid of a walker.
She is among at least 10 centenarians living in Klamath, Lake, Modoc and Siskiyou counties. Eight of the long-lived residents are women, which Klamath Falls physician Jim Calvert said isn’t unusual.
“The men tend to die off a little quicker,” he said. “Nobody really knows why that is. It might have something to do with how their hormones work.”
Calvert is conducting research into those with longevity in a program called the Klamath Exceptional Aging Project. His study involves people who are 85 or older, and Calvert is always looking for new participants. Those who are interested can call him at 274-2000.
While women tend to outlive their male counterparts, some men do live long and stay active.
“Joe Wright was almost 100 and he was still farming until he died,” Calvert said. “He was part of our study.”
Putney lives with her daughter, Jackie Perez, and Jackie’s husband, Richard. She keeps busy each day by reading books, magazines and the newspaper.
She crotchets afghan blankets for babies at Sky Lakes Medical Center, and enjoys putting jigsaw puzzles together and working crossword puzzles.
She also bakes on occasion, such as Thanksgiving, when she made pies.
Putney doesn’t have any special secrets for long life, but she counts herself fortunate to be in good health. The only medication she takes is for high blood pressure.
“I’m lucky, I guess,” she said. “I feel fine except for my knees. I’ve always been healthy.”
That doesn’t mean she foregoes every small pleasure.
“She’ll have a little sip of wine or a beer occasionally,” Jackie Perez said.
World traveler
Putney has traveled extensively, having visited Africa to go on safari as well as seeing Russia, Poland, Australia and Japan. Her parents came to America from Poland, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to Ellis Island.
“They called this the new world,” Putney said. “Everyone wanted to come to the new world.”
She was born April 19, 1908, in Pennsylvania, where her father worked as a coal miner.
Moving to Keno
The family later moved to Illinois, where Putney lived for a long time before moving to California in 1951 with her husband, who is now deceased. The Perezes brought her to Keno in 2005.
Two of Putney’s brothers are still alive. Julian Matika is 96 and Tad Mattock is 94.
With that kind of longevity in the family, and Putney’s good health, she looks forward to many more years of happiness.
“I just want to be healthy for as long as I can,” she said. “I just plug along and do my thing.”
Area residents who are 100 or older
Here’s a look at some local residents who have lived to age 100 or older.
Eleanor Hoagland, 102, lives at Quail Ridge Adult Care. She uses a walker to get around.
“Sometimes she forgets the walker and walks without it, but I prefer to have her hold onto something solid,” said Cindy Dimmit, who runs the adult care facility.
Bessie King, 102, lives at Eldorado Heights Assisted Living Community.
Marie Minges, 101, lives in Klamath Falls with her granddaughter and the granddaughter’s husband. She’s a former Tracy, Calif., city councilwoman. She was married to Walter Cecil Minges for 77 years before his death at age 100 in April 2003.
Lena Pierce, 100, is wheelchair bound after two hip surgeries, but still reads a lot. “She can see better than I can,” said daughter Katherine Clark. Lena used to do embroidery and once won first place at the Tulelake-Butte County Fair for one of her creations. The former Kentucky resident lives in Malin for 27 years. She now resides at Linkville House.
Jerry Rajnus, 101, was a Klamath County commissioner in the late 1950s. He was shot during a commissioner meeting in 1957 by a welfare recipient who was unhappy with the size of his monthly check, but Rajnus survived.
He now lives in a Roseburg rest home where his daughter, Jeanie Riedenour, can visit him frequently.
Bonnie Shollenberger, 106, lives at the Lakeview Long Term Care Facility. She was a Lakeview housewife for many years and has a son in his 80s who lives in Riverside, Calif. Bonnie received a card from President Bush on her 106th birthday in November.
Argil Mae Stanbery, 104, lives with daughters Mary Lou Sweeney and Arlene Lundgren in the same Klamath Falls home where she has been since her marriage in 1928. “My sister and I take care of her,” Sweeney said. “She has wonderful health except for old age.”
Nelle Takacs, 101, lives in Pelican Point Assisted Living Community. She was a ranch wife in Tulelake most of her life. She and Johnnie were married in October 1927, and they had three children. “We worked awfully hard when we started, and we saved,” she once told the Herald and News. “We worked hard and played hard. I wouldn’t trade my life with anybody’s.”
Ray Yunck, 100, lives alone in his Klamath Falls home. He still cooks, cleans and chops wood. He shoveled snow off his double driveway last winter, but now has a plow for his Jeep and said he will clear snow the easy way this winter.
She danced until the age of 90, too, but knee trouble has slowed her down a bit. Still, the woman who turned 100 last April easily looks 20 years younger than her age and gets around well with the aid of a walker.
She is among at least 10 centenarians living in Klamath, Lake, Modoc and Siskiyou counties. Eight of the long-lived residents are women, which Klamath Falls physician Jim Calvert said isn’t unusual.
“The men tend to die off a little quicker,” he said. “Nobody really knows why that is. It might have something to do with how their hormones work.”
Calvert is conducting research into those with longevity in a program called the Klamath Exceptional Aging Project. His study involves people who are 85 or older, and Calvert is always looking for new participants. Those who are interested can call him at 274-2000.
While women tend to outlive their male counterparts, some men do live long and stay active.
“Joe Wright was almost 100 and he was still farming until he died,” Calvert said. “He was part of our study.”
Putney lives with her daughter, Jackie Perez, and Jackie’s husband, Richard. She keeps busy each day by reading books, magazines and the newspaper.
She crotchets afghan blankets for babies at Sky Lakes Medical Center, and enjoys putting jigsaw puzzles together and working crossword puzzles.
She also bakes on occasion, such as Thanksgiving, when she made pies.
Putney doesn’t have any special secrets for long life, but she counts herself fortunate to be in good health. The only medication she takes is for high blood pressure.
“I’m lucky, I guess,” she said. “I feel fine except for my knees. I’ve always been healthy.”
That doesn’t mean she foregoes every small pleasure.
“She’ll have a little sip of wine or a beer occasionally,” Jackie Perez said.
World traveler
Putney has traveled extensively, having visited Africa to go on safari as well as seeing Russia, Poland, Australia and Japan. Her parents came to America from Poland, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to Ellis Island.
“They called this the new world,” Putney said. “Everyone wanted to come to the new world.”
She was born April 19, 1908, in Pennsylvania, where her father worked as a coal miner.
Moving to Keno
The family later moved to Illinois, where Putney lived for a long time before moving to California in 1951 with her husband, who is now deceased. The Perezes brought her to Keno in 2005.
Two of Putney’s brothers are still alive. Julian Matika is 96 and Tad Mattock is 94.
With that kind of longevity in the family, and Putney’s good health, she looks forward to many more years of happiness.
“I just want to be healthy for as long as I can,” she said. “I just plug along and do my thing.”
Area residents who are 100 or older
Here’s a look at some local residents who have lived to age 100 or older.
Eleanor Hoagland, 102, lives at Quail Ridge Adult Care. She uses a walker to get around.
“Sometimes she forgets the walker and walks without it, but I prefer to have her hold onto something solid,” said Cindy Dimmit, who runs the adult care facility.
Bessie King, 102, lives at Eldorado Heights Assisted Living Community.
Marie Minges, 101, lives in Klamath Falls with her granddaughter and the granddaughter’s husband. She’s a former Tracy, Calif., city councilwoman. She was married to Walter Cecil Minges for 77 years before his death at age 100 in April 2003.
Lena Pierce, 100, is wheelchair bound after two hip surgeries, but still reads a lot. “She can see better than I can,” said daughter Katherine Clark. Lena used to do embroidery and once won first place at the Tulelake-Butte County Fair for one of her creations. The former Kentucky resident lives in Malin for 27 years. She now resides at Linkville House.
Jerry Rajnus, 101, was a Klamath County commissioner in the late 1950s. He was shot during a commissioner meeting in 1957 by a welfare recipient who was unhappy with the size of his monthly check, but Rajnus survived.
He now lives in a Roseburg rest home where his daughter, Jeanie Riedenour, can visit him frequently.
Bonnie Shollenberger, 106, lives at the Lakeview Long Term Care Facility. She was a Lakeview housewife for many years and has a son in his 80s who lives in Riverside, Calif. Bonnie received a card from President Bush on her 106th birthday in November.
Argil Mae Stanbery, 104, lives with daughters Mary Lou Sweeney and Arlene Lundgren in the same Klamath Falls home where she has been since her marriage in 1928. “My sister and I take care of her,” Sweeney said. “She has wonderful health except for old age.”
Nelle Takacs, 101, lives in Pelican Point Assisted Living Community. She was a ranch wife in Tulelake most of her life. She and Johnnie were married in October 1927, and they had three children. “We worked awfully hard when we started, and we saved,” she once told the Herald and News. “We worked hard and played hard. I wouldn’t trade my life with anybody’s.”
Ray Yunck, 100, lives alone in his Klamath Falls home. He still cooks, cleans and chops wood. He shoveled snow off his double driveway last winter, but now has a plow for his Jeep and said he will clear snow the easy way this winter.
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