April 8, 2025 • 55 mins
Living for over a century gives a unique lens on what truly matters. In this episode, we sit down with Rebecca Drick, a radiant 103-year-old who shares her extraordinary journey and the powerful simplicity behind her long, fulfilling life. From milking cows at six years old to sewing thousands of unipads for women in developing countries—her story is one of resilience, purpose, and everyday joy.
Key Takeaways from Rebecca’s 103 Years of Wisdom:
- Farm Roots & Responsibility: Grew up with six brothers on a fruit farm; began milking cows in first grade.
- Simple, Wholesome Diet: A lifetime of apples, home-cooked meals, no processed food—and intermittent fasting.
- Purpose at Every Age: Has sewn over 3,000 reusable pads ("unipads") for women in need—just in the past five years!
- Daily Routine: Bible study, gentle exercise, sewing, and reading keep her days meaningful.
- Resilience Through Hardship: Lived through the Great Depression, WWII, and the loss of two husbands—yet continues to "keep going."
- Lifelong Relationships: Family, 4-H clubs, and decades of reunions sustained deep, life-giving connections.
- Graceful Aging: Accepts her limitations with peace and focuses on what she can do—not what she can’t.
- Simple Joys: Novels, Rummikub, and desserts continue to bring delight.
- Her Life Mantra: “Do your best. Be as good a person as you can be.”
Whether you're seeking inspiration, struggling with life’s challenges, or curious about what it means to live well for 100+ years, Rebecca’s perspective will leave you feeling encouraged, grounded, and full of hope.
Let’s live simpler, love deeper, and keep going—just like Rebecca.
-Links-
https://www.svetkapopov.com/
https://www.instagram.com/svetka_popov/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And so the other pillar of longevity, they say,
is purpose or meaning in life.
What would you say contributedto that pillar for you of either
meaning or purpose orcontribution?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Well, I've always liked to do things with people,
even to this point, even to thispoint, I have a purpose every
day that I do some sewing and Isew for a mission, and the
mission's located here.
What I do is I make unipads forwomen and girls in the
(00:41):
countries that don't have thekind of material that we have
around here, and they're calledunipads and hopefully I know I'm
helping a lot of women andgirls because I've made over
(01:02):
3,000 of them.
That's incredible.
I've been working 3,000 of them.
That's incredible.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I've been working at it for about five years now.
Hey friends, welcome to theOnes who Dare podcast, where
stories of courage are elevated.
I'm your host, becca, and everyother week you'll hear
interviews from inspiring people.
My hope is that you will leaveencouraged.
(01:29):
I'm so glad you're here.
Rebecca Drake welcomes to theOnce With your Podcast.
I am so excited for thisinterview.
You are 103.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's right.
How does it feel to be 103?
Oh, I don't know.
It has just crept up on me andI don't know that I feel too
much different than what I did acouple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, and that's what people say.
They say that they don't feelany different, right.
It's different than what I dida couple of years ago.
Yeah, and that's what peoplesay.
They say that they don't feelany different, right.
It's like how old do you feelinside?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Some people say 60 and 70, so I guess I'm older
than that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, and some people just say, pick a number and
then you just tell people you'rethat age.
There's one lady who's in her90s and she tells people she's
29 because that's the number shepicked.
You, as a lot of people wantedto hear from you as well, on
(02:50):
just all the different periodsthat you have experienced in the
103 years of life.
You went through the GreatDepression, world War II.
There's so much that hashappened in your lifetime and so
it's such a privilege to beable to sit across from you and
ask you some of these questions,and I'm curious to see and to
know through all the differentdecades that you've experienced,
(03:13):
how have you held on to hope orhave you continued to carry on,
even when the Depression wasthere, world War II, all the
different eras that were reallydifficult?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I started out with a family when I was a girl,
and that was very important tome and it still is.
I had six brothers.
Three were older than threewere younger.
We lived on a farm and we allworked and we had cows to milk
(03:52):
and it really was a fruit farm.
So my father raised apples andpeaches and pears a few pears
and a few plums and of course mymother had to take care of the
(04:13):
house and I helped her a lot.
But I also helped out as far asmilking was concerned.
When I started to school I hadto start milking cows and I
helped as far as pickingcherries, but other than that I
didn't do much outside work.
(04:33):
I was helping my mother.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And how old were you when you were involved in the
household chores?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I started milking when I went to first
grade and from there on, Imilked as long as I was at home.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Wow, that's incredible.
What was your childhood like,besides the chores?
What was your childhood like?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
It was fun.
I used to have a swing that myfather had fixed in a tree out
in the front yard and when Iwasn't busy we would go out and
I would swing by myself.
But I enjoyed just being therewith my swing and swinging back
(05:25):
and forth.
But I also did some otherthings.
I learned to sew through 4-Hclubs and that's one of the
things that I've carried with methe rest of my life.
I like to sew, use the sewingmachine.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
What is your favorite memory from your childhood?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Oh, I had so many of them.
Just on Sunday we went to aQuaker meeting and it was a
small group and we always lookedforward to that and I liked to
(06:14):
milk cows and just being a partof a family.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, so you enjoyed that part.
You enjoyed being together,being on the farm, doing work,
sharing the load.
Yes, yeah, how would you sayyour childhood is different from
childhoods today?
That you see?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
We were a family then and everybody stuck together.
Now everybody's off doing theirown things someplace else.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
And would you say you're more of an optimist or a
pessimist, by nature orpersonality?
Probably an optimist.
You're always smiling.
Ever since I came here, you'resmiling.
And yeah, so you're 103 at thispoint.
What would you say contributedto your long life At the Once
(07:16):
For A Year podcast?
Giving back is part of ourmission, which is why we proudly
sponsor Midwest Food Bank.
Here's why Midwest Food BankPennsylvania distributes over
$25 million worth of foodannually, completely free of
charge, to over 200 nonprofitpartners across PA, new York and
New Jersey, reaching more than330,000 people in need.
(07:38):
Through their volunteer drivenmodel and innovative food rescue
programs, they turn everysingle dollar donated into $30
worth of food.
Now, that's amazing.
Join us in supporting thiscause To learn more or to give.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Go to MidwestFoodBankorg slash
Pennsylvania, I'm sure the goodnutrition that we had growing up
had something to do with it.
We had growing up had somethingto do with it.
Part of it's hereditary, Isuppose, except my parents did
not live to be old, but I had agrandmother that lived into her
(08:21):
90s and I have a brother thatlived into his 100s and and
several other brothers thatlived into their 90s.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
How old were your parents when they passed away?
Because you said they didn'tlive.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
They were in their 60s and 70s.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And your grandparents lived in their 90s at all.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I had a grandmother that lived into her 90s.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
yes, and when you say you think it's the diet, what
do you mean by that?
What did you guys eat?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We ate lots and lots of apples.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
That's the secret, guys, if you're listening, it's
the apples.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That was one of our snacks, like when we would come
home from school.
You know you're always hungry.
We would go to the fruit houseand get an apple to eat and we
knew where the different kind ofapples were located in the
fruit house.
And instead of going andgetting a candy bar somewhere,
(09:24):
we ate apples.
What was your favorite apple?
I think Golden Delicious isprobably my favorite.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Golden Delicious.
But I have others that I liketoo.
So you guys didn't eat too muchprocessed foods.
It was more like home-cookedmeals and things from the garden
, from the backyard.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
It was always home cooking, never processed food.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So you probably didn't get exposed to then a lot
of like the seed oil and allthe processing things that
people put in packaged food.
Nowadays that causes a lot ofhealth issues.
No, what has your dietconsisted of as an adult?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
I eat cereal with milk in the morning and I try to
eat a lot of fruit.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Is there fruit you stay away from, or you just eat
all sorts of fruits.
I just eat anything, okay.
And then what do you have forlunch and dinner typically?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I don't eat an evening meal.
I just eat my breakfast and mylunch.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Oh, so you do intermittent fasting, then,
whether you know it or not, Ieat a big lunch, a big lunch,
and have you always skippeddinner?
No, no.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
No, just the last five years, five, six years
maybe?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Hmm, that's interesting.
What about prior?
But I go to bed real early.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
How early.
Oh, you'd be surprised howearly I might go.
I might be in bed by sixo'clock in the evening, but I
might eat a reed in for a whileand I might not, depending on
how tired I am, I don't take anap during the day.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And then, what time do you get up in the morning?
Do you get up pretty early.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Anytime from five o'clock on.
It's usually about oh, maybe 6o'clock when I'm really moving
around, but I don't come out toget my breakfast until about
7.30.
I listen to the radio usuallyduring that time.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And then as far as lifestyle and exercise and
things like that, have you beenactive throughout your life?
Do you feel like I do exerciseevery morning, and what kind of
exercises do you do?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I lay on my bed and do mostly leg exercises.
It takes me now.
Now I say leg exercises, but Ido some sitting on the bed
bending over and that type ofthing.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
And what about earlier in your life, in your
adulthood, say in your 20s, 30s,40s?
Were you active or what wasyour life looking like?
I was always active yeah, andwhen you say you were active,
what does that mean to you?
Were you exercising at the gym?
(12:33):
Were you walking a lot?
What kind of activities wereyou involved in?
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Never went to the gym when I was that age, I walked a
lot, depending upon which partof my life it was.
When I was in college, wewalked a lot to get from one
class to another, and I bowledwhen I was in college.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And what did you go to school for?
What did you go to school for?
What did you go to college for?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
To become a home economist, and I was an
extension home economist, hiredright out of college and worked
for a while, and then I gotmarried and at that point you
were not allowed to work.
This is one of these old rulesthat women were not allowed to
(13:31):
work in extension after they gotmarried.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And how did you feel about that rule?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Well, we just there was no feeling about it, it was
just a rule you followed If yougot married you had to quit work
.
But then I went back into itagain after my family was pretty
well raised.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And what did you end up doing after your family?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
was raised, I was an extension home economist and we
were hired by Penn State.
Our job was to teach peopledifferent projects, different
areas of their home life, andalso work with the 4-H clubs and
also work with the 4-H clubs.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
So in studying longevity they identified a few
different pillars that arereally important for people to
live a long time and I'm curiousto see which one of the pillars
you were a part of your life.
So community and relationshipswas a really big, big pillar.
(14:47):
It's actually one of thegreatest pillars.
It outweighs exercising andeven diet.
How would you describecommunity and the people, your
friends, relationships?
What role did that play in yourlife?
It was very important.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You see, we had the 4-H clubs when we were in grade
school and we would get togetherwith these groups and you made
lots of friends that way, notonly in school but with these
activities for the 4-H club.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Forage Club.
And then, what about?
Did you have a friend communityas you were getting older, or
were you always really closewith your family?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I've always been close with my family.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
They've been very important as far as I'm
concerned, but you would saythat you had a pretty strong
sense of community throughoutyour life.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yes, yeah, and we've had reunions for many, many
years and all of us get togetherand our children and
grandchildren.
They just recently stopped it,but they were very much a part
of our life to have thesereunions once a year, and that
(16:09):
started when my mother died.
We thought we might not eversee each other again very often,
and so this is a way wecompensated for that, and it
worked out wonderful.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's beautiful, just continuing to reconnect
together on a yearly basis.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
We would go to different places to have these
reunions.
One year would be one place,another year another.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And so the other pillar of longevity, they say,
is purpose or meaning in life.
What would you say contributedto that pillar for you of either
meaning or purpose orcontribution?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Well, I've always liked to do things with people
(17:12):
and, to this point, I have apurpose every day that I do my
Bible study in the morning, myexercises and then, if nothing
else is scheduled, I do somesewing, and I sew for a mission
and the mission's located here,and what I do is I make unipads
for women and girls in countriesthat don't have the kind of
(17:41):
material that we have aroundhere, and they're called unipads
and hopefully I know I'mhelping a lot of women and girls
because I've made over 3,000 ofthem.
That's incredible.
(18:02):
I've been working at it forabout five years now.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So, on a daily basis, you get to your sewing machine
and you the sewing machine's setup all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yep, little portable sewing machine.
I make two or three or four aday.
Don't want to overdo it one day, because if I get tired then I
won't want to do it the next day.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Okay, so you know to keep your pace now, right?
Yep, I'm looking at them rightnow.
So what got you to start thatidea or this mission?
How did you get involved increating these for girls?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
There was an article in the paper about this mission
group and what they do and itsaid if they had any volunteers
they would be glad to havevolunteers.
And so the first time we wentit didn't pan out very good.
(19:06):
The group where we were goingto hopefully get the supplies
had moved that day and so itwasn't operating.
But then we went another timeand then there was another
article in a newspaper and so wewent that time and we really
(19:29):
got involved and my daughtergoes and picks up the kits
there's a kit of 25 in a packand I just do them and then
eventually she takes them back.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
She gets three or four or five packs a day when
she gets them, and so what it isis it provides it's a reusable
pad for menstrual cycle, correct, yeah?
And what is the name of themission that you contribute
these to?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
United Global Logistic Center.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Okay, and is there a particular country that these
paths get sent out to?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
No, they go to different countries Don't have
the kind of thing we have herein this country.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
That's incredible.
So you used what you went tocollege for, even now, at 103,
you're continuing to use thatgift, that skill set, and
contributing to people all overthe world.
I guess you could say thatthat's beautiful, rebecca.
Yeah, and so that, in a sense,gives you that purpose pillar
(20:52):
right.
So you get up every morning.
You know you got some things tosew to help impact people.
Yes, have you always usedsewing as a way to contribute,
or has there been other thingsthat you felt passionate about
throughout your life?
Speaker 2 (21:07):
oh, I used to sew clothes for my children all of
the time, like for Easter.
I always had the girls withtheir new outfits and always
enjoyed that.
So I've really enjoyed doingsewing projects.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Yeah, and now you get to do that.
Well, looking back at your life, do you have any regrets or
anything you feel you would havedone differently if you had to
do it all over again?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Oh, probably the one thing would be I gained too much
weight at one time and I tookit off, and then I gained it
again, and now I would say I'mokay now, Okay now.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I'm not skinny, but I still have energy to be able to
do things.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Is there something you wish you would have done in
your life that you didn't havethe opportunity to do, or maybe
didn't have the courage to do.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
I can't think of anything now.
What would you say is the onemessage that you'd love to pass
on to the listeners, if you wereto say anything at all?
That from your life, from yourexperiences, maybe a piece of
advice what would it be?
What you'd want to pass on tothe world?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Make sure that God's important to you.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, and that'll be it.
Huh, what do you feel likechanged the most since you were
a child in our world?
Speaker 2 (23:10):
People travel more than they used to.
They have more material thingsnow than they used to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
That would be it mostly, and is there anything
that you miss about back in theday compared to now?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
We didn't know what to root for.
We were always happy.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Oh, I see, If I were your granddaughter, what advice
would you give me today?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I have a granddaughter Several of them.
Study hard, make sure you doright things, not get involved
with the evil things of thisworld.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
That's about it.
That's about it.
Huh, be happy, be happy.
Would you say that you'refairly happy.
I'm happy.
Were you always fairly happy?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
yes, except when I lost loved ones.
That's the times in my lifethat I wouldn't be happy, but
basically, yes, I've been happy.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
And how do you stay happy, or what's your tip on
being happy?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
live a good life, have good friends would you say
that you enjoy life?
I enjoy life.
Yes, it's different than itused to be, but I still enjoy
life.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
And did you always enjoy life?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I don't know when I didn't yes.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Yeah, that's interesting because some of the
other people I interviewed alsosaid the same thing, and so I'm
wondering if there's acorrelation to longevity and
your outlook on life.
What do you think about that?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
I guess it would be possible.
I haven't had a lot of healthproblems like a lot too many
people have, so I'm sure thatcontributes to the way I feel.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and do you think there'ssomething that contributed to
you not having some of thehealth problems that other
people around you had that Iwouldn't know?
Health?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
problems that other people around you had that I
wouldn't know.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Well, you lived through so many different eras.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
What is or what was your favorite era that?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
you lived through.
I liked each other.
Is there any of them that standout to you specifically?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Each one had a good point and I can't say that one
was any better than the other.
They just all have been goodpoints.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
What about some of the harder eras, like living
through World War II, theDepression?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
I was in college when that happened and it did not
affect me too much, except myone brother had to go to do
alternative service doalternative service.
But other than that it reallydidn't affect me too much.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now, a lot of the men in college had to go, but that
didn't affect me.
And would you say, though, thatwas there a different mood in
the world at that time becauseof so much political unrest and
fear?
Was that prevalent around you?
Or was that not, as it didn'taffect me?
No, and why not, I don't know.
(27:55):
You just kept on keeping on Yep, focusing on keeping on Yep,
focusing on your school Yep.
That's amazing.
Right now, at 103,.
What do you think about themost?
I'm incredibly selective aboutthe supplements I choose for me
and my family, and SourSupNutrition Gummies by BeMe Beyond
(28:15):
Medicine have become a familyfavorite.
Not only are they packed withincredible benefits, but they're
so delicious that everyone inmy family enjoys them.
Introducing Soursop Cell PlusImmunity Gummies the first ever
physician-backed Soursopsupplements in the US, expertly
formulated with Soursop,elderberry and echinacea,
designed to enhance yourwell-being, experience the
(28:36):
benefits of soothinginflammation, balancing blood
sugars, relieving stress andanxiety and strengthening your
immune system.
Use my code, svetka, that'sS-V-E-T-K-A on
SoursupNutritioncom and get 5%off today.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Probably family Friends that I used to have that
I don't have anymore, aren'tliving anymore.
I can't do things like I usedto be able to.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I can't do things like I used to be able to.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And how does that make you feel it's just a part
of life, so you're not mad aboutit, I don't, it doesn't worry
me, I just know that that's partof life.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Hmm, so you just accept it.
You just accept it, yes, andjust do what you can Right With
what you can control.
It's out of my control.
Yeah, that's a really greatperspective to have.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
What is the hardest part about being your age?
Probably the physical part.
I have to use a walker to getaround, but that doesn't really
stop me too much.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
You still go on walks .
Speaker 2 (30:26):
No, not like I used to, but I can walk around the
house here just fine.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
What is your greatest wish?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
You don't want to know, uh-oh.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Is it it needs to be censored, or what is it?
No, I don't want to know.
Huh, can we get a pg version ofit?
Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Oh man, I'm curious now.
Now you got me really curiouswhat this wish of yours is.
So, Rebecca, I heard that youtaught classes for women on how
to sew and how old were you whenyou were doing these workshops?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh, this was after I was out of college.
It was part of my job.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
It was extension.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And how did you get started in that?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well, I was employed by Penn State and that was part
of my duties to do that type ofthing.
I was in charge of the clothingdepartment and so I would hold
classes and we had a newsletterthat went out to different
people in the county and I wouldannounce a class that I was
(32:18):
going to be teaching.
Anybody wanted to come to it,they could, and so we would
start out with depending uponwhich group it was, which part
of the county it was, because itwas a large county I would
teach started out with simplesewing and ended up with
(32:43):
tailoring, which was makingcoats and woolen garments very
stylish garments that they wouldmake.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
And you would help and teach to make suits as well.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I would teach that, yes, but I would do it by
demonstrating.
I would be making one, and thenthey would go home and make one
similar to that and then comeback for another class and do it
in different segments.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Wow, that's incredible.
I think we're missing some ofthat today, aren't we?
Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
And I saw also did a lot of demonstrating on canning
different kind of fruits andvegetables, whole workshops on
those, and the people wouldbring their jars.
Then I would have some extraand say somebody was there that
(33:50):
didn't have a jar, we might cansome tomatoes, or we might can
some peaches, or, depending uponwhat was in season, we'd use
the pressure canner for thevegetables because they had to
(34:11):
be processed in a pressurecanner.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
And where did you learn to can?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Well, my mother had taught me, but then when I was
working, we had trainingsessions and you learned the
actual dangers of the differentkind of processing through these
specialists that we had fromPenn State that would teach us
(34:46):
how to go out and teach thesethings.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
And so when you were growing up, your family lived in
a farm.
Is that correct?
Yes, and so during the WorldWar II period, were you guys
living off your farm?
Is that part of why your family?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
was not as affected.
I was in college most of thetime, but then my father had
died and my brother was takingover the farm and my mother I
guess you would say she had toadjust to living without a
husband, and so my brother askedif I would come home, and there
(35:26):
was an opening for a school inour little community which had
four grades in each littleschool, and this was the upper
grades, so it was fifth, sixthand seventh.
There were thankfully no eighthgraders that year, and so I
(35:51):
taught school, and one of mypupils was my youngest brother.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
So he has turned out to be a wonderful guy Thanks to
your teaching right, I hope Ihad a little influence on him.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Looking back in your life.
What would you say were some ofyour peak experiences?
Of course, getting togetherwith my family at our reunions.
We always just loved them.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Were there anything else that you feel like were a
highlight of your life?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
There were so many things that were highlights.
They just all were good.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
So, looking back on your life, you look at it that
it was mostly good.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yes, definitely I had some bad times.
Everybody does Lost twohusbands.
They were very sad times.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And what kept you together during those sad times.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You just know you have to keep on going.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Is that how you recovered grief or how did you
deal with grief with?
Speaker 2 (37:37):
loss.
Keep on going.
You had other people you had tothink about too.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
So just looking forward, not looking back.
Looking forward, not lookingback.
Yep, moving on.
Did you allow yourself space toprocess how you felt, to grieve
, to take time to process youremotions?
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, I think everybody does that.
You have to, you have to dealwith it, however you, however it
affects you, but it's just partof life and you keep on going,
(38:28):
you and you keep on going.
You have to keep on going.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Just talking to you for a short, brief time.
I'm already picking up thatthis is your mantra.
It's just life goes on.
You keep moving forward.
Yep, you see things from apositive perspective and just
life goes on.
Huh yeah, Did you have a mottoor phrase or something that was
(38:58):
kind of your pillar or yourNorth Star?
Speaker 2 (39:03):
I would think so.
I just knew you have to keepgoing.
You have other people to thinkabout and do what you can.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And from your siblings.
Where are you in the order ofyour siblings?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I had three older brothers and three younger
brothers.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
So you were the only girl, I was the only girl.
Oh wow, yeah, what was it liketo be the only girl with all the
boys.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
It was all right.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Did they pick on you?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Not really.
Most of them stuck up for me.
Oh, that's great.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, at this point of life, what matters the most
to you?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I can do what I want to when I want to, I think.
Try to keep on enjoying life.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
And what do you do now?
That, or how do you enjoy yourlife right now?
What are some activities orthings that you do that are
enjoyable to you?
Speaker 2 (40:12):
well, I do my exercises in the morning, do my
bible study, read the newspaper,then do my sewing.
Those are the major things thatI do in the mornings.
In the afternoon I read booksand I've read many, many books
(40:35):
in the last few years more thanI ever did the rest part of my
life.
And I do sadducees.
That's a little thing that Ispend time with.
Play Rummikub, if I havesomebody to play Rummikub with.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
That's a good game.
I like that one, do you?
Oh, come over any time, maybewe'll play a Rummikub yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Eat, of course.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
You like to eat.
What are some of your favoritethings to eat?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Oh, fruits and vegetables, main things,
desserts I like desserts.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So you don't deprive yourself from dessert, do you no
?
Speaker 2 (41:25):
No, I don't try to overdo it though.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
How often do you eat dessert?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Depends, depends on what you call dessert too,
probably at least every otherday.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Maybe more so?
You mentioned that you love toread.
What are some books that werethe most transformative for your
life?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
The books that I read are all for just joy.
Most of my books that I read Iwon't say most, I would say a
lot of them are Amish books,about the Amish families, and I
enjoy reading them.
But there are others too.
(42:17):
But I don't read the books tolearn anything, it's just for
enjoyment.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
No more learning books, it's just for enjoyment.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
No more learning books.
Right now I'm not reading any.
I just finished one the otherday.
It was a series of four booksand it was about the Northwest
in Canada and all the hardshipsthat they had to go through
(42:50):
there.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Do you read novels or what kind of genre?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Yes, novels.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Were you always an avid reader throughout your life
?
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I didn't used to read any more than what I was
required to as far as myschoolwork was concerned, and
then I was busy raising a familyand didn't have time then.
But I have lots of time now andI like to do reading.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Do you have favorite authors?
Speaker 2 (43:25):
I have a few labor law authors.
Yeah, a few of them.
What are they?
Jeanette Oaks, yeah, BeverlyLewis.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
Who have been the greatest influences in your life
, my mother's serve with God, Iwould think.
And who is God to you?
(44:00):
Who's God to you?
God, you say God is someonewho's influential in your life.
How would you describe God toyou?
Speaker 2 (44:17):
He's the most important person in my life.
How so, if it wouldn't be forhim, I wouldn't be here, and you
wouldn't either.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
And has that always been an important part of your
life?
Yes, your faith yes.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Yeah, yeah, we went to meeting every Sunday morning.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Was there something earlier in life that was
important to you that no longerseems important or is important
anymore?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
I don't know.
I just have accepted life as itcomes along and I can't think
of anything that I would havethought was important and isn't
important.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
I don't know how did you handle the time when your
children made their owndecisions?
Speaker 2 (45:19):
That never bothered me and I never had that problem.
It was time for them to grow up.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
So if your kids made decisions that were not perhaps
maybe some things that youdidn't agree with or were not in
line with your belief systems,how did you handle that?
Did you just let that go?
Or how was that for you?
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Yeah, probably that's what I did.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
Because there's some parents who feel that if my kids
are unhappy, then I'm unhappy.
Do you buy into that philosophyor do you have a different
philosophy when it comes toadult children?
Speaker 2 (46:09):
That was part of growing up, I guess, and they
made mistakes and you have todeal with it, so you hope that
eventually they will changetheir mind and become the good
person that they're supposed tobe.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
So you didn't allow that to affect you to a degree
that your mood, your state ofbeing, was negatively impacted
when they were going throughtheir choices.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Well, sure, it would impact me too, but not affect me
to the point that itdiscouraged me.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
So you just felt like you let them be their own
adults, their own people.
They get to make their choices.
Now that they're grown, youcan't make them for them.
What is the bravest thing thatRebecca has ever done?
The bravest?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
thing, mm-hmm, goodness, all right, I can think
of a co-worker, think of aco-worker, and she did some
pretty bad things as far as Iwas concerned, and my secretary
(47:44):
told me about it, which she hadwritten to our boss at Penn
State and said that I didn't dosomething, that she couldn't do
her things because I hadn't doneit.
But I had done it, but shehadn't done her part.
And the secretary told me aboutit.
(48:06):
I did nothing about it, though.
I just thought that is herproblem, not mine.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
So you would contribute that to be something
that was brave for you to do.
To ignore the Yep she wastrying to get you caught up in
the drama.
Huh, she was.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
But that was just because she didn't have hers
done.
Speaker 1 (48:33):
Mm-hmm, was there something else that you feel
like you did?
That required an act of courage.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
I didn't think of it as an act of courage.
I guess Things that I did.
What is your philosophy on life?
Do your best you can.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
Be as good a person as you can be.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
What is the best advice that someone gave you?
It's been so long ago.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
I can't remember Depends how long ago.
That's true, that's a good one.
Hmm, what about the one youcan't remember?
I want.
What about the one you can'tremember?
What's the most recent?
Something that maybe someonetold you, or maybe it's a piece
(49:59):
of advice you read somewhere.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
We just knew we were always supposed to behave and
that was just part of our livinggrowing up.
Do your best you can, but behonest about everything.
Be honest.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
And so in your life, did you drink alcohol or smoke?
No, neither one.
Neither one, no.
And you had a fairly healthydiet, eating from backyard,
eating fruits and vegetables.
Did you eat meat and dairy aswell?
Speaker 2 (50:40):
We always had meat at some time, but that's not my
favorite food.
It's not my favorite food.
It's not.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
I eat it, but I can eat small amounts and you enjoy
dessert.
Yep, that's a well-rounded dietright there folks.
Is there anything that you'dlike to share with the listener
(51:08):
that I have not asked you?
Speaker 2 (51:17):
Just be a good person .
Try to do things to help otherpeople.
What is a?
Speaker 1 (51:26):
good person.
What would be your definitionof a good person?
Try to do things to help otherpeople.
What is a good person?
Speaker 2 (51:32):
What would be your definition of a good person?
Live a clean life.
Don't steal, don't smoke, don'tdrink alcoholic beverages and
do good things right.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Yeah, what are some major differences, you see, from
how you were raised to how thecurrent generation is raising
their kids?
Speaker 2 (51:58):
Well, when we were raised, we had lots of work to
do right at home.
Lots of work to do right athome.
We were kept busy, but we werealso involved with organizations
like the Grange and 4-H.
(52:18):
Now I think sports takes amajor part of a lot of children
and there's nothing wrong withthat.
I think that's great.
But I think they're away fromhome more than we used to be.
(52:40):
If you don't live on a farm,you don't have all the
responsibilities of doing thefarm work, and now they just, of
course, they go to school.
But it's different.
They travel more than what wedid when we were children,
(53:04):
although we traveled some morethan what we did when we were
children, Although we traveledsome.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
We went to the World's Fair and different
things like that, and what hasthe farm taught you?
Speaker 2 (53:20):
You like the animals and you like your work.
Rebecca what is your favoritething about life?
Just having lots of goodfriends, I guess, being free,
having a good home.
Speaker 1 (53:48):
What is your least favorite thing about life?
What?
What's your least favoritething?
The thing that you like theleast?
Speaker 2 (54:01):
Not being able to walk without some help, but I'm
thankful for that walker yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
Well, I want to honor your time here.
And is there anything elseyou'd love to tell the listener,
whoever is listening, whereverthey're listening from?
We have people all around theworld who listen Anything.
You want to close with Anyclosing thoughts?
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I wish there could be peace on earth, all over the
world.
That would be my real majorthing that I would hope would
happen someday.
Speaker 1 (54:49):
That's beautiful.
Well, Rebecca, thank you somuch for your time.
It's been so fun talking to you.
And getting to know you.
Yeah, Thank you for listeningto the Once we Dare podcast.
It is an honor to share theseencouraging stories with you.
If you enjoy the show, I wouldlove for you to tell your
(55:09):
friends.
Leave us a reviewer rating andsubscribe to wherever you listen
to podcasts, because this helpsothers discover the show.
You can find me on my website,speckhopoffcom.
Thank you.
And so the other pillar of longevity, they say,
is purpose or meaning in life.
What would you say contributedto that pillar for you of either
meaning or purpose orcontribution?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Well, I've always liked to do things with people,
even to this point, even to thispoint, I have a purpose every
day that I do some sewing and Isew for a mission, and the
mission's located here.
What I do is I make unipads forwomen and girls in the
(00:41):
countries that don't have thekind of material that we have
around here, and they're calledunipads and hopefully I know I'm
helping a lot of women andgirls because I've made over
(01:02):
3,000 of them.
That's incredible.
I've been working 3,000 of them.
That's incredible.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I've been working at it for about five years now.
Hey friends, welcome to theOnes who Dare podcast, where
stories of courage are elevated.
I'm your host, becca, and everyother week you'll hear
interviews from inspiring people.
My hope is that you will leaveencouraged.
(01:29):
I'm so glad you're here.
Rebecca Drake welcomes to theOnce With your Podcast.
I am so excited for thisinterview.
You are 103.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's right.
How does it feel to be 103?
Oh, I don't know.
It has just crept up on me andI don't know that I feel too
much different than what I did acouple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, and that's what people say.
They say that they don't feelany different, right.
It's different than what I dida couple of years ago.
Yeah, and that's what peoplesay.
They say that they don't feelany different, right.
It's like how old do you feelinside?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Some people say 60 and 70, so I guess I'm older
than that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, and some people just say, pick a number and
then you just tell people you'rethat age.
There's one lady who's in her90s and she tells people she's
29 because that's the number shepicked.
You, as a lot of people wantedto hear from you as well, on
(02:50):
just all the different periodsthat you have experienced in the
103 years of life.
You went through the GreatDepression, world War II.
There's so much that hashappened in your lifetime and so
it's such a privilege to beable to sit across from you and
ask you some of these questions,and I'm curious to see and to
know through all the differentdecades that you've experienced,
(03:13):
how have you held on to hope orhave you continued to carry on,
even when the Depression wasthere, world War II, all the
different eras that were reallydifficult?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, I started out with a family when I was a girl,
and that was very important tome and it still is.
I had six brothers.
Three were older than threewere younger.
We lived on a farm and we allworked and we had cows to milk
(03:52):
and it really was a fruit farm.
So my father raised apples andpeaches and pears a few pears
and a few plums and of course mymother had to take care of the
(04:13):
house and I helped her a lot.
But I also helped out as far asmilking was concerned.
When I started to school I hadto start milking cows and I
helped as far as pickingcherries, but other than that I
didn't do much outside work.
(04:33):
I was helping my mother.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And how old were you when you were involved in the
household chores?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Well, I started milking when I went to first
grade and from there on, Imilked as long as I was at home.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Wow, that's incredible.
What was your childhood like,besides the chores?
What was your childhood like?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
It was fun.
I used to have a swing that myfather had fixed in a tree out
in the front yard and when Iwasn't busy we would go out and
I would swing by myself.
But I enjoyed just being therewith my swing and swinging back
(05:25):
and forth.
But I also did some otherthings.
I learned to sew through 4-Hclubs and that's one of the
things that I've carried with methe rest of my life.
I like to sew, use the sewingmachine.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
What is your favorite memory from your childhood?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Oh, I had so many of them.
Just on Sunday we went to aQuaker meeting and it was a
small group and we always lookedforward to that and I liked to
(06:14):
milk cows and just being a partof a family.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Yeah, so you enjoyed that part.
You enjoyed being together,being on the farm, doing work,
sharing the load.
Yes, yeah, how would you sayyour childhood is different from
childhoods today?
That you see?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
We were a family then and everybody stuck together.
Now everybody's off doing theirown things someplace else.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
And would you say you're more of an optimist or a
pessimist, by nature orpersonality?
Probably an optimist.
You're always smiling.
Ever since I came here, you'resmiling.
And yeah, so you're 103 at thispoint.
What would you say contributedto your long life At the Once
(07:16):
For A Year podcast?
Giving back is part of ourmission, which is why we proudly
sponsor Midwest Food Bank.
Here's why Midwest Food BankPennsylvania distributes over
$25 million worth of foodannually, completely free of
charge, to over 200 nonprofitpartners across PA, new York and
New Jersey, reaching more than330,000 people in need.
(07:38):
Through their volunteer drivenmodel and innovative food rescue
programs, they turn everysingle dollar donated into $30
worth of food.
Now, that's amazing.
Join us in supporting thiscause To learn more or to give.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Go to MidwestFoodBankorg slash
Pennsylvania, I'm sure the goodnutrition that we had growing up
had something to do with it.
We had growing up had somethingto do with it.
Part of it's hereditary, Isuppose, except my parents did
not live to be old, but I had agrandmother that lived into her
(08:21):
90s and I have a brother thatlived into his 100s and and
several other brothers thatlived into their 90s.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
How old were your parents when they passed away?
Because you said they didn'tlive.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
They were in their 60s and 70s.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
And your grandparents lived in their 90s at all.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
I had a grandmother that lived into her 90s.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
yes, and when you say you think it's the diet, what
do you mean by that?
What did you guys eat?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We ate lots and lots of apples.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
That's the secret, guys, if you're listening, it's
the apples.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That was one of our snacks, like when we would come
home from school.
You know you're always hungry.
We would go to the fruit houseand get an apple to eat and we
knew where the different kind ofapples were located in the
fruit house.
And instead of going andgetting a candy bar somewhere,
(09:24):
we ate apples.
What was your favorite apple?
I think Golden Delicious isprobably my favorite.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Golden Delicious.
But I have others that I liketoo.
So you guys didn't eat too muchprocessed foods.
It was more like home-cookedmeals and things from the garden
, from the backyard.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
It was always home cooking, never processed food.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So you probably didn't get exposed to then a lot
of like the seed oil and allthe processing things that
people put in packaged food.
Nowadays that causes a lot ofhealth issues.
No, what has your dietconsisted of as an adult?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
I eat cereal with milk in the morning and I try to
eat a lot of fruit.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Is there fruit you stay away from, or you just eat
all sorts of fruits.
I just eat anything, okay.
And then what do you have forlunch and dinner typically?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I don't eat an evening meal.
I just eat my breakfast and mylunch.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Oh, so you do intermittent fasting, then,
whether you know it or not, Ieat a big lunch, a big lunch,
and have you always skippeddinner?
No, no.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
No, just the last five years, five, six years
maybe?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Hmm, that's interesting.
What about prior?
But I go to bed real early.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
How early.
Oh, you'd be surprised howearly I might go.
I might be in bed by sixo'clock in the evening, but I
might eat a reed in for a whileand I might not, depending on
how tired I am, I don't take anap during the day.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And then, what time do you get up in the morning?
Do you get up pretty early.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Anytime from five o'clock on.
It's usually about oh, maybe 6o'clock when I'm really moving
around, but I don't come out toget my breakfast until about
7.30.
I listen to the radio usuallyduring that time.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
And then as far as lifestyle and exercise and
things like that, have you beenactive throughout your life?
Do you feel like I do exerciseevery morning, and what kind of
exercises do you do?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I lay on my bed and do mostly leg exercises.
It takes me now.
Now I say leg exercises, but Ido some sitting on the bed
bending over and that type ofthing.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
And what about earlier in your life, in your
adulthood, say in your 20s, 30s,40s?
Were you active or what wasyour life looking like?
I was always active yeah, andwhen you say you were active,
what does that mean to you?
Were you exercising at the gym?
(12:33):
Were you walking a lot?
What kind of activities wereyou involved in?
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Never went to the gym when I was that age, I walked a
lot, depending upon which partof my life it was.
When I was in college, wewalked a lot to get from one
class to another, and I bowledwhen I was in college.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And what did you go to school for?
What did you go to school for?
What did you go to college for?
Speaker 2 (13:08):
To become a home economist, and I was an
extension home economist, hiredright out of college and worked
for a while, and then I gotmarried and at that point you
were not allowed to work.
This is one of these old rulesthat women were not allowed to
(13:31):
work in extension after they gotmarried.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And how did you feel about that rule?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Well, we just there was no feeling about it, it was
just a rule you followed If yougot married you had to quit work
.
But then I went back into itagain after my family was pretty
well raised.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And what did you end up doing after your family?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
was raised, I was an extension home economist and we
were hired by Penn State.
Our job was to teach peopledifferent projects, different
areas of their home life, andalso work with the 4-H clubs and
also work with the 4-H clubs.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
So in studying longevity they identified a few
different pillars that arereally important for people to
live a long time and I'm curiousto see which one of the pillars
you were a part of your life.
So community and relationshipswas a really big, big pillar.
(14:47):
It's actually one of thegreatest pillars.
It outweighs exercising andeven diet.
How would you describecommunity and the people, your
friends, relationships?
What role did that play in yourlife?
It was very important.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
You see, we had the 4-H clubs when we were in grade
school and we would get togetherwith these groups and you made
lots of friends that way, notonly in school but with these
activities for the 4-H club.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Forage Club.
And then, what about?
Did you have a friend communityas you were getting older, or
were you always really closewith your family?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I've always been close with my family.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
They've been very important as far as I'm
concerned, but you would saythat you had a pretty strong
sense of community throughoutyour life.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yes, yeah, and we've had reunions for many, many
years and all of us get togetherand our children and
grandchildren.
They just recently stopped it,but they were very much a part
of our life to have thesereunions once a year, and that
(16:09):
started when my mother died.
We thought we might not eversee each other again very often,
and so this is a way wecompensated for that, and it
worked out wonderful.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's beautiful, just continuing to reconnect
together on a yearly basis.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
We would go to different places to have these
reunions.
One year would be one place,another year another.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And so the other pillar of longevity, they say,
is purpose or meaning in life.
What would you say contributedto that pillar for you of either
meaning or purpose orcontribution?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Well, I've always liked to do things with people
(17:12):
and, to this point, I have apurpose every day that I do my
Bible study in the morning, myexercises and then, if nothing
else is scheduled, I do somesewing, and I sew for a mission
and the mission's located here,and what I do is I make unipads
for women and girls in countriesthat don't have the kind of
(17:41):
material that we have aroundhere, and they're called unipads
and hopefully I know I'mhelping a lot of women and girls
because I've made over 3,000 ofthem.
That's incredible.
(18:02):
I've been working at it forabout five years now.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So, on a daily basis, you get to your sewing machine
and you the sewing machine's setup all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yep, little portable sewing machine.
I make two or three or four aday.
Don't want to overdo it one day, because if I get tired then I
won't want to do it the next day.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Okay, so you know to keep your pace now, right?
Yep, I'm looking at them rightnow.
So what got you to start thatidea or this mission?
How did you get involved increating these for girls?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
There was an article in the paper about this mission
group and what they do and itsaid if they had any volunteers
they would be glad to havevolunteers.
And so the first time we wentit didn't pan out very good.
(19:06):
The group where we were goingto hopefully get the supplies
had moved that day and so itwasn't operating.
But then we went another timeand then there was another
article in a newspaper and so wewent that time and we really
(19:29):
got involved and my daughtergoes and picks up the kits
there's a kit of 25 in a packand I just do them and then
eventually she takes them back.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
She gets three or four or five packs a day when
she gets them, and so what it isis it provides it's a reusable
pad for menstrual cycle, correct, yeah?
And what is the name of themission that you contribute
these to?
Speaker 2 (20:09):
United Global Logistic Center.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Okay, and is there a particular country that these
paths get sent out to?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
No, they go to different countries Don't have
the kind of thing we have herein this country.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
That's incredible.
So you used what you went tocollege for, even now, at 103,
you're continuing to use thatgift, that skill set, and
contributing to people all overthe world.
I guess you could say thatthat's beautiful, rebecca.
Yeah, and so that, in a sense,gives you that purpose pillar
(20:52):
right.
So you get up every morning.
You know you got some things tosew to help impact people.
Yes, have you always usedsewing as a way to contribute,
or has there been other thingsthat you felt passionate about
throughout your life?
Speaker 2 (21:07):
oh, I used to sew clothes for my children all of
the time, like for Easter.
I always had the girls withtheir new outfits and always
enjoyed that.
So I've really enjoyed doingsewing projects.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Yeah, and now you get to do that.
Well, looking back at your life, do you have any regrets or
anything you feel you would havedone differently if you had to
do it all over again?
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Oh, probably the one thing would be I gained too much
weight at one time and I tookit off, and then I gained it
again, and now I would say I'mokay now, Okay now.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I'm not skinny, but I still have energy to be able to
do things.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Is there something you wish you would have done in
your life that you didn't havethe opportunity to do, or maybe
didn't have the courage to do.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
I can't think of anything now.
What would you say is the onemessage that you'd love to pass
on to the listeners, if you wereto say anything at all?
That from your life, from yourexperiences, maybe a piece of
advice what would it be?
What you'd want to pass on tothe world?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Make sure that God's important to you.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, and that'll be it.
Huh, what do you feel likechanged the most since you were
a child in our world?
Speaker 2 (23:10):
People travel more than they used to.
They have more material thingsnow than they used to.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
That would be it mostly, and is there anything
that you miss about back in theday compared to now?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
We didn't know what to root for.
We were always happy.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Oh, I see, If I were your granddaughter, what advice
would you give me today?
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I have a granddaughter Several of them.
Study hard, make sure you doright things, not get involved
with the evil things of thisworld.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
That's about it.
That's about it.
Huh, be happy, be happy.
Would you say that you'refairly happy.
I'm happy.
Were you always fairly happy?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
yes, except when I lost loved ones.
That's the times in my lifethat I wouldn't be happy, but
basically, yes, I've been happy.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
And how do you stay happy, or what's your tip on
being happy?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
live a good life, have good friends would you say
that you enjoy life?
I enjoy life.
Yes, it's different than itused to be, but I still enjoy
life.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
And did you always enjoy life?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I don't know when I didn't yes.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Yeah, that's interesting because some of the
other people I interviewed alsosaid the same thing, and so I'm
wondering if there's acorrelation to longevity and
your outlook on life.
What do you think about that?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
I guess it would be possible.
I haven't had a lot of healthproblems like a lot too many
people have, so I'm sure thatcontributes to the way I feel.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and do you think there'ssomething that contributed to
you not having some of thehealth problems that other
people around you had that Iwouldn't know?
Health?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
problems that other people around you had that I
wouldn't know.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
Well, you lived through so many different eras.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
What is or what was your favorite era that?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
you lived through.
I liked each other.
Is there any of them that standout to you specifically?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Each one had a good point and I can't say that one
was any better than the other.
They just all have been goodpoints.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
What about some of the harder eras, like living
through World War II, theDepression?
Speaker 2 (27:04):
I was in college when that happened and it did not
affect me too much, except myone brother had to go to do
alternative service doalternative service.
But other than that it reallydidn't affect me too much.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now, a lot of the men in college had to go, but that
didn't affect me.
And would you say, though, thatwas there a different mood in
the world at that time becauseof so much political unrest and
fear?
Was that prevalent around you?
Or was that not, as it didn'taffect me?
No, and why not, I don't know.
(27:55):
You just kept on keeping on Yep, focusing on keeping on Yep,
focusing on your school Yep.
That's amazing.
Right now, at 103,.
What do you think about themost?
I'm incredibly selective aboutthe supplements I choose for me
and my family, and SourSupNutrition Gummies by BeMe Beyond
(28:15):
Medicine have become a familyfavorite.
Not only are they packed withincredible benefits, but they're
so delicious that everyone inmy family enjoys them.
Introducing Soursop Cell PlusImmunity Gummies the first ever
physician-backed Soursopsupplements in the US, expertly
formulated with Soursop,elderberry and echinacea,
designed to enhance yourwell-being, experience the
(28:36):
benefits of soothinginflammation, balancing blood
sugars, relieving stress andanxiety and strengthening your
immune system.
Use my code, svetka, that'sS-V-E-T-K-A on
SoursupNutritioncom and get 5%off today.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Probably family Friends that I used to have that
I don't have anymore, aren'tliving anymore.
I can't do things like I usedto be able to.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I can't do things like I used to be able to.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And how does that make you feel it's just a part
of life, so you're not mad aboutit, I don't, it doesn't worry
me, I just know that that's partof life.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Hmm, so you just accept it.
You just accept it, yes, andjust do what you can Right With
what you can control.
It's out of my control.
Yeah, that's a really greatperspective to have.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
What is the hardest part about being your age?
Probably the physical part.
I have to use a walker to getaround, but that doesn't really
stop me too much.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
You still go on walks .
Speaker 2 (30:26):
No, not like I used to, but I can walk around the
house here just fine.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
What is your greatest wish?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
You don't want to know, uh-oh.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Is it it needs to be censored, or what is it?
No, I don't want to know.
Huh, can we get a pg version ofit?
Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Oh man, I'm curious now.
Now you got me really curiouswhat this wish of yours is.
So, Rebecca, I heard that youtaught classes for women on how
to sew and how old were you whenyou were doing these workshops?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh, this was after I was out of college.
It was part of my job.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
It was extension.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And how did you get started in that?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well, I was employed by Penn State and that was part
of my duties to do that type ofthing.
I was in charge of the clothingdepartment and so I would hold
classes and we had a newsletterthat went out to different
people in the county and I wouldannounce a class that I was
(32:18):
going to be teaching.
Anybody wanted to come to it,they could, and so we would
start out with depending uponwhich group it was, which part
of the county it was, because itwas a large county I would
teach started out with simplesewing and ended up with
(32:43):
tailoring, which was makingcoats and woolen garments very
stylish garments that they wouldmake.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
And you would help and teach to make suits as well.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I would teach that, yes, but I would do it by
demonstrating.
I would be making one, and thenthey would go home and make one
similar to that and then comeback for another class and do it
in different segments.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Wow, that's incredible.
I think we're missing some ofthat today, aren't we?
Yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
And I saw also did a lot of demonstrating on canning
different kind of fruits andvegetables, whole workshops on
those, and the people wouldbring their jars.
Then I would have some extraand say somebody was there that
(33:50):
didn't have a jar, we might cansome tomatoes, or we might can
some peaches, or, depending uponwhat was in season, we'd use
the pressure canner for thevegetables because they had to
(34:11):
be processed in a pressurecanner.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
And where did you learn to can?
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Well, my mother had taught me, but then when I was
working, we had trainingsessions and you learned the
actual dangers of the differentkind of processing through these
specialists that we had fromPenn State that would teach us
(34:46):
how to go out and teach thesethings.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
And so when you were growing up, your family lived in
a farm.
Is that correct?
Yes, and so during the WorldWar II period, were you guys
living off your farm?
Is that part of why your family?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
was not as affected.
I was in college most of thetime, but then my father had
died and my brother was takingover the farm and my mother I
guess you would say she had toadjust to living without a
husband, and so my brother askedif I would come home, and there
(35:26):
was an opening for a school inour little community which had
four grades in each littleschool, and this was the upper
grades, so it was fifth, sixthand seventh.
There were thankfully no eighthgraders that year, and so I
(35:51):
taught school, and one of mypupils was my youngest brother.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
So he has turned out to be a wonderful guy Thanks to
your teaching right, I hope Ihad a little influence on him.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Looking back in your life.
What would you say were some ofyour peak experiences?
Of course, getting togetherwith my family at our reunions.
We always just loved them.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Were there anything else that you feel like were a
highlight of your life?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
There were so many things that were highlights.
They just all were good.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
So, looking back on your life, you look at it that
it was mostly good.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yes, definitely I had some bad times.
Everybody does Lost twohusbands.
They were very sad times.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
And what kept you together during those sad times.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You just know you have to keep on going.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Is that how you recovered grief or how did you
deal with grief with?
Speaker 2 (37:37):
loss.
Keep on going.
You had other people you had tothink about too.
Speaker 1 (37:47):
So just looking forward, not looking back.
Looking forward, not lookingback.
Yep, moving on.
Did you allow yourself space toprocess how you felt, to grieve
, to take time to process youremotions?
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, I think everybody does that.
You have to, you have to dealwith it, however you, however it
affects you, but it's just partof life and you keep on going,
(38:28):
you and you keep on going.
You have to keep on going.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
Just talking to you for a short, brief time.
I'm already picking up thatthis is your mantra.
It's just life goes on.
You keep moving forward.
Yep, you see things from apositive perspective and just
life goes on.
Huh yeah, Did you have a mottoor phrase or something that was
(38:58):
kind of your pillar or yourNorth Star?
Speaker 2 (39:03):
I would think so.
I just knew you have to keepgoing.
You have other people to thinkabout and do what you can.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And from your siblings.
Where are you in the order ofyour siblings?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
I had three older brothers and three younger
brothers.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
So you were the only girl, I was the only girl.
Oh wow, yeah, what was it liketo be the only girl with all the
boys.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
It was all right.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Did they pick on you?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Not really.
Most of them stuck up for me.
Oh, that's great.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, at this point of life, what matters the most
to you?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
I can do what I want to when I want to, I think.
Try to keep on enjoying life.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
And what do you do now?
That, or how do you enjoy yourlife right now?
What are some activities orthings that you do that are
enjoyable to you?
Speaker 2 (40:12):
well, I do my exercises in the morning, do my
bible study, read the newspaper,then do my sewing.
Those are the major things thatI do in the mornings.
In the afternoon I read booksand I've read many, many books
(40:35):
in the last few years more thanI ever did the rest part of my
life.
And I do sadducees.
That's a little thing that Ispend time with.
Play Rummikub, if I havesomebody to play Rummikub with.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
That's a good game.
I like that one, do you?
Oh, come over any time, maybewe'll play a Rummikub yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Eat, of course.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
You like to eat.
What are some of your favoritethings to eat?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Oh, fruits and vegetables, main things,
desserts I like desserts.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
So you don't deprive yourself from dessert, do you no
?
Speaker 2 (41:25):
No, I don't try to overdo it though.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
How often do you eat dessert?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Depends, depends on what you call dessert too,
probably at least every otherday.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
Maybe more so?
You mentioned that you love toread.
What are some books that werethe most transformative for your
life?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
The books that I read are all for just joy.
Most of my books that I read Iwon't say most, I would say a
lot of them are Amish books,about the Amish families, and I
enjoy reading them.
But there are others too.
(42:17):
But I don't read the books tolearn anything, it's just for
enjoyment.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
No more learning books, it's just for enjoyment.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
No more learning books.
Right now I'm not reading any.
I just finished one the otherday.
It was a series of four booksand it was about the Northwest
in Canada and all the hardshipsthat they had to go through
(42:50):
there.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Do you read novels or what kind of genre?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Yes, novels.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Were you always an avid reader throughout your life
?
Speaker 2 (43:04):
I didn't used to read any more than what I was
required to as far as myschoolwork was concerned, and
then I was busy raising a familyand didn't have time then.
But I have lots of time now andI like to do reading.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Do you have favorite authors?
Speaker 2 (43:25):
I have a few labor law authors.
Yeah, a few of them.
What are they?
Jeanette Oaks, yeah, BeverlyLewis.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
Who have been the greatest influences in your life
, my mother's serve with God, Iwould think.
And who is God to you?
(44:00):
Who's God to you?
God, you say God is someonewho's influential in your life.
How would you describe God toyou?
Speaker 2 (44:17):
He's the most important person in my life.
How so, if it wouldn't be forhim, I wouldn't be here, and you
wouldn't either.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
And has that always been an important part of your
life?
Yes, your faith yes.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Yeah, yeah, we went to meeting every Sunday morning.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Was there something earlier in life that was
important to you that no longerseems important or is important
anymore?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
I don't know.
I just have accepted life as itcomes along and I can't think
of anything that I would havethought was important and isn't
important.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
I don't know how did you handle the time when your
children made their owndecisions?
Speaker 2 (45:19):
That never bothered me and I never had that problem.
It was time for them to grow up.
Speaker 1 (45:29):
So if your kids made decisions that were not perhaps
maybe some things that youdidn't agree with or were not in
line with your belief systems,how did you handle that?
Did you just let that go?
Or how was that for you?
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Yeah, probably that's what I did.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
Because there's some parents who feel that if my kids
are unhappy, then I'm unhappy.
Do you buy into that philosophyor do you have a different
philosophy when it comes toadult children?
Speaker 2 (46:09):
That was part of growing up, I guess, and they
made mistakes and you have todeal with it, so you hope that
eventually they will changetheir mind and become the good
person that they're supposed tobe.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
So you didn't allow that to affect you to a degree
that your mood, your state ofbeing, was negatively impacted
when they were going throughtheir choices.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Well, sure, it would impact me too, but not affect me
to the point that itdiscouraged me.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
So you just felt like you let them be their own
adults, their own people.
They get to make their choices.
Now that they're grown, youcan't make them for them.
What is the bravest thing thatRebecca has ever done?
The bravest?
Speaker 2 (47:16):
thing, mm-hmm, goodness, all right, I can think
of a co-worker, think of aco-worker, and she did some
pretty bad things as far as Iwas concerned, and my secretary
(47:44):
told me about it, which she hadwritten to our boss at Penn
State and said that I didn't dosomething, that she couldn't do
her things because I hadn't doneit.
But I had done it, but shehadn't done her part.
And the secretary told me aboutit.
(48:06):
I did nothing about it, though.
I just thought that is herproblem, not mine.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
So you would contribute that to be something
that was brave for you to do.
To ignore the Yep she wastrying to get you caught up in
the drama.
Huh, she was.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
But that was just because she didn't have hers
done.
Speaker 1 (48:33):
Mm-hmm, was there something else that you feel
like you did?
That required an act of courage.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
I didn't think of it as an act of courage.
I guess Things that I did.
What is your philosophy on life?
Do your best you can.
Speaker 1 (49:13):
Be as good a person as you can be.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
What is the best advice that someone gave you?
It's been so long ago.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
I can't remember Depends how long ago.
That's true, that's a good one.
Hmm, what about the one youcan't remember?
I want.
What about the one you can'tremember?
What's the most recent?
Something that maybe someonetold you, or maybe it's a piece
(49:59):
of advice you read somewhere.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (50:04):
We just knew we were always supposed to behave and
that was just part of our livinggrowing up.
Do your best you can, but behonest about everything.
Be honest.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
And so in your life, did you drink alcohol or smoke?
No, neither one.
Neither one, no.
And you had a fairly healthydiet, eating from backyard,
eating fruits and vegetables.
Did you eat meat and dairy aswell?
Speaker 2 (50:40):
We always had meat at some time, but that's not my
favorite food.
It's not my favorite food.
It's not.
Speaker 1 (50:47):
I eat it, but I can eat small amounts and you enjoy
dessert.
Yep, that's a well-rounded dietright there folks.
Is there anything that you'dlike to share with the listener
(51:08):
that I have not asked you?
Speaker 2 (51:17):
Just be a good person .
Try to do things to help otherpeople.
What is a?
Speaker 1 (51:26):
good person.
What would be your definitionof a good person?
Try to do things to help otherpeople.
What is a good person?
Speaker 2 (51:32):
What would be your definition of a good person?
Live a clean life.
Don't steal, don't smoke, don'tdrink alcoholic beverages and
do good things right.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Yeah, what are some major differences, you see, from
how you were raised to how thecurrent generation is raising
their kids?
Speaker 2 (51:58):
Well, when we were raised, we had lots of work to
do right at home.
Lots of work to do right athome.
We were kept busy, but we werealso involved with organizations
like the Grange and 4-H.
(52:18):
Now I think sports takes amajor part of a lot of children
and there's nothing wrong withthat.
I think that's great.
But I think they're away fromhome more than we used to be.
(52:40):
If you don't live on a farm,you don't have all the
responsibilities of doing thefarm work, and now they just, of
course, they go to school.
But it's different.
They travel more than what wedid when we were children,
(53:04):
although we traveled some morethan what we did when we were
children, Although we traveledsome.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
We went to the World's Fair and different
things like that, and what hasthe farm taught you?
Speaker 2 (53:20):
You like the animals and you like your work.
Rebecca what is your favoritething about life?
Just having lots of goodfriends, I guess, being free,
having a good home.
Speaker 1 (53:48):
What is your least favorite thing about life?
What?
What's your least favoritething?
The thing that you like theleast?
Speaker 2 (54:01):
Not being able to walk without some help, but I'm
thankful for that walker yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:13):
Well, I want to honor your time here.
And is there anything elseyou'd love to tell the listener,
whoever is listening, whereverthey're listening from?
We have people all around theworld who listen Anything.
You want to close with Anyclosing thoughts?
Speaker 2 (54:33):
I wish there could be peace on earth, all over the
world.
That would be my real majorthing that I would hope would
happen someday.
Speaker 1 (54:49):
That's beautiful.
Well, Rebecca, thank you somuch for your time.
It's been so fun talking to you.
And getting to know you.
Yeah, Thank you for listeningto the Once we Dare podcast.
It is an honor to share theseencouraging stories with you.
If you enjoy the show, I wouldlove for you to tell your
(55:09):
friends.
Leave us a reviewer rating andsubscribe to wherever you listen
to podcasts, because this helpsothers discover the show.
You can find me on my website,speckhopoffcom.
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.