Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com

A transplant from Arizona, Lillian Anderson will spend her 100th birthday at Homestead of Augusta here in Butler County on April 12. Her secret to living a long, healthy life: don’t smoke, exercise often, and thank God.

Anderson was born in Indiana, one of seven children, though she’s lived many places and called them home, she says her favorite was Arizona, where she lived for 58 years before her arrival at Homestead. She moved to Arlington, Virginia to work as a draftsman drawing up architectural plans.

She recalls WWII starting when she was just a junior in high school and witnessing the many young men who were drafted into the war as well as rationing many things such as food, nylon and other clothes. As she worked in Washington D.C. during the war, there were many days when the building’s blinds were drawn and the plans they drew were top-secret, though she can’t recall what they were for, if she was even told.

When the war was announced as over, Anderson remembers taking a bus to downtown D.C. and the streets being flooded with Americans celebrating. The parties would go on until 1am to celebrate the ending of the war.

“We partied all night long,” said Anderson. “And the best part was that no one was drunk or hurt – it was just good fun.”

There she met her first husband who promised her when they wed, they would move to California, which she yearned for dearly, and they did. There she worked as a service rep for a telephone provider until she bore her first child and became a stay-at-home mother while her husband managed a camera shop in San Francisco.

“I remember being able to go buy an ice cream cone at 10pm by myself at night if I wanted to in San Francisco,” said Anderson. “I would just walk a couple blocks alone and come right home. I always felt safe back then. A lot has changed.”

After living 20 years in California and having two children, Susan Harvey who now resides in Southport North Carolina, and Jim Campbell who now resides in Portland, Oregon, Anderson retired to Arizona. She adored her home of 58 years in Lake Havasu City, which is known for being the home of the London Bridge. The bridge was brought over from England brick-by-brick in 1968 to attract tourists.

“I miss the desert and the nice weather,” chuckled Anderson. “When I hear about tornados, I just pray. I’m not afraid of them – if it’s my time, that’s ok, but I just don’t want anyone else hurt because of it.”

In her spare time, Anderson can be found attempting to play Bridge with other residents. She says the folk from the farm towns here don’t play much bridge but she’s relentless in forming a group to play with her. Up until last year you could find her ballroom dancing. Anderson believes dancing is what helped keep her healthy all these years but had to stop last year due to aging.

“No one plays bridge around here,” laughed Anderson. “But I keep trying to find people who know how to play.”

If you were to ask Anderson what her secret to stay so healthy at 100 years old, she would tell you three things:

1) Don’t smoke! She tried to smoke once in her lifetime and found out she was allergic. She believes her father died from smoking at age 78.

2) Exercise often! Ballroom dancing kept her active in her later years.

3) Thank God.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be alive,” said Anderson. “I never thought I would live to see 100 years.”

Living a long fruitful life seems to run in her family as her grandmother lived to be 99 years old and one of her sisters was just a month short of turning 103 when she passed.

Anderson has been married four times, but admits she’s never been divorced. All of her husbands have unfortunately passed away during their time of marriage. She added that each marriage was wonderful and they were all wonderful husbands. Her two children gave her three granddaughters and three grandsons, who in turn gave her three great grandchildren. Her granddaughter, Candace Marshal, an Augusta resident, visits her daily and brings her two children and husband Christian to visit weekly.

She says she loves Homestead of Augusta and would hire any of the personnel to take care of her.

“I really like it here,” said Anderson. “I would hire any one of them. No one is here that shouldn’t be here.”

Birthday cards can be sent to Anderson by dropping them off at the assisted living center or by mailing them to:

ATTN: Christie Bozarth

Augusta, KS 67010