One of my favorite assignments as a reporter for the Hernando Sun is getting to interview our local centenarians. Partaking of the cake and other goodies is nice too! Each of these folks has a unique story, but they all share several traits. They are upbeat, full of life and certainly don’t look or act their age.
On July 13, I was fortunate to celebrate Lyla Harvey’s 100th birthday at Salishan Gracious Retirement Living Community in Brooksville. Attending the party were her three daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as friends and employees of Salishan.
Lyla was born in Pennsylvania on July 13, 1924. She was an only child and because her mother died when Lyla was only eighteen months old, her father and paternal grandmother raised her.
Lyla jokingly says, “She [her grandmother] got stuck with me.”
When asked if she was spoiled being an only child, Lyla laughed and said “My father didn’t really discipline me. That was Grandma’s job.”
Her father had a feed mill and they lived in the country. This meant that she didn’t have any friends to play with. However, she did go to a two-room elementary school in town with four grades in each room and then to high school, so she had the opportunity to socialize with children there.
Unlike many people who lived in rural areas at that time, Lyla’s family had all the modern conveniences, such as plumbing and electricity.
After graduating from high school, she attended a commercial college for a short time and studied business courses.
Lyla’s first husband was in the military, but he left shortly after her first daughter was born. She lived in an apartment in town and supported her daughter and herself as a typist. She eventually remarried and had three daughters by her second husband, an auditor for the state of Pennsylvania. Sadly, one of her daughters passed away two years ago. All told, Lyla presently has eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Like many couples from the north, Lyla and her husband moved to Florida to retire. They were married for sixty years. One of the secrets to her longevity, she states, was exercising and doing a lot of walking over the years. In response to my asking her what she enjoyed doing, Lyla thought for a moment and joked, “I sound dull.” Then she stated that she liked to read.
Her daughter, Kim Pulsipher relates an anecdote that shows Lyla’s positive attitude. “When Mom visited us in Montana, we drove up to Glacier National Park. Mom was like an animal magnet. She would say ‘I wonder if we will see an elk?’ And around the next turn there would be an elk! It was the same with almost every animal she mentioned−even big horned sheep and a brown bear! It was an magical trip.”
Sometimes the best memories of our parents are the mundane everyday activities that we share with them. Her daughter, Paula Snyder, remembers the wringer washer they had in the basement and how her mother never allowed her to put anything through that wringer. Those appliances were an accident waiting to happen!
“I remember that we were allowed to watch the Mickey Mouse Club on TV during dinner when Dad was out of town working. I loved walking in the woods with Mom. She knew the names of all the trees and what was edible. I learned so much about nature from her.”
A more recent memory that Paula has of her mother took place before Lyla moved to Salishan. “When we both lived in Brookridge, I got a text from her one day when I was out riding my bike. It said, ‘If you’re not busy, can you come over?’ I rode over and found her on the floor, her head bleeding. She had fallen down.”
A great example of Lyla’s fortitude. People grew up tough during the Depression.
I urge anyone who has an elderly parent or grandparent still living to keep in touch with them. Call them every day. If they live close by, visit them as often as possible. Listen to their stories. Many won’t talk about the past−either because there are painful memories they don’t wish to recall or they believe that the younger generation isn’t interested in hearing about the past. They might feel, as Lyla stated, that their life was rather dull, but everyone has a story and so many memories to share. You can even record those stories and pass them down to the younger generations. You never know when it will be too late. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear those stories before the memories slip away.
