Centenarian Says It’s All In The Genes
March 1, 2019 at 10:41 p.m.
Centenarian Says It’s All In The Genes
By Deb McAuliffe Sprong-
Helen was born March 2, 1919, in Pierceton, and credits her longevity in part to the “good genes” of parents Otto and Ethel Simison Rardin.
“Mother lived to 99½ and Dad lived to 95,” she said.
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The Rardins moved a lot when Helen was little because her father had several grocery stores, including in Pierceton, Packerton and Claypool.
It was there she met her future husband, Charles O. Huffer. He had his eye on another young woman for a night at the movies, Helen recalls, “but she made up with her boyfriend, so he said, ‘Well, do you want to go?’”
She did, and they were married in 1937, the same year Helen graduated from Claypool High School.
For the new bride, marriage meant life on a farm. A typical day might include taking care of the garden, cleaning a house lit by kerosene lanterns and cooking dinner on a wood stove, since they didn’t have electricity.
Helen used a washboard to do their laundry. “I was happy when I got my first Maytag – a wringer washer,” she said.
She learned to drive in those early years, too. “I didn’t have a car till we were married, then I?got a Chevy coupe,” she said.
Charles and Helen lived in Ligonier for 16 years, but much of their life together was spent on the Huffer farm on Country Club Road, which has been in the family more than 100 years.
The Huffers had two children, Constance Jean Fields of Columbia City and James Owen Huffer, who died in 1995. Helen has six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. Charles died in 2001.
Family is important to Helen. “I appreciate my family, all my nephews and nieces,” she said. “The ones my age are all gone.”
Daughter-in-law Nancy (“she’s my legs”) runs errands for Helen, and nephew Duane takes care of her financial and legal matters. He also takes her for the occasional cruise in his car, including those trips to McDonald’s. “I love those french fries!” she said.
Over the years she’s made many afghans – “everybody that had a baby got one” — and she also made them as housewarming gifts.
These days, Helen stays sharp by watching the news, playing euchre and testing herself against the contestants on “Wheel of Fortune,” “The Price is Right?“ and, her favorite, “Jeopardy.”
She sorts her own medications and knows all the birthdays of her grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
And though she loves those french fries, Helen says she’s always eaten her vegetables, always eaten balanced meals.
“I order fruit for breakfast here, and if I don’t get it, I tell them!” she says.
Helen was born March 2, 1919, in Pierceton, and credits her longevity in part to the “good genes” of parents Otto and Ethel Simison Rardin.
“Mother lived to 99½ and Dad lived to 95,” she said.
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The Rardins moved a lot when Helen was little because her father had several grocery stores, including in Pierceton, Packerton and Claypool.
It was there she met her future husband, Charles O. Huffer. He had his eye on another young woman for a night at the movies, Helen recalls, “but she made up with her boyfriend, so he said, ‘Well, do you want to go?’”
She did, and they were married in 1937, the same year Helen graduated from Claypool High School.
For the new bride, marriage meant life on a farm. A typical day might include taking care of the garden, cleaning a house lit by kerosene lanterns and cooking dinner on a wood stove, since they didn’t have electricity.
Helen used a washboard to do their laundry. “I was happy when I got my first Maytag – a wringer washer,” she said.
She learned to drive in those early years, too. “I didn’t have a car till we were married, then I?got a Chevy coupe,” she said.
Charles and Helen lived in Ligonier for 16 years, but much of their life together was spent on the Huffer farm on Country Club Road, which has been in the family more than 100 years.
The Huffers had two children, Constance Jean Fields of Columbia City and James Owen Huffer, who died in 1995. Helen has six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. Charles died in 2001.
Family is important to Helen. “I appreciate my family, all my nephews and nieces,” she said. “The ones my age are all gone.”
Daughter-in-law Nancy (“she’s my legs”) runs errands for Helen, and nephew Duane takes care of her financial and legal matters. He also takes her for the occasional cruise in his car, including those trips to McDonald’s. “I love those french fries!” she said.
Over the years she’s made many afghans – “everybody that had a baby got one” — and she also made them as housewarming gifts.
These days, Helen stays sharp by watching the news, playing euchre and testing herself against the contestants on “Wheel of Fortune,” “The Price is Right?“ and, her favorite, “Jeopardy.”
She sorts her own medications and knows all the birthdays of her grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
And though she loves those french fries, Helen says she’s always eaten her vegetables, always eaten balanced meals.
“I order fruit for breakfast here, and if I don’t get it, I tell them!” she says.
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