Oval glasses and silvery-white hair framed Mae Gerhart’s face as she led the way to her living room using a walker. Gerhart lives in an apartment at the Lutheran Home at Topton and still maintains independent living at the age of 100. She was getting ready to celebrate her 100th birthday on July 5 with her family including her one-year-old great-granddaughter, Ashlyn Neiman.
When Gerhart was asked how she stays so spry, her answer was a quick and easy one.
“I love the Lord, that’s the first thing, and I take walks, and I eat right and I pray and I guess that’s it,” said Gerhart.
Gerhart was raised in a Christian home. She went to church and Sunday school every Sunday with her family. She was the oldest of three children and loved her brother and sister dearly.
“It was a good family. My mother was one of 14 children like Ralph was (Gerhart’s late husband). They lived in the country on farms and every Sunday we went to someone to visit at the farms; every Sunday,” said Gerhart. She smiled and added, “We had a good family life.”
Gerhart and her husband lived in a split-level home across from Carsonia Lake for over 30 years. She worked as a legal secretary for judges as well as for lawyers and Ralph was a steel worker at Car Tech. It was a time when they bought bread for 50 cents and gas for a dollar a gallon. Not able to have children of their own, Mae and Ralph decided to adopt and that was when Renee became a part of their family. Family reunions and picnics were a big part of the Gerhart’s lives.
Gerhart said it was really good when she got to drive their first car; it was a Plymouth.
“Ralph really trusted me. I think it was because he taught me,” said Gerhart. “Once he taught me, I was a pretty good driver and I drove a lot.”
She recalled when Ralph sat aside of her telling her everything she had to do.
“Don’t do that. Turn here. You’re driving too fast. Go ahead of this car. He was always giving me directions; always,” said Gerhart. Her hands pointed and waved in motion as she described his instructions. When the time came, Mae taught their daughter how to drive.
Mae and Ralph loved to be active and went on many bus trips and cruises to Florida, New England, Wild Wood, Bermuda, Hawaii, and Nassau.
“We liked Bermuda because there was a lot to do activity wise,” said Gerhart and then added that she also liked Hawaii, but for different reasons.
Today, Gerhart still likes to be active and goes to the social activities at the Lutheran Home, including singing in a sing along group and even participating in yoga classes.
“My yoga is plenty of things with the arms,” said Gerhart and threw her arms up and out to demonstrate her workout. “We do a lot of things with the legs and I do that even here watching television. I do the legs and I do this and up (her arms reached up) so that I don’t only do yoga, I do it here too.”
“She keeps herself pretty limber,” said Renee Neiman, Gerhart’s daughter.
Gerhart said that she walks, plays, and does a lot of exercise, but then added, “I eat good. I have a neighbor who always gives me my lunch. Bertha [Bennicoff] does a lot of things for me. She is wonderful to me.”
“She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She always has a positive attitude. She’s always greeting people. She’s so sweet and so friendly. She’s a bright star here,” said Lauren M. Fairchild, activities coordinator for independent living. “She’s so grateful for the life that she had.”
“There’s always been love in our family,” said Neiman. “Our family is very close. When one needs help, the others are always there. If there is any way that she can help us, she will.”
“My husband and I loved to party. We always had a lot of people at the house for holidays. It was always hot dogs and hamburgers and potato salad,” said Gerhart. “We had a big house with a big patio. It was right back near the creek and we always had company. We played cards all those years when Ralph was living.”
Canasta, a game similar to rummy, and hasenpfeffer, a game similar to Euchre, were some of the card games the Gerharts and their friends enjoyed.
The Gerharts had many friends from their life in Pennside to their life in Topton. The sing along group Mae Gerhart belongs to treated her to a party of ice cream sundaes, one of her favorite treats, and another group of residents she is friends with also planned a party with a cake at dinner time.
“I loved every one of them,” said Gerhart.
Gerhart said everyday they look forward to being together and sharing news. She said there is a lot of entertainment in the auditorium that she likes to go to with Bertha, Elsie, and Marie and have fun.
