Centenarians celebrate
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
At least two women in the Marion area are celebrating their 105th birthdays this month. Both women are mentally sharp, remain mobile, and retain a good quality of life.
Helen Bailey
Helen Bailey lives at St. Luke Living Center, Marion. She is the grandmother of Blair and Vince Tharp and great-grandmother to their four children.
Helen's first great-great grandchild was born this year to Tyler and Becky (Tharp) Bernhardt.
Helen said she doesn't know why she is living so long.
"I've lived like other people," she said. "I guess my heart is real good. I'm taking too many pills but I guess that's what's keeping me alive."
Helen beat the odds against living a long life after experiencing a serious illness in 1929.
The young mother with a three-year-old son, Max, developed strep throat. Complications set in. She was blind for eight days and spent more than six weeks in the hospital. She also developed a tumor, but medication cleared it up and she got well.
At the end of her ordeal, she had lost a lot of hair and weighed only 65 pounds.
She and her husband, Oliver Tharp, were married for 43 years. They lived south of Aulne. Max was their only child.
One of the happiest moments she remembers was the time her father, John Siebert, fulfilled a dream she had as a young girl to someday go to work and buy a Ford Coupe.
After graduating from eighth grade at Morning Star School, the flu epidemic of 1918 stopped her from continuing in high school. She stayed at home and helped her mother.
After she married Oliver in 1924, her father delivered a Ford Coupe to their door.
"I was so happy I cried," she said. "I told Dad, 'You remembered what I said!'"
After Oliver died in 1965 at age 65, Helen married a family friend, Dale Bailey, who also had lost his spouse. The couple were married 23 years and spent 11 winters in Texas.
Helen said she and Oliver did a lot of gardening together. They also had 12 milk cows and a flock of chickens. They later moved to Marion.
The year 1993 was a sad time for Helen. Dale died in January and her only son, Max, died in May.
Helen moved to September Apartments and then to St. Luke Living Center four years ago. While her eyesight was good, she enjoyed quilting and crocheting afghans.
She said her relatives visit her frequently, and the employees take good care of her.
"I'm glad I'm here," she said. "Sometimes I feel lonely when I think about things of the past. Everyone my age is gone. But I'm happy to be here. I try not to complain."
She takes in activities at the living center. Although her eyesight is poor, she still is able to play bingo. "Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose," she said.
She used to do a lot of walking but, even though she uses a walker, the risk of falling is great, so she needs someone with her, which limits her.
One of her most recent cherished memories occurred on Thanksgiving Day. Her daughter-in-law Dalene Tharp and Dalene's son Blair and his wife Nancy took her for a ride through the countryside. She got to see all the old familiar places and also where her great-grandchildren, David and Carla Tharp and Becky and Tyler Bernhardt, live.
"I never enjoyed anything so much," she said.
Her doctor recently told her that she would live to be 110.
"I told him, 'Don't tell me that,' she said. "I'm ready to go anytime."
Helen's birthday was Sunday. Her family got together with her in November at Dalene's house to celebrate her birthday. Grandson Vince Tharp and his wife Pat from Utah were there along with Blair and Nancy Tharp and their family.
An open house was held for Helen Sunday at the living center.
"They asked me what I wanted for my birthday," she said. "I told them I just want some ice cream."
A simple pleasure for a simple woman who knows how to enjoy life under any circumstance and at any age.
Johanna Kaiser
Lee and Ruth Kaiser of Lincolnville have held celebrations for Lee's mother, Johanna, every five years since she turned 85. The celebrations just keep coming.
Johanna will be 105 Thursday. Her family and friends will celebrate the occasion with an open house Sunday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Lincolnville.
Johanna continues to live an independent life, residing in her own home and taking care of herself. Lee and Ruth, who live nearby, keep her supplied with groceries.
During the past five years, she has remained relatively healthy except for one surgery. She takes no medications and uses a walker to get around.
Her days begin at 7 a.m. with a usual breakfast of oatmeal and toast, and she doesn't go to bed until 11 p.m. Other than catnaps throughout the day, she keeps herself occupied.
Preparing and eating meals and watching TV programs take up a good part of her day. She also enjoys visiting with relatives over the telephone or entertaining visitors.
This past year, she made three tied quilts.
Occasionally, her pastor, Alan Stahlecker, comes to visit, giving a brief sermon and offering communion.
One of 13 children, Johanna grew up two miles north of Ramona. Her parents were George Henry and Eva Brunner. She has outlived all of them. Her oldest brother, Alec, lived to be 101.
Johanna graduated from Dickinson County High School and took jobs in New York and St. Louis, Mo., before coming back to Kansas and marrying Louis Kaiser in 1938 at age 37. She has been a widow since 1979. Lee is her only son.
Johanna appreciates her family, including two married grandchildren, David and Dawn Kaiser of Lincolnville and Angela and Chad Schmidt of Ramona, and six great-grandchildren.
Johanna said she doesn't know how to think about the future:
"I heard of one woman who lived to be 120, but I'm kind of weary. I'm ready to go anytime."
(A more complete story of Johanna's life was published in the Dec. 5, 2001, issue.)
