I think a lot of times we take a romantic view of how long the past generation lived. In truth, we're just remembering the tough ones. When I look through my research I certainly find relatives who lived into their 80's and 90's - but I find far more who passed away in their 40's and 50's. Often it is Grandpa's 2nd wife we remember, as he may have lost the first in childbirth. Just living to adulthood was quite a feat for those early immigrants. Diet's prior to 1940 were superior in that people ate fresh and close to home. E-coli was not an issue because mom cooked the sausage at home in a kitchen she scrubbed daily instead of picking it up at the fast-food place on the way home from work. Vegetables were from your own garden and canned in your own kitchen (still scrubbed daily). Even people who lived in town were more active, so obesity and cholesterol weren't as big of factors. After the war, even though our food sources changed, the advances in medicine really started to increase life expectancy. While women did not have as many children - more of them lived to adulthood. Women didn't die in childbirth as often. Diseases like TB were no longer death sentences. My own g-grandmother lived to be 88, but she buried her first husband at 42, 3 children before they were 10, and another two before they were 50. My parents only lived to be 65 and 78, but lost no children and we're all three of us are nearly or over 50. On average, we'll probably live much longer than that first generation. Sorry to ramble on so - but I find this interesting. Allan Allan R. Lenhardt 240 East Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 344-1424 (225) 223-3121 (cell) Life is God's novel. Let him write it. Isaac Beshevis Singer in Voices for Life (1975) -----Original Message----- From: ger-volga-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:ger-volga-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of chuber Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 10:48 AM To: ger-volga@rootsweb.com Subject: [GV] Foods - Old Age & good health A fine day to all! I wonder if all those home-made foods contributed to good health in the Volga German communities. Some home-made foods I grew up with: head cheese, pig's feet, sausage, runzas, cabbage rolls, canned suckers, pickled herring, dill pickles, sauerkraut, egg noodles, etc. My dad learned to make these from his parents, both of whom grew up in Bangert, near the Volga. The sauerkraut crock was used each year in the cellar until Kivimaki the plumber fell into it while working on pipes. If he wrung his clothes out when he got home, there would have been a lot of cleansing sauerkraut juice. (juice by the way is sold at stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area) The canned suckers, caught with nets in cold water creeks, looked and tasted like Pacific Salmon. Mind you, growing up in the wilds and waters of Northwestern Ontario, one lived on a regular healthy diet of ducks, venison (deer) moose, partridge (ruffed grouse) prairie chicken, rabbit, and fresh water fish such as walleye (pickerel) bass, perch, and northerns (jackfish). No nasty chemicals in those foods. As for being thirsty....just stick your hand into a fast moving creek, or right into a lake of the Rainy Lake chain. Not today, of course. the best to all, Cliff Huber Kakabeka Falls ON Canada ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GER-VOLGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message