The Dalles Chronicle December 10, 2001 Front Page First Photo: Noah Rogers, 6 months, held by mother Cheri, reaches to his great-grandmother, Geneva McNicholl. The family gathered Sunday to celebrate McNicholl's 112th birthday. Nancy Lemon, photo. Below: Photo right by Mark Gibson; photo at left contributed. Geneva McNicholl, shown in two views from different centuries, comes from a long-lived family. A resident of The Dalles, she's one of the oldest Americans alive today. GRANDMA MAC COOKED FOR FAMILY UNTIL SHE WAS 103 by Nancy Lemons of The Chronicle Is the secret to long life genetics of lifestyle? For Geneva McNicholl, known as Grandma Mac to many, it could be a combination. McNicholl turned 112 today, making her possibly the fifth oldest person in the United States. A resident of Columbia Basin Nursing Home in The Dalles, she is apparently the oldest living Oregonian. Family are now gathering official records for documentation with the Gerontology Research Group. The ages of centarians and supercentarians are tracked by several organizations which seek to unlock the secrets of aging. McNicholl was born December 10, 1889, in Lafayette, Oregon to Sylvester and Lavina Groce. McNicholl's mother, with whom she shared a birthday, died just a couple of months shy of 100. Those family genes may play a part in explaining McNicholl's longevity. But, her only child, Bob Rogers, contributes it to eating well, sleeping well with no guilt, working hard and being outdoors. "She ate like a logger," said Marian, Bob's wife for the past eleven years, who says it has been a joy getting to know her mother-in-law. McNicholl's cooked hardy "meat and potatoes" meals, and always had dessert. "She cooked for us up until she was 103," commented Marian. But, failing health and a series of strokes has led McNicholl to Columbia Basin, where she now lives. "She was a good cook in her day," said Bob. Page A6 She liked making different pies of white grapes, Italian prunes, and apples. These were all fruits she grew in her yard. McNicholl says she used Gravenstein apples for her famous dee-dish apple pie. On her family's farm in the Willamette Valley they grew all kinds of apples, including Gravenstein, said McNicholl. In 1853, her grandparents traveled across the Plains, settling in the Willamette Valley where McNicholl grew up, along with her two brothers, one younger and one older than she. McNicholl says her brothers taught her how to dance, one of her favorite activities in younger days. Long, dark hair and dark eyes, combined with a red-velvet dress, made her a popular girl at the dances. Guys lined up to be her partner. And, McNicholl admits with a grin, she was much the flirt. In 1917, she married her first husband and in 1920 had her son Bob, whom she says was a good kid to raise. Later, she married Jim McNicholl, who worked as a steam engineer for large logging companies. In 1929, the couple, along with young Bob, moved to Mill A, Washington where they operated a store and Shell gas station. They also rented out three guest cabins. In the late 1930s, they divorced, but Geneva McNicholl continued to operate the store until 1966, when health problems forced her to quit. She was 77. Son Bob then took over the business until his retirement in 1981. The store was popular among the loggers, who enjoyed the cold beer served there. McNicholl didn't care for swearing and cussing in her store. Those who had the nerve to do so were told to deposit two bits (25 cents) into the Red Cross collection, a mayonnaise jar that sat on the store's counter. One day, a fellow in the store refused to mind her, so McNicholl grabbed a broom and chased him out and down the street. "She was very strict," said Marian. The Rogers laughed thinking about what a sight that must have been to see this little, petite lady chasing a grown man down the street. She was also a good huntress and a good shot, say family members. "She hunted deer, rabbits, anything for food during the Depression, even porcupine. Bob says he became very good at skinning them," Marian said. Although, McNicholl enjoys homecooking, she is also a big fan of fast food. One day last week, she was not pleased with the meal served to her, so one of the care facility employees ran to Burger King for a burger and fries. "They have really spoiled her," said Marian. In addition to cooking, McNicholl also enjoyed gardening, growing several prized double-bloom rhododendrons. She continued to garden past the age of 100, until the family stopped plowing the ground for her. They feared she would fall and get hurt. At 103, she sat on the ground and scooted on her bottom to pull weeds. Close by, a wheelbarrow provided a place to sit down and rest and doubled as a walking aid. Houseplants were of no interest to her; she would rather be outside gardening. "She was an outdoors person," said Marian. Macular degeneration now keeps her from reading the Sunday Oregonian from cover to cover, as she did in the past. And, her hearing is also limited, or it could be "selective," says Bob. Often, she turns to look at him even when he's not speaking directly into the hearing device. McNicholl is particularly careful with this device, saying "You don't want to lose that." Communicating with family and friends is important to her. Yesterday, several generations gathered to celebrate her birthday. Tom Senior representing Portland's Channel 2 was there to film her party. Years ago he says he talked with McNicholl via CB radio. Her handle was simply "Mrs. Mac." For years, Bob and the family tried to get McNicholl to let them install a telephone, but she preferred the CB. Finally, they installed one anyway. Once she got use to it, she wanted phones all over the house for convenience. On the walls of the care facility, McNicholl's life was displayed in pictures. Birthday cards, including one from President Bush and wife, lay on the table. Before the family ate lunch and cut the cake, great-gransons Brennan, age 5, visited with McNicholl, informing her he had lost some teeth. Brennan then introduced her to his baby brother Noah, 6 months. Small, new eyes studied McNicholl's face. Small hands reached toward her. Did McNicholl's pass on her endurance to these younger generations? We'll see.