Woodland Village’s eight centenarians. Back, from left to right: Louise Carpenter, 100; Agnes Wasson, 101; Dottie Docherty, 100; Eileen Wikokff, 101; Shirley Nelsen, 101 and Glenna Ralff, 100. Front: Jim Van Ackren (left), 100 and Pearl Miller, 103.[/caption]
Woodland Village in Chehalis celebrated the lives of eight centenarians on Monday. Ahead of the celebration, The Chronicle was able to interview four of them as they reflected on their more than 100 years of life and shared their experiences.
Louise Carpenter, 100, was born on April 15, 1922, in Bellingham. She grew up on a “little” farm in Snohomish County. In Carpenter’s telling, her childhood was a simple one.
“I didn’t do very much,” she said.
Carpenter recalled what it was like when her family first got electricity on their farm when she was 7 years old.
“I can remember when we got electricity because I was in awe of the electric light,” Carpenter recalled.
When the Great Depression began in 1929, Carpenter said her family learned to deal with the new economic realities.
“Well, we just did without,” Carpenter said. “I don’t remember suffering much, but we didn’t need much.”
After World War II began in late 1941, Carpenter began working in the shipyards of Puget Sound as a sheet metal worker. As the war progressed, she was given the opportunity to learn how to fly.
“It was really exciting to me,” Carpenter said. “We had to go to Spokane because there was no flying on the West Coast because of the war.”
After the war ended in 1945, Carpenter got a job as an aircraft communicator at the airport in Toledo, where she lived for 50 years. Carpenter managed to live a remarkably independent life well into her later years, living on her own until she moved to Woodland Village last July at the age of 99.
Today, Carpenter, who had one daughter with her husband, is the grandmother of four grandchildren.
[caption id="attachment_14024" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Centenarian Shirley Nelson smiles alongside Peggy Brooks during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Shirley Nelsen, 101, was born in Rochester 10 minutes after midnight on July 2, 1921. Like other people her age, Nelsen lived through the Great Depression, experiencing levels of poverty common to that era.
“At that time we were quite young, but I remember my mom telling people later on that she robbed our piggy bank to buy bread,” Nelsen said.
Nelsen’s father was a mechanic and often had to move his family around to find work during the Depression, eventually moving to logging camps in California where they had no electricity and had to use kerosene lamps for lighting. But in 1932, Nelsen’s family was dealt a blow when an earthquake struck the state.
“We moved back up after a week of aftershocks and so my dad said, ‘We’re going home,’ and so we moved back up to Washington again (even though he didn’t have a job),” Nelsen said.
As a young adult, Nelsen took a civil service exam at the Chehalis Post Office, after which she was hired as a secretary for the surgeon general’s office in Washington D.C., arriving in time for the beginning of World War II.
“I can remember vividly where I was when I heard the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked,” Nelsen said. “I was in my room and had the radio on when they announced the attack.”
Nelsen remembered the difficulties of life during the war, when wartime restrictions meant major changes in people’s daily lives.
“We did what we had to do, like conserving gasoline, and we had stamps to buy sugar and meats so we prioritized things because you couldn’t go in the grocery store and buy anything you wanted,” Nelsen said. “We did whatever we could do to help.”
Around 1943, Nelsen moved home to be near her family again. She said she wanted to be closer to her loved ones since “you didn’t know what was going to happen” during the war.
Thinking about the world events she’s lived through, Nelsen said two of the most notable were the death of Thomas Edison and the moon landing, in part because of her longstanding interest in technology and the future.
“I was always interested in what’s going to happen in the future. We used to go to movies that were about the future, which we’re living in now,” Nelsen said. “The moonwalk of course was very exciting for me.” But Nelsen also found some aspects of advances in technology frightening. She called life during the Cold War “scary” because of the spread of nuclear weapons. “Your imagination could kind of take off about what could happen,” Nelsen said.
Centenarian Eileen Wikoff poses for a photo alongside her daughter, Linda Fenske, during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Pearl Miller, 103, was born on Dec. 9, 1918 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The oldest resident at Woodland Village, Miller’s descriptions of the major events of her life were often direct and to the point. Describing her experiences during the Great Depression and World War II, she said both were “horrible, just horrible,” adding of the Great Depression, “We had nothing.”
Miller told The Chronicle her favorite memory was visiting the World’s Fair in 1936, but that was hardly the only exciting experience of her life.
“I’ve been to Europe and Asia, I think I’ve been to Africa,” Miller said.
She has three children and many grandchildren.
“Grandchildren?” Miller asked, “Now you’ve put me on the spot.”
Asked if she had any advice for young people, Miller had a couple of suggestions.
“Pay attention to your grandparents and don’t spend your money just because you have it. Save it,” Miller said. “My folks didn’t have any money. They didn’t have anything.”
[caption id="attachment_14025" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Centenarian Glenna Raiffe smiles while talking to friends and family during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Glenna Ralff, 100, was born on March 31, 1922, in Hibbing, Minnesota. During World War II, Ralff served in the Navy, helping provide medical care before becoming a pharmacist mate while stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived in barracks with other young women.
After the War ended, she attended Washington State University and studied business, eventually getting a job as a hostess for Trans World Airlines.
“I didn’t like the idea of getting out of school and working in an office,” Ralff said.
Ralff recalled events from her life, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
“I remember the Kennedy assassination. I saw him get shot (on the news),” Ralff said. “That was shocking. That’s all you can say is shocking.”
Another event Ralff remembered was the moon landing.
“It was an unusual experience, not many people went to the moon,” Ralff said.
But for the many world events she’s witnessed in her 100 years, she still continues to be surprised, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as something that has shocked her.
“I think this war with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has been the most shocking thing in the last few years,” Ralff said. “It’s been unbelievable.”
She’s also had memorable personal experiences, including driving a dogsled team while living in Alaska. She even recalled once driving her dog team through the snow with her 18 month old daughter.
“I was just an outdoor person,” Ralff said, giving a simple explanation for her outdoor ventures.
In her long life, Ralff has had the privilege of seeing her family grow. Through her two daughters, her family now spans several generations, including her two great-great granddaughters.
[caption id="attachment_14028" align="aligncenter" width="1500"]
Agnes Wasson, who celebrated her 102nd birthday this week, talks with her grandchildren and great grandchildren during a birthday celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Carpenter, Nelsen, Miller and Ralph were joined by their fellow Woodland Village centenarians on Monday for a celebration of their long lives. The names of the other four centenarians, who were either unavailable or chose not to be interviewed by The Chronicle, are Eileen Wikoff, Jim Van Ackeren, Agnes Wasson and Dottie Docherty.
Larry Libby poses for a portrait on May 5 in Sedro-Woolley. Libby, a longtime blood donor, will be honored by Bloodworks Northwest with a virtual blood drive called Larry’s Legacy. Photo by Oliver Hamlin / Skagit Valley Herald[/caption]
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Larry Libby donated blood for the first time in 1952.
In the past 70 years, he has donated about 725 units of blood, plasma and platelets.
“I don’t really know why I started or why I continued,” said the 88-year-old Libby, who with his wife of 59 years Joann lives at Village Concepts in Sedro-Woolley. “I guess you give it once, you just feel you need to give it and give it and give it.”
Blood banks are fortunate Libby has felt that way.
His AB-positive blood type is rare, with only 3% of the population having AB-positive or AB-negative blood. Those with the AB blood type are considered universal plasma donors, meaning their plasma — or liquid portion of their blood — can be given to all patients regardless of blood type.
Bloodworks Northwest’s Hannah McNutt said having Libby donate as regularly as possible “means the world to patients in need.”
In honor of Libby, Bloodworks Northwest is hosting what it is calling Larry’s Legacy from June 22 to June 29.
To participate, schedule an appointment at a local Bloodworks Northwest location and inform staff the donation is on behalf of Village Concepts in support of Larry’s Legacy, or simply provide the code of 7964.
Appointments can be made online at schedule.bloodworksnw.org or by calling 1-800-398-7888. More information is available at bloodworksnw.org.
Libby has been more than happy to donate blood over the years.
“It has never been difficult,” he said. “If I can make it until December, it will be 71 years. I’m going to be calling it quits pretty soon.”
McNutt said frequent donations, especially among those with rare blood types, are important.
It all has to do with the shelf life of blood.
“When someone donates whole blood, they are ineligible to donate again for 56 days,” McNutt said. “Red cells have a shelf life of just 42 days and platelets have a shelf life of just five days.
“What this means is that by the time someone is eligible to donate again, their blood has already been used by a patient in need. I’m taking a guess here, but I would say within just a few weeks if not a month, their blood has already been transfused. Donors need to return frequently so we can avoid lows in our inventory.”
For Libby, answering the call to donate blood started while he was serving as a mess cook at the Navy’s Aviation Fundamental School in Jacksonville, Florida.
There, the 18-year-old Maine native heard about a blood drive and decided to participate.
While in the Navy, Libby served on four ships in the Pacific Fleet, spent time on Midway Island and witnessed atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.
“The best ship I was ever on was the Coral Sea,” he said.
Libby also worked as a weatherman while stationed in Alaska and even wintered over at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
The work Libby did often meant he and his wife didn’t see each other — or speak — for months on end.
“I didn’t talk to my wife for 13 months (while in Antarctica),” he said. “But that’s OK. She understood the situation.
“I ended up going (to Antarctica) twice. The second time was during the Antarctic summer and after I spent several months in Hawaii recovering from a bad shoulder.”
Rather than taking an assignment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Libby retired in 1972.
He received a master’s degree in business through a Central Michigan University extension program in Florida.
Libby said he didn’t donate blood regularly while the Navy, but that changed when he retired as a lieutenant at the age of 37.
And it was when he arrived in Mount Vernon in 1978 that his donation schedule ramped up.
“When I was living in Mount Vernon, I drove down to Bellevue 104 times to give 94 units of plasma,” Libby said. “Then I shifted back to platelets and I drove to Everett.
“Most of my giving has been in platelets and plasma, which tend to be more acceptable by people. The next time I go, I’m set up for platelets. I have done a lot of that.”
In his wallet, Libby carries reminders of his past.
In addition to a list of baseball umpires he was at one time responsible for assigning to games during his 20 years as an umpire and assigner, there is a small, faded photo of one of his early plasma donations.
Donating blood takes less than an hour from check-in to post-donation cookie, and having a specific blood type is not required to book an appointment.
Bloodworks urges donors to schedule appointments at one of its 12 donor centers and pop-up locations.
“It’s not hard,” Libby said. “It just takes time.”"
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Virginia Krausch smiles while holding Maria, a pygmy goat, at Woodland Village Concepts of Chehalis Thursday afternoon. Photo by Jared Wenzelburger[/caption]
Cascade Pygmy Goat Association Brings Furry Friends to Village
The staff at Woodland Village in Chehalis works to make sure the seniors who reside there are always the center of attention.
But on Thursday afternoon, a group of furry visitors stole the show.
Four pygmy goats — Sue and Rain, both 3 years old, and their babies, Maria, 8 weeks, and Luna, 3 months — were brought from their home in Winlock to entertain the seniors who happily poured all of their attention on the small animals, which are affiliated with the Cascade Pygmy Goat Association.
As the seniors gathered around to pet and hold the small goats, Sundina Bryan, 50, the owner of the goats, and her “goat partner” Nicole Desmond, 43, answered questions and helped the residents handle their new friends.
“How much do they weigh when they’re born?” one senior asked.
“Two to four pounds,” answered one of the handlers.
Another senior asked if they give the goats treats to train them.
“I don’t give them treats so they behave without them,” Bryan responded.
A different resident asked if the goats minded water.
“Yes they do! Goats can’t stand water. They’re like the Wicked Witch of the West. They think they’re melting,” Bryan said.
Someone else asked about their horns.
“We have all the goats disbudded,” meaning the horns are removed, Desmond said. “It actually makes it safer for the goats so they don’t hurt each other.”
[caption id="attachment_13971" align="alignleft" width="500"]
Nicole Desmond, center left, smiles while holding a baby pygmy goat at Woodland Village Concepts of Chehalis while visiting residents and staff Thursday afternoon. Photo by Jared Wenzelburger[/caption]
Bryan would later add Maria and Luna had been debudded a couple weeks ago and their skin would grow back where the horns were.
“They almost always look perpetually pregnant, but they’re not,” Desmond said after one senior asked if the two mother goats were pregnant.
“They eat meat, which is why they get so chunky,” Bryan added.
As Bryan and Desmond, both members of the Cascade Pygmy Goat Association, the oldest such association in the Pacific Northwest, walked to another area of the retirement community, they answered questions from The Chronicle.
“We do about five shows a year. We show them until October, about every three weeks,” Bryan said.
“Winning ribbons is fun,” Desmond added.
Bryan said she’s been raising pygmy goats for eight years now.
“I got invited to a table at a show, and it’s been history ever since,” Bryan said.
Desmond said she had only been working with Bryan and the goats for a year.
“I’m from Southern California, so I never had farm animals. I’ve only been doing this for a year. (Bryan) is my neighbor and I brought my daughter over to see (the goats) and she fell in love with them, and that’s how I got started,” Desmond said.
The two women also discussed the reproduction process for the pygmy goats.
“You want to breed them by the time they’re 18 months old,” Desmond said.
“After 18 months, they won’t take,” Bryan added.
[caption id="attachment_13975" align="alignleft" width="500"]
Ruth Kitchel smiles while petting a pygmy goat at Woodland Village Concepts of Chehalis Thursday afternoon. Photo by Jared Wenzelburger[/caption]
Bryan said the goats nurse for 10 weeks and are later fed orchard hay as well as meat pellets with barley. When asked how long pygmy goats typically live, Desmond said they usually have a 12- to 15-year lifespan.
“They’re such a sweet natured animal … It’s so cool to watch the moms just know ‘that’s my baby,’” Desmond said.
“I love being an ambassador for the breed. They'll cuddle with you when handled from an early age. It makes them great for seniors,” Desmond added.
As they brought the goats to a new part of Woodland Village, the goats had the chance to receive attention from another group of seniors.
Desmond told the seniors that pygmy goats come from the Cameroon Valley of West Africa.
“Lots of people don’t know pygmy is a breed and not a size,” Desmond said.
As the visit to the retirement center wound down, Bryan and Desmond began to discuss the rising popularity of pygmy goat ownership.
“More and more cities are making it legal to own pygmy goats within city limits,” Bryan said.
“They’re definitely becoming much more popular as a backyard animal,” Desmond added.
The two said the best thing to do if considering the purchase of a pygmy goat is to visit the website of the Cascade Pygmy Goat Association which lists all members, allowing a buyer to connect with a breeder.
They also warned that if one were to buy from a breeder who is not a member of the association, the customer risks the possibility of buying a crossbred goat that isn’t pure pygmy. But the two also emphasized that someone seeking to buy a pygmy goat needed to buy at least two of them due to the breed’s nature as a herd animal.
Learn more at http://www.cpga-pygmy.com/.
Kelli Carr, Consonus Nurse Consultant, presented the Consonus Legends Award to Laura Foster, Village Concepts Corporate Director of Wellness, at a recent Village Concepts leadership meeting[/caption]
Village Concepts Corporate Director of Wellness, Laura Foster, was awarded the Consonus Healthcare Legends Award, in recognition for Laura's dedication and tireless efforts to vaccinate seniors and staff. The award reads: "2,133 Shots, One Legend".
More than 50,000 shots were given in Phase One of the Consonus Pharmacy Road to Recover vaccination campaign-and no one administered more of them than Laura Foster, Village Concepts Corporate Director of Wellness. Laura worked tirelessly alongside the Consonus pharmacy team, personally administering 2,133 vaccinations during our vaccine clinics.
Laura was the top vaccinator of anyone in all the states Consonus serves. "Her contribution is monumental, and her nomination celebrates the team effort that was required of pharmacy staff and facility partners.""
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string(2386) "Moving Forward!!
At Village Concepts, our priority continues to be the health and safety of our residents and team members. We continue to work with our local health departments to move toward “normalcy” in our communities.
We remain vigilant in following all state health guidelines including daily screening and monitoring our residents and staff for symptoms of Covid-19 or the flu.
If you have any concerns or questions, please click here to contact us directly.
Visitation
Village Concepts Communities are open for visitation from family members and/or loved ones of our residents. All visitors are required to be screened upon entry, wear masks while they are in the Community, and follow current infection control guidelines.
Dining, Activities, & Salon Services
Our Dining Rooms are open for our residents.
Activities and entertainment have resumed in our Communities. Outside entertainers, clergy services, and other Village Concepts partners are required to be fully vaccinated and follow all infection control guidelines, including screening and proper use of masks. Group resident outings are allowed for all vaccinated residents with the requirement to adhere to masking and screening.
Our salon services are open. Our stylists are required to be fully vaccinated and follow all infection control guidelines.
Tours
We offer in-person tours as well as virtual tour options at all Village Concepts locations. Our staff have worked diligently to create a safe and relaxing moving experience, tailored to fit your needs. Click here to schedule a tour!
Vaccinations
Vaccinations against COVID and the seasonal flu are a vital tool in maintaining the safety and health of our communities.
- Village Concepts is proud to share that over 95% of our residents are fully vaccinated.
- All staff members are required to be vaccinated.
- As part of our on-going commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our residents and staff, booster vaccines have been made available to our staff members and residents.
- We have completed our flu vaccinations at all Communities.
Country Meadow Village donated more than 500 pounds of supplies to the Humane Society of Skagit Valley last month, then gathered to remember the effort. Clockwise from left: Resident Betsy; team members Lisa, Hannah, Stephanie: Exec Dir. Sandra Jensen; Laura; Program Dir. David Bricka; Caroline; and Emily[/caption]
Last month the Country Meadow Village bus headed to the Humane Society of Skagit Valley with more than 500 pounds of supplies for the local organization.
Community Outreach Coordinator Stephanie Nichols took on the challenge from other retirement communities, then coordinated the logistics for residents and staff.
[caption id="attachment_13868" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Country Meadow Village presented $1,500 to Hospice of the Northwest representatives Kaaren Flint and Jennifer Pitner, also in December. Back row from left: Program Dir. David Bricka, Flint, Pitner. Front row from left: Sandra, Dave W., Mabel, and Geri.[/caption]
The next day, Executive Director Sandra Jensen and Program Director David Bricka presented $1,500 to Kaaren Flint and Jennifer Pitner, representatives from Hospice of the Northwest, at the retirement community's Christmas Party. The funds were generated by proceeds from Kathy's Kloset, a consignment shop set up by team member Kathy Richter for the residents and staff.
"With this donation, we will be able to provide a wide range of services for patients under hospice care, like music and massage therapy," Flint told the crowd during the event. "We are so grateful for your generosity."
During the past 13 years, Village Concepts Country Meadow Village has donated more than $24,000 to various nonprofit organizations as part of the greater philanthropy of their parent company. Some of the groups benefiting have been the Meals on Wheels program at the Sedro-Woolley Senior Center, the Oso Community for relief from the mudslide, and, most recently, the Helping Hands Food Bank and Solution Center."
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Marge Foydl smiles and poses for a photo before her flight at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport Sunday morning.[/caption]
Dream Flights: 97-Year-Old Marjorie Foydl Was Excited for Flight After Months of Isolation Due to Pandemic
Woodland Village in Chehalis is home to a few World War II veterans, but only one of them felt like heading to the Chehalis-Centralia Airport at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning for a joyride in a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane — 97-year-old Marjorie Foydl.
The nonprofit organization “Dream Flights” is on a nationwide mission to put veterans in vintage planes.
Its quest has begun by flying members of the Greatest Generation.
“They are giving, across the country, all the World War II vets a chance to go up in these biplanes. They figured that it’s a pretty cool endeavor to give back a little bit to our war vets,” said Sharon Ripp, program coordinator at Woodland Village.
Foydl served in New York as a Yeoman in the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II recording interviews through shorthand notes.
[caption id="attachment_13704" align="alignleft" width="225"]
Marge Foydl smiles while sitting in a plane before her flight flight at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport Sunday morning.[/caption]
“We just went around to various places to take interviews. We could be in the hospital, we could be in prison,” Foydl said. “I had my original learning in Florida then I went up to New York.”
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, she followed in the footsteps of family who were also in the Coast Guard.
“I thought it would be kind of nice to get out of Duluth,” she said.
After the war, she and her husband of 43 years lived in Hawaii. She worked in Honolulu as an executive secretary and personnel director for an insurance company.
Once most of her friends there had died, her niece who lives in the area asked Foydl to move closer. She has been in Chehalis for eight years now.
Foydl recalled the hardships of being in a senior living facility throughout the pandemic, saying she felt disconnected from the outside world.
“I found it very lonely,” she said. “For fun I’d just get on the computer and play cards.”
So, the opportunity to get out of the house and up in a plane was a thrilling outing for her. And that’s exactly the feeling Dream Flights hopes to give to veterans.
After the flight, the pilot has lunch with the veteran and talks to them about their lives and experience in whichever branch of the military they served.
When asked about a standout memory from her time in the Coast Guard, Foydl told The Chronicle: “When the war was over New York went crazy. That was party time.”
To learn more about Dream Flights and how to schedule them for individual veterans or groups, go to dreamflights.org.
At Village Concepts of Fairwood, residents can choose from many fun-filled ways to fill their days – recently, in preparation for Spring, they enjoyed some fun gardening activities![/caption]
With restrictions lifting, there’s even more to enjoy when you call this place home
We’ve all seen plenty of changes over the last year – and Village Concepts of Fairwood is no exception. Since opening their doors last March, as restrictions continue to lift they’re excited to welcome change – and you!
The brand new independent living, assisted living and memory care community nestled on the Fairwood Golf Course offers residents scenic views of the greens and the amenities and recreational opportunities of the club, including the 18-hole golf course, swimming pool and dining room.
While Village Concepts is new to Renton, their team has provided exceptional housing, support and services for seniors across Washington for more than 40 years – putting you and your loved ones in the right hands.
So what can look forward to when you call Fairwood home?
Recently, they’ve been excited to make some noise with live musical entertainment – so you can kick back, relax and enjoy the talent.
Painting classes and arts and crafts sessions let you explore your own creativity, or if you prefer to get your blood pumping or stretch it out with yoga, exercise and activity classes are also resuming. With a fully equipped fitness centre, there’s something for everyone.
Refuel after your workout in their newly reopened dining room. welcoming diners from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
And, with visits also reopened, you can show off your new digs to your loved ones. Guests are welcome in residents’ apartments, which has been especially popular for many!
“This is the change that’s definitely brought the most joy to our residents, they’ve spent months restricted to seeing their loved ones through a computer screen, for example,” Lynda White Eagle, Executive Director at Village Concepts of Fairwood, says. “Some are meeting their grandchildren for the first time, it’s a really heartwarming experience and a welcome change.”
Soon to return are Fairwoods’ weekly social events, including happy hours and coffee socials. And with the beauty shop reopening, they’ll have you looking your very best as you mingle with your friends and neighbors!
As restrictions continue to lift, there’s no better time than now to call Village Concepts of Fairwood home.
To learn more, make sure to visit them online or contact them today!"
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string(11505) "[caption id="attachment_14022" align="alignleft" width="640"] Woodland Village’s eight centenarians. Back, from left to right: Louise Carpenter, 100; Agnes Wasson, 101; Dottie Docherty, 100; Eileen Wikokff, 101; Shirley Nelsen, 101 and Glenna Ralff, 100. Front: Jim Van Ackren (left), 100 and Pearl Miller, 103.[/caption]
Woodland Village in Chehalis celebrated the lives of eight centenarians on Monday. Ahead of the celebration, The Chronicle was able to interview four of them as they reflected on their more than 100 years of life and shared their experiences.
Louise Carpenter, 100, was born on April 15, 1922, in Bellingham. She grew up on a “little” farm in Snohomish County. In Carpenter’s telling, her childhood was a simple one.
“I didn’t do very much,” she said.
Carpenter recalled what it was like when her family first got electricity on their farm when she was 7 years old.
“I can remember when we got electricity because I was in awe of the electric light,” Carpenter recalled.
When the Great Depression began in 1929, Carpenter said her family learned to deal with the new economic realities.
“Well, we just did without,” Carpenter said. “I don’t remember suffering much, but we didn’t need much.”
After World War II began in late 1941, Carpenter began working in the shipyards of Puget Sound as a sheet metal worker. As the war progressed, she was given the opportunity to learn how to fly.
“It was really exciting to me,” Carpenter said. “We had to go to Spokane because there was no flying on the West Coast because of the war.”
After the war ended in 1945, Carpenter got a job as an aircraft communicator at the airport in Toledo, where she lived for 50 years. Carpenter managed to live a remarkably independent life well into her later years, living on her own until she moved to Woodland Village last July at the age of 99.
Today, Carpenter, who had one daughter with her husband, is the grandmother of four grandchildren.
[caption id="attachment_14024" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Centenarian Shirley Nelson smiles alongside Peggy Brooks during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Shirley Nelsen, 101, was born in Rochester 10 minutes after midnight on July 2, 1921. Like other people her age, Nelsen lived through the Great Depression, experiencing levels of poverty common to that era.
“At that time we were quite young, but I remember my mom telling people later on that she robbed our piggy bank to buy bread,” Nelsen said.
Nelsen’s father was a mechanic and often had to move his family around to find work during the Depression, eventually moving to logging camps in California where they had no electricity and had to use kerosene lamps for lighting. But in 1932, Nelsen’s family was dealt a blow when an earthquake struck the state.
“We moved back up after a week of aftershocks and so my dad said, ‘We’re going home,’ and so we moved back up to Washington again (even though he didn’t have a job),” Nelsen said.
As a young adult, Nelsen took a civil service exam at the Chehalis Post Office, after which she was hired as a secretary for the surgeon general’s office in Washington D.C., arriving in time for the beginning of World War II.
“I can remember vividly where I was when I heard the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked,” Nelsen said. “I was in my room and had the radio on when they announced the attack.”
Nelsen remembered the difficulties of life during the war, when wartime restrictions meant major changes in people’s daily lives.
“We did what we had to do, like conserving gasoline, and we had stamps to buy sugar and meats so we prioritized things because you couldn’t go in the grocery store and buy anything you wanted,” Nelsen said. “We did whatever we could do to help.”
Around 1943, Nelsen moved home to be near her family again. She said she wanted to be closer to her loved ones since “you didn’t know what was going to happen” during the war.
Thinking about the world events she’s lived through, Nelsen said two of the most notable were the death of Thomas Edison and the moon landing, in part because of her longstanding interest in technology and the future.
“I was always interested in what’s going to happen in the future. We used to go to movies that were about the future, which we’re living in now,” Nelsen said. “The moonwalk of course was very exciting for me.” But Nelsen also found some aspects of advances in technology frightening. She called life during the Cold War “scary” because of the spread of nuclear weapons. “Your imagination could kind of take off about what could happen,” Nelsen said. Centenarian Eileen Wikoff poses for a photo alongside her daughter, Linda Fenske, during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Pearl Miller, 103, was born on Dec. 9, 1918 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The oldest resident at Woodland Village, Miller’s descriptions of the major events of her life were often direct and to the point. Describing her experiences during the Great Depression and World War II, she said both were “horrible, just horrible,” adding of the Great Depression, “We had nothing.”
Miller told The Chronicle her favorite memory was visiting the World’s Fair in 1936, but that was hardly the only exciting experience of her life.
“I’ve been to Europe and Asia, I think I’ve been to Africa,” Miller said.
She has three children and many grandchildren.
“Grandchildren?” Miller asked, “Now you’ve put me on the spot.”
Asked if she had any advice for young people, Miller had a couple of suggestions.
“Pay attention to your grandparents and don’t spend your money just because you have it. Save it,” Miller said. “My folks didn’t have any money. They didn’t have anything.”
[caption id="attachment_14025" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Centenarian Glenna Raiffe smiles while talking to friends and family during a celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Glenna Ralff, 100, was born on March 31, 1922, in Hibbing, Minnesota. During World War II, Ralff served in the Navy, helping provide medical care before becoming a pharmacist mate while stationed in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived in barracks with other young women.
After the War ended, she attended Washington State University and studied business, eventually getting a job as a hostess for Trans World Airlines.
“I didn’t like the idea of getting out of school and working in an office,” Ralff said.
Ralff recalled events from her life, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
“I remember the Kennedy assassination. I saw him get shot (on the news),” Ralff said. “That was shocking. That’s all you can say is shocking.”
Another event Ralff remembered was the moon landing.
“It was an unusual experience, not many people went to the moon,” Ralff said.
But for the many world events she’s witnessed in her 100 years, she still continues to be surprised, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as something that has shocked her.
“I think this war with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has been the most shocking thing in the last few years,” Ralff said. “It’s been unbelievable.”
She’s also had memorable personal experiences, including driving a dogsled team while living in Alaska. She even recalled once driving her dog team through the snow with her 18 month old daughter.
“I was just an outdoor person,” Ralff said, giving a simple explanation for her outdoor ventures.
In her long life, Ralff has had the privilege of seeing her family grow. Through her two daughters, her family now spans several generations, including her two great-great granddaughters.
[caption id="attachment_14028" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Agnes Wasson, who celebrated her 102nd birthday this week, talks with her grandchildren and great grandchildren during a birthday celebration at Woodland Village in Chehalis on Monday.[/caption]
Carpenter, Nelsen, Miller and Ralph were joined by their fellow Woodland Village centenarians on Monday for a celebration of their long lives. The names of the other four centenarians, who were either unavailable or chose not to be interviewed by The Chronicle, are Eileen Wikoff, Jim Van Ackeren, Agnes Wasson and Dottie Docherty.
