Bedford Township resident Myrna Keagle is defying the odds. With her 100th birthday just a few weeks away, she is living on her own in the same house she has called home for more than 7 decades. Healthy choices throughout her life, combined with luck and the grace of God, have allowed her to live a long life as she continues to enjoy independence, a century after she was born.
Technology has brought about an abundance of changes in Myrna’s lifetime, including modifications in modes of travel, systems of communication, modern medicine, and the way we live our daily lives. Some of the details that Myrna shared about her early life paint a picture of these changes. “I was born September 24, 1925, on our farm outside of Union City to Vera and Harry McCracken,” Myrna commented. “I was the oldest of 5 children with 2 brothers, Morris and Harold, and 2 sisters, Lovone and Marilynn. We left the farm when I was 5 years old and moved to Battle Creek when Mom started working at Post. I remember when I was a child, spending hours and hours outside playing with my brothers and sisters. I was always the boss of the clan and was put in charge of babysitting for my siblings. My mom bought me a bicycle at the end of one of my summer vacations to pay me for babysitting my siblings. The bicycle was one of my favorite toys and something that I used quite often.”
Both of Myrna’s parents worked, which was quite rare at that time. “My dad was a music teacher,” she shared. “He taught private lessons at the houses of his clients. He also worked at Eaton’s later on. Although Dad enjoyed music, I never had time for it. I always wanted to be outdoors.” Myrna enjoyed her free time and playing outside more than being a student. “I went to elementary school at Post Elementary,” Myrna stated. “School was always hard for me, but I was always well-behaved. I graduated from Battle Creek Central in 1944. One of my memories from childhood was walking to school each day with my siblings. There was a boy who always picked on my brother on our walks to school. I finally had a little talk with him and put an end to him picking on my brother.”
Life was simple during the time that Myrna was growing up. “We had a telephone in our house,” Myrna said. “We didn’t have a TV growing up. My first experience with a TV came when I was an adult, after our first child was born. We listened to the radio a lot.”
Myra met the love of her life as a teenager. “I started dating Donald Keagle while I was in high school. He was two years older than me. He didn’t graduate from school and started working at a local factory, AB Stove Company, when he was a teenager. We were married the August after I graduated from high school. My father passed away during this time, so we lived with Mom for a year or so, and paid her rent.” Myra went to work briefly after graduating. She reflected on this. “After high school, I worked at Olivers, a local farm equipment factory, for a while, in the mailroom and as a switchboard operator. Ronald, our firstborn born was born in March of 1945. After this, I stayed at home to raise our kids.” Myrna and Donald were blessed with the birth of Kenny in 1946 and Donald in 1956.
When Ronald and Donald became school age, Myrna and her family found their own place to live. “We lived on a farm near Climax after we moved from Mom’s house and stayed there a year,” Myrna explained. “During that time, Ronald and Donald went to school at West LeRoy Elementary. From there, we moved to a house on McKinley Avenue.” Ronald became ill when he was 8 years old. Myrna talked about this. “When Ronald was 8 years old, he developed rheumatic fever. He had to stay in bed and was restricted to no activity for 6 months to protect his heart. There was no medicine. Complete rest was all that he could do.” Although Ronald was stuck in bed, he still kept up with his studies. “When I had rheumatic fever, my teachers sent my schoolwork home for me,” Ronald said. “It took a little bit to gain my strength after I was allowed to get out of bed again.”
Eventually, Myrna and her family would move to the house she has lived in for much of her life. She recalled the details of this. “In 1953, we moved into the house I currently live in in Bedford Township. We started looking for houses to buy. We found that they were pretty expensive, so Don decided we would buy a lot and build a house. He built the house himself. It took him about a year.” Myrna and Don’s house was the first one to go up in the neighborhood. “Our lot was just in a field, so the township had to put in a road,” Myrna explained. “Since our house was the first on the road, I got to name the road. I decided Tulip Tree Lane would be a good name.”
Myrna has out-lived Donald senior, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 91, and Kenny, their 2nd oldest child, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 74. All of her siblings have also passed away. Myrna is still able to live in the house that Don built back in 1953. For someone soon to be a centenarian, Myrna’s level of independence is amazing. Although she lives by herself, she has help from her son Ronald and his wife, Margaret. Margaret offered her theories about her mother-in-law being able to live a long, productive life. “For 40-some years, she has taken a nap every day,” Margaret said. “She also rides her trike every day as the weather allows, and drinks a glass of milk with each meal every day. She does indulge in a little dish of ice cream every night. Tootsie rolls are also a favorite treat.” Myrna is still able to care for herself. She does her own laundry and walks without a cane. Margaret and Ronald check in on her daily. “When she decided to stop driving, it was nice for us, because we didn’t want to force her into this,” Margaret explained. “I take her shopping at least once a week. We usually have lunch when we are out. I also take her to doctors' appointments and to get her hair done. We bring in meals or cook for her. She also gets meals 7 days a week from Meals on Wheels.”
Myrna has dealt with a few health scares, including some broken bones from some falls and surviving cancer 15 years ago, but these have simply been bumps in the road and have not impacted her longevity and level of independence. Myrna just tries to keep moving every day. “I think to live a long life, you must always be active,” she suggested.
Myrna’s family is planning a special birthday party for her. Her longevity is as much of a celebration for them as it is for her. Her children have blessed her with 4 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
No comments:
Post a Comment