Clara Bredemeier remains independent at 100 years years ago
More and more people are reaching the age of 100 or beyond these days, but it is unusual for them to live in their own home and independently take care of themselves.
Clara Etta Bredemeier of Marion is one of those who can. As matriarch of the Hammer/Bredemeier family, she will celebrate her 100th birthday Oct. 23.
She is the daughter of Susan Jane and William Hammer, and was born Oct. 23, 1907, in a farmhouse near Lincolnville. She had six sisters and one brother.
Clara attended all 12 grades at Lincolnville, walking to school and working in a grocery store to support her academic dreams.
She sometimes rode the train from Lincolnville to Herington to visit her married sister, flagging it down with an oil lamp hung on a post near the tracks for that purpose. At the end of the weekend, her sister and husband took her home.
As a high school student, Clara played center on the girls' basketball team and loved every minute of it.
She graduated as salutatorian and went on to teach school before her marriage June 12, 1929, to Herbert (Herb) L. Bredemeier at Emporia.
Their early married life was spent in the country, where they farmed the land, fattened thousands of sheep, and cared for chickens like well-loved pets.
Additionally, Clara, a gifted homemaker, was employed in grocery and bakery stores. She also took the time to volunteer at church and in many charitable organizations. She frequently sent messages and delivered food packages to homes of grieving friends and families.
About 53 years ago, the Bredemeiers personally designed and built a new home at 630 S. Roosevelt in Marion. Clara still resides there today.
Clara often reflects upon the many inventions that were developed during her lifetime, making life more convenient. From horse and buggy to automobiles, candles and lanterns to electric lights, outhouses to indoor plumbing, and ice boxes to electric refrigerators, she has seen them all.
Power fans and air conditioning replaced the hand-held fan Clara used for hours many years ago to help cool and bring relief to her ailing mother.
The way was paved for communication beyond word of mouth through telephones, typewriters, radios, and televisions.
Commonplace things today such as airplanes, space ships, and computers, were thought to be the stuff of science fiction.
The thriftiness of "a penny saved is a penny made" was reflected in an experience Clara had as a girl. One day, while walking home from school with a friend, they stopped by a stream and, upon seeing hundreds of little "penny bugs" swimming around, they decided to catch all they could and take them home so everyone would be rich.
Happiness came with simply working hard, helping others, and making do with what life brought while building toward the future. Enjoyment was found in quiet, spiritual, and peaceful times with family and friends.
Clara's proven philosophy for life is: Do what you can, not expecting others to do for you what you can do for yourself, and when you come to a bump on life's path, go over it, not around it.
She takes care of herself, bakes bread, cooks meals, and cleans, washes, and changes bed linens. She also manages her finances.
To stay mobile, she hops on a stationary bicycle several times a day to exercise. In the past she accomplished this by walking many miles around her neighborhood. She would still be doing it but, being visually impaired, she recognizes she might not see cracks or other obstacles along the way and could fall.
Clara realizes there are some projects that she cannot do for herself. She is grateful that her children and other friends and family are happy to help out while still respecting her independence.
If there is a downside to living so long, it is that a person suffers the death of many loved ones.
In addition to losing her husband, Clara also has experienced the deaths of her siblings and their spouses as well as Herb's eight siblings and their spouses.
She has two children, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
Son Dick and his wife, Evelyn, live in Marion and have four children: John, deceased; Michael and wife Lynne and children Jeffrey, Jon, Jaime, Joshua ,and Janessa, Murrieta, Calif; Don and wife Pam and son Jake, Marion; and Jim, Wichita. Daughter Col. Laura Jane Bredemeier, Ret. AN, lives in Petaluma, Calif.
Clara's centennial celebration will be commemorated with God and worshipers at Valley United Methodist Church.
She is looking forward to spending time with her family and reminiscing about events in her long life.
