HJNO Sep/Oct 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2022 47 Daphne H. Dominguez, EdD Assisted Living Administrator Lambeth House war in Europe.” Family and romance were different for each resident. Estelle Devun (100) married the man of her life after meeting him at D.H. Holmes where they both worked. She married at 17, telling the judge she was 18. She took care of her sister after losing their mother and cared for her father before he passed away. She called herself a “home mom,” raising three boys and keeping a “spotless” house. She never drove, and she was simply “happy” with her life. Elise met her husband at the Fountain Lounge. “It was love at first sight; crazy.” She and her new love called her parents “long- distance” to tell them she wanted to get married. Her father asked, “Are you sure?” She smiled. Leona Shlosman (102) played a little harder to get. Married and widowed three times — her first husband, nine years her senior, met her at a dance where he ap- proached her, gave her a nickel, and told her to call him when she grew up a little. Years later, they reunited, and after toying with him for a bit, they started dating. One day, as they were walking on Canal Street, he stopped in front of Adler’s jewelry store and proposed right then and there. She married her second husband in the Rabbi’s office; and hesitantly, found love a third time with a man who was honored for standing up to Huey P. Long. Handling life milestones can be chal- lenging for some people, but not for these extraordinary women who turned challenges into successes. They denote resilience and adaptability. After being widowed twice and challenged with the damage Hurricane Ida caused to Joan’s condo of thirty-plus years, she was grateful for the opportunity to move into Lambeth House. Amazingly, she said, “You learn to adjust.” When Leona’s first husband died, she helped to carry on the family-owned furniture business by becoming the main interior decorator and training staff on how to do the same. Elise occupied her time making rosaries for prisoners. She has made thousands and still makes them today. Whether it’s big decisions, hav- ing the grit to get the job done, or simply finding purpose in life, these ladies exem- plified, at the young age of 100 plus, resil- ience, self-awareness, and self-confidence. They are astonishing and influential! At Lambeth House, our goal is to sup- port each resident’s quality of life so that they can have a sense of belonging regard- less of age. Whenwe improve the quality of life for others, we enhance ours. I wanted to learn the fun stuff, the nitty gritty, about some of the world’s most outstanding people — to see beyond the scientific study and challenges of old age, and to reflect on a life long-lived. I believe these stories are worth sharing, and I hope they inspire readers to learn and be moved from the old. Although all the women I interviewed were widowed and even questioned their longevity, none of them took for granted each day lived. They were positive, en- thusiastic, and grateful and made me think of the lyrics of a song by singer and songwriter, Rob Thomas, “I’m not afraid of getting older, I’m one less day from dying young.” n secret to longevity; most were in wonder themselves. When I asked Marjorie Moran (104), “What is your secret to living a long life?”, she said, “I don’t know. I would like to find out,” and chuckled. “I pray for God’s little angels to come and get me and plug me into heaven. But I get good care each and every day.”EliseWalther (100) claimed the reason she has lived this long is due to her pacemaker. She says her secret to a long life is her religious faith and “accep- tance of circumstances.” Her motto: “Have faith, ask, wait, accept.” I loved that, just as I loved Joan’s response, “parenting, curios- ity, food, physical exercise, and the great Lord,”might have something to do with it. Several of the Lambeth centenarians shared their experiences during World War II. Marjorie lived in Washington, D.C., during the war. Her husband worked as a naval officer, delivering supplies in the Pa- cific from island to island. Elise described her husband’s enrollment as a “90-day Wonder,” a term I learned from our con- versation, and his participation in the war. She also described her brother-in-law’s ex- perience as a “buck private” who traveled to Africa, Italy, Normandy, and Germany. His commitment to duty was challenged after his leader was killed and he became responsible for coordinating “disposable planes” that would distract the enemy so that the “real planes” could regroup and handle the task at hand. She spoke pas- sionately of the end of the war — her hus- band coming home and her brother-in-law receiving two purple hearts. She smiled as she told me, “The relief was tremendous; I still get goosebumps. We did it; we won the