Powering past 100
June 23, 2010
By Lauren Dake, The Bulletin

Friendship, staying active aid longevity, Centenarians say

Emma Gerhart turned to her left and asked the man sitting next to her, "How old are you?"

"100," said Claude Cramer, who turns 101 in July.

"Well, you're just a kid," Gerhart said.

To Gerhart's right sat Pat Nixon, who - at 102 years old - is "just a baby," by Gerhart's reckoning. And next to Nixon sat the youngest of the four, Chuck Feller, who recently turned 100. Gerhart, her white hair recently curled, her red fingernails nearly matching her boots, is 105 years old.

The Aspen Ridge Retirement Community started a centenarian group Tuesday and celebrated the four residents who have reached or surpassed 100. The senior citizens in the new Centenarian Society each received a plaque, a T-shirt featuring his or her picture, and a lifetime certificate to the friends and family buffet.

"Oh, how wonderful," Gerhart said when she was handed her gifts. "Is that my picture? Well, I'll be darned."

And then came the question one imagines people who have reached 100 years old hear more than once: What's your secret?

"Oh, boy, for years I drank a martini every afternoon at about 3:30," Feller said.
The residents and family members who attended the event enjoyed Feller's response.

Nixon had a harder time coming up with advice, but her daughter told the crowd she was always active and continued to be so - she played Scrabble for the first time this week.

"What's your secret to reaching 105, to being in such good shape?" Sandie Nowell, who works at Aspen Ridge, asked Gerhart.

"You haven't seen all my shape," said Gerhart, who had to stop driving at age 100.

Cramer's advice was more straightforward: "Live it up."

"Do the right thing," he said. "Make friends. Be a friend. And just keep on living because there is no way of getting out of it."

The seniors all had family members in the audience who could speak about their younger days.

Gerhart was raised on a ranch, ran a beauty parlor during the Depression, and was an avid outdoorswoman who summited California's Mount Whitney, which rises to more than 14,490 feet, more than once. Nixon always had a positive attitude, joined every activity and served as a role model for her children. Fuller, who had four generations of family in the audience, "never met a stranger," according to his daughter. Cramer was the father who always believed in his daughter and could make her feel better after a rough day.
After the seniors were honored, it was time for a party with cake and punch.

Valentines Day Balloon Bouquet Fundraiser
February 2010

Aspen Ridge is participating in a "Valentines Balloon Bouquet" fundraiser to benefit the Bethlehem Inn, Central Oregon's largest emergency shelter. Local residents can order balloon bouquets to be delivered as a Valentine's gift. You can learn more by viewing the KBNZ TV news video below.

Aspen Ridge Annual Red Hat Christmas Tea
December, 2009

“A Giving Heart” was the theme of the Aspen Ridge Retirement and Assisted Living annual Red Hat Christmas Tea.

Throughout the year “The Classy Gals of Aspen Ridge” invite Red Hatters from Bend and the surrounding area to join them for a festive celebration to “just have fun”! In the spirit of a giving heart, for the December gathering the gals brought gifts of non-perishable food and cash donations to support “The Shepherd’s House”. This is a non-profit organization in Central Oregon that provides meals, clothing, shelter, etc., for homeless families.

The Sisters Red Hatter’s led the singing of favorite Christmas carols and presented the Aspen Ridge group with a “Red Hat Miss Piggy”. Everyone had a good time and left knowing they had made a difference in a lot of lives this Christmas.

Red Hatters from Sisters graciously came and led The Classy Gals of Aspen Ridge in favorite Christmas carols.

Santa For A Senior Program
December 10, 2009

Volunteers are wrapping over two thousand gifts Wednesday afternoon as surprise for senior citizens. 'Santa For A Senior' lets the community select a tag for one of 600 plus seniors which is more than the number surprised last year.

"These folks are typically financially needy or just flat lonely and don't have anyone who is going to take care of them during the holidays," said Todd Sensenbach owner of Home Instead Senior Care. Overflowing into the hallway,gifts that have been collected and organized at the Home Instead Senior Care offices in Bend. Each bag belongs to a senior, the gifts inside will be wrapped at the Aspen Ridge Retirement Community.

Sandy Noel, the Activity Director, filled out forms for 10 of the residents to receive gifts. "They are going to be surprised because they have no idea and I know the one's that we've chosen are going to be really really happy and excited to receive these gifts," said Noel.

Not enough donations came in from individuals, about 60 tags were left, but groups pitched in so that every senior receives a bag. Presents loaded into a trailer, ready for wrapping and delivery.

"It's going to really matter to them because I think it's important all the time, but especially at Christmas to be remembered and to be loved and to feel that people are caring about it and I think that's going to do that for them. I think they are going to know there are people out there who really care," said Noel.

Click here to watch a video from KOHD news about the Santa for a Senior program

News Spotlight on Aspen Ridge
October 2009

KBNZ TV News recently aired a Central Oregon Business Salute featuring Aspen Ridge. The video features footage of Aspen Ridge and an interview with Cherie Long, Aspen Ridge executive director. The Central Oregon Business Salute segment was sponsored by the Bend Chamber of Commerce. You can view the video clip by using the play button below.