ASC Centenarians

Betty Deree loves being a mother. In fact, aside from her faith, being a mother was the most important thing to her. She often says her favorite days were when she gave birth to her daughters. Her advice to everyone is to eat lots of candy!

Yvonne graduated school in Westfield at the age of 16. In November of 1938, she married her first husband, Richard Essex. They had four beautiful children together. After 56 years of marriage, Richard passed away. She then met her second husband, James Steep. On their honeymoon, they went white water rafting in Alaska. She was 79 at the time! Yvonne enjoys painting, needlework, making quilts and coloring. She is most proud of her four children, nine grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Her best piece of advice for living a long life is, “Don’t let your brain know your age and always try to learn something new.”

Mary McEowen is a funny and kind member of the American Village community, and she credits her longevity to enjoying every possible moment. She recommends that we all follow her lead on that. Great advice, Mary!

Bessie McReynolds is a proud great-grandmother and is truly beloved by all in the community. She is a delight to talk to and has a huge heart.

Flossie Borders has a huge heart and absolutely loves children. In fact, she raised 14 foster children over the course of her life! When she’s not talking to them, she’s playing Bingo or socializing with her peers. When asked for words of wisdom, she said, “Be compassionate and truthful to others.”

Ruby was born in Camelsburg, Indiana to Vance and Gladys Batt. Ruby grew up with one brother and one sister. She has two sons, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She loves spending time with them! In 1996 Ruby was able to watch and cheer on her granddaughters on their way to a State Championship in softball!

Martha was born in Lizton, Indiana. She graduated from Lizton High school in 1934. She grew up on a farm and as a young girl her father told her that she was not allowed to date until she was able to catch a chicken, kill it and fix it for dinner!

A mother of four, Martha has 10 grandchildren and “too many great-grandchildren to count.” She loves her big family and says it has always been the most important thing to her.

Willadene Thompson was born in Kentucky. She gave back to her community by volunteering much of her free time and is most proud of the time she spent at The Red Bird Mission in Kentucky. Some of Willadene’s other hobbies include reading her Bible, journaling and gardening. Her advice is, “Trust yourself, trust God and be honest.”

Mary Bird is a loving member of the community, and she’s always wondering about how others’ days are going. She’s an absolute joy to talk to and is always willing to tell a story from her life. She is truly loved by all.

Noble and his wife have been residents at Rosegate for over two years. He actively participates in cards, chair exercises and is one of our top bean bag players. In his spare time, he enjoys working with wood and making magnets for his friends and staff members. He is always so much fun to be around, and people love conversing with him.

Ruth Geers loves the arts. For her birthday, the Ally Kats Dancers gave her the performance of a lifetime. She is a joy to have in the community and is always bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

Lucille loves nature and is a knowledgeable bird watcher as well as adept in tree and wild flower identification. She loved traveling in her RV around the midwest including Kentucky and the Tennessee mountains. She  worked at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in the 1960s and was hired as the first Director of Wesselman Woods Nature Center in Evansville in 1974 where she worked until her retirement in 1986. She’s held memberships in numerous organizations over the years including the National Interpretive Naturalist Association, the Indiana Nature Conservancy (where she served as Director Emeritus), the Evansville Audubon Society, the Evansville Garden Club, the Evansville Hiking Club and the Evansville Square Dancing Club!

Bessie says the best days of her life were when her six children were born, and the best experience of her life was being a mother. She credits her longevity to her strong faith and her belief in Jesus Christ. When asked what words of wisdom she’d like to pass along, she said, “Be nice to everyone, and treat everyone with respect.”

Winnie is a sweetheart through and through. She always treats people gently. Because of this, she lives a blessed life. One such blessing is that her great-great-great-granddaughter was born on her 100^th birthday, and she is grateful to share such a sweet bond!

Mrs. Little, who drove her car until she was 99, has always enjoyed farm chores including gardening. A poet and a songwriter, her tip for living to 100 is to stay active. “Don’t fall in love with your bed or you’re done for.” Her advice for the younger generation is to try your best and to make time for family.

Barbara Partain has faced much adversity in her life, including having to raise a family during the Great Depression, but she has persevered through it all. She and her husband, Phil, worked as partners to raise four children and operate a farm. During the Great Depression, the family’s farm and garden would supply the whole town with food during times of great need. Still to this day, Barbara enjoys gardening and feeding the hummingbirds that visit Brownsburg Meadows. She now has many hands to help tend to her garden including her 13 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 16 great-great-grandchildren.

Barbara says her secret to living a long life is to always be honest. “If you’re always honest, you will be rewarded.”

Madonna “The Original” Brock has always lived a colorful life so it’s only appropriate that she requested a jazzy tea party for her 100^th birthday. She said the two most important roles she has played throughout her life are being a mother and a wife. Her hobbies include painting and ceramics. Madonna says her secret to living a long life is to learn right from wrong early in life and to always do your best to be nice to others.

Mrs. Aylsworth was a music teacher for Springs Valley High School for decades. She was employed there while her husband Gilbert was the high school band director. This would soon become a tradition as her son John would go on to teach music there as well. Eventually, her grandson Luke would join him in teaching music and become the band director of the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade.

Mrs. Aylsworth was honored as an Indiana Bicentennial Torch bearer representing Springs Valley. She was inducted in 2014 to the Springs Valley Community Schools Hall of Fame celebrating her contribution to music in Springs Valley schools. Her musical legacy has left a permanent mark on the community.

Vera Meadows is a Chicago native who graduated in 1932 from Central Catholic High School. She married Bill Meadows and together they had three children and many grandchildren. She was a cafeteria aide for several years. Her hobbies include dancing, reading, going on walks and being with family and friends.

When asked what her advice is for living a long life, she said, “Dance your heart out.”