Reporter’s note: Rose Noel is a resident at the Little Rockies Retirement Center (part of the same complex as the Harlem Senior Center in Harlem). A few weeks ago she told me that “six of our resident ladies are now in their 90’s. I think it would be interesting for you to come by and visit with them.” I was curious to hear what these 90-year-old ladies had to say.

Rose Noel got the ladies together in the dining room of the senior center. I greeted them by saying, “I’m very happy to be visiting with you nonagenarians. To which one responded, “We thought we were just regular senior citizens.”” First learned factoid: 90-year-old folks can still have a keen sense of humor.

Here’s some of the conversation with these six lively and likable nonagenarians.

The number of 90-year-old Americans has tripled in the last three decades: In 2010 the Census Bureau reported 1.9 million Americans in their 90’s and predicted that number would quadruple by 2050. Forty years ago nonagenarians accounted for only 2.8 percent of the “over 65” age group. A Census Bureau demographer said, “…Increasingly people are living longer and the older population itself is getting older. Given its rapid growth, the 90-and-older population merits a closer look.”

Nationwide the 90-year-old group mostly includes widows and widowers, many living at the poverty level, and the tend to have at least one limiting disability. Most live alone and, per the Census Bureau, 30 percent of them live in retirement facilities. The age category is white (88+ percent) and women outnumber men nearly three to one. Interestingly, most earned a high school diploma. The six ladies at the Harlem center were an exact reflection of the national group’s statistics.

The conversation began with history… I wasn’t sure how to open a group discussion. My first question was historical, asking, “Who was President of the U.S. when you were born?” At first there was a bit of a ‘deer in the headlights’ look among the group, then I realized I couldn’t even answer that one for myself (I looked it up later and found it was Franklin Roosevelt for me, but only barely).

So, I modified the query and asked, “Who is the first president you remember.” Since all these ladies were born in the late 1920’s, the president when they were born was likely Calvin Coolidge with Herbert Hoover serving from 1929-1933. Most of the ladies, though, said, “FDR.” And, since the depression was a big part of their growing up, most commented in some manner about, “Franklin Delano Roosevelt was trying to pull us out of the Great Depression.” Nearly all the ladies got married in the mid-1940’s, when Harry Truman was President and the country was embroiled in World War II.

The depression of the early thirties profoundly affected these women. Most grew up on farms and most were from fairly sizeable families. One said, “We lived on a farm so there was usually something to eat that we raised fresh or canned. But there was often barely enough.” Helen Hornung who grew up in rural North Dakota and was a school cook much of her adult life, told about making ‘minute pudding.’ She said it was water, flour and sugar cooked and then served with cream. One of those classic recipes made with staples most every household would have on hand.

Several commented that their experience growing up in the depression era still affects them. Irene Stout, who grew up near the Canadian border said, “We’re not a throwaway generation.” Miriam Kinzel, who grew up in Havre but married a farmer and lived west of Harlem most of her adult life said, “We still use everything twice.” Kinzel added, “We’re bothered by waste. We use things up. As kids there was often not a lot on the table.”

And moved on to technology: I next asked what they considered the most significant technological change in their lifetimes. This launched a bit of a debate starting with computers, which they all agreed made much of life easier, but worried, “that in the end computers may be our downfall. When the computers don’t work nothing can happen. That’s not good.”

Only one of the six, Irene Stout, has a computer. She said, “My daughter-in-law set it up so I could use Facebook to keep up with my son in Japan.” Irene added,“I just delete the silly stuff people put on Facebook or ignore what I find offensive.” All agreed that they are shocked at what people are willing to share, especially on TV and, from what the know about, on social media. One said, “We used to keep certain things private, now there is hardly anything private.”

However, electricity was the clear winner for significant technology. Nearly all were living along the Hi-Line when electricity first became available, even to farms. The ladies commented about how electricity made life easier on the farm. But even electrification in the mid-1940’s was not what it is today. Miriam Kinzel recalled, “There was typically one hanging light bulb in each room and two plug-ins in the entire house.”

That discussion about how technology made rural life easier led to a negative the ladies all

spoke to—the decline of the number of people on farms and in small towns. Larger, more mechanized and efficient farms meant fewer people were needed in rural areas. Even the advent of buses reduced the number of country schools as kids went to bigger schools and the local school, often social center point of the community ceased. Bonnie Russell, a former teacher, said she believed the country kids going to bigger schools was beneficial because “going to bigger schools and interacting with other kids helped rural kids connect to the real and bigger world.”

Other topics got some attention as well: Lilah Orlando lamented the ‘decline in morals’ she sees. Miriam Kinzel said, “Morals may be no different, maybe immorality was just better hidden years ago.” How youngsters dress stimulated a story from Miriam about, “when we were girls we dressed like girls. In the coldest weather we could wear pants under our dresses, but still had to be in a dress at school.”

And then the conversation moved to child rearing… Lilah Orlando summed it up briefly, “There’s not enough discipline for kids today.” Miriam Kinzel said, “I see so many families with both parents having to work just to survive. There are even cases where grandparents are raising the kids.” On the upside, Bonnie Russell opined, “Now there are more resources to help families than we had years ago. I think those are good.” She mentioned more accessible medical care and all the activities for children.

Career-wise, at least two of the ladies were teachers and several worked outside the home. But nearly to a person they all “stayed home when my kids were born.” After the kids left is when many of these folks began working outside the home. All the farmers wives said they helped with chores, soften running farm equipment.

Some offerings of advice: Actually, the ladies seemed a bit reluctant to offer too much advice…maybe a result of the era they grew up. One said, “Put family first. With everyone working you have to make time for family.” Another said, “Be yourself, don’t let others force you to be something you aren’t or don’t want to be.” Irene Stout said, “Tend to whatever you have to do.” She said back in her young adult years farmers had to be constantly on top of things or they would fail and had no alternatives. She thinks it’s still necessary to ‘tend to business’ whatever your ‘business’ is.

And a bit of humor: Not all the conversation was serious. When it was reported that one of the six was still brushing her teeth, another said, “At least she has teeth to brush.” Laughter… Another added, “Being able to take your to teeth out to brush them is very handy.” And, combining the challenge of memory and teeth, another said, “At least I remember I still have to have my teeth in to eat.” Thankfully humor is still alive and well among these nonagenarians.