We have five centenarians currently living at CHCC! We spoke with them recently for a special resident spotlight in which they talk about the similarities and differences in their lives over the past 100 years.
Jennie B. was born in Montana and moved to Lynden with her parents when she was a child. She worked at a local laundry pressing uniforms for soldiers during World War II and then as a cook at the original Christian Health Care Center when it first opened. She enjoyed playing baseball at the park with her friends. Attending church was always really important to Jennie; she’s a longtime member of First Reformed Christian Church in Lynden. Read this earlier conversation with Jennie.
Leona E. was born in Iowa and moved to Washington when her children were young. She had 10 children, so being a mom was a full-time job for Leona! She had a variety of hobbies: quilting, sewing, playing games and roller skating with friends. When asked where her favorite place to travel is, Leona said, “Well, I don’t have a favorite place to travel to, but we used to do big road trips across the United States, which gave our family great memories.”
Jeannie C. was born in Washington and has lived in Seattle and Everson. She attended the University of Washington and graduated with honors in general studies. She worked at Western Washington University in public information for 17 years and considers it one of her greatest accomplishments. She is a Peanuts superfan and loves the character “Snoopy.”
Marie L. was born and raised in Bellingham. She lived on a ranch with her husband, and they had many horses. Marie was an avid horseback rider and still loves animals to this day. She is a retired Georgia Pacific worker. Marie enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting with her sister and listening to old country music.
Nettie P. was born in Lynden and has lived much of her life in this area. Nettie has worked hard in a number of industries throughout her life — in clothing stores (where she got to model the clothes!), as a truck driver, and as a business owner, running a restaurant and a mobile park. Nettie enjoys going to the casino, watching the Mariners, playing cards and visiting with her family. Read this earlier conversation with Nettie.
You have lived a long and full life. Do you have any advice for younger generations?
- Always be honest. — Jeannie
- I do, but they wouldn’t accept it! (said with a laugh) — Jennie
- I never dreamt I’d get this far! But my advice is to live a good clean life for God. — Nettie
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
- I worked at Western for 17 years. I used to brag about it all the time! — Jeannie
- I started working here at CHCC when it started. I worked as a cook for 14 years. — Jennie
- I’ve been so proud of my kids – they’ve lived pretty good lives themselves, at least that’s what they tell me! I’m lucky to have my kids help me through things though, our family was always one that stuck together. — Nettie
- My whole family threw me a great big party when I turned 100 years old. Family came from across the country to celebrate my life. — Leona
Where was your favorite place to travel?
- California, to visit family and go on vacation. — Jeannie
- California. We went six months out of the year and loved visiting all the national parks. — Nettie
- Well, I don’t have a favorite place to travel to, but we used to do big road trips across the United States, which gave our family great memories. — Leona
- Seattle for the World’s Fair in 1962. — Jennie
What was your favorite decade to live in and why?
- I enjoyed myself most of the time. — Jeannie
- When I married Les (in 1951). We had some sweet memories together. — Nettie
What is the most useful thing invented during your lifetime?
- Getting electricity in our house. We moved from Montana — where we didn’t have electricity and used oil lamps in our house — to Washington, and the house had electricity. That was a big deal. — Jennie
- Telephones. It’s still the best way for me to keep in touch with my family members. — Nettie
- Well, I grew up on a farm in Iowa, so we didn’t have a whole lot of technology. But when we got a TV, that was a big deal. — Leona
Do you have a favorite song, inspirational quote, or Bible verse?
- Strive to be like Jesus. — Jeannie
- I always liked that song Silent Night, Holy Night. — Leona
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
- Always be honest and kind. — Jeannie
- Always be honest. I passed that down to my kids. — Nettie
- Be honest and what you do, do well. — Jennie
Did you have any favorite hobbies? What were they?
- I had lots of hobbies! Sewing, knitting and many others. — Jeannie
- I pitched for the men’s baseball team when I was real young. And I loved spending time with my family; we were a great, big, happy family. — Nettie
- I used to love roller-skating. A whole bunch of us friends would get together at the park or wherever and cruise around. — Leona
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
- I’m happy my family is able to visit when they can. It’s nice this place is so close to them. — Leona
- I like that it’s so close to home, I’ve always lived here in Lynden. Plus, I feel a whole lot safer here, it feels like home. — Nettie