KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-MailIva Hardister is approaching her 100th birthday. Here she sits reflecting on her life in the living room of the Galesburg home she shares with her daughter.
'Life is pretty good right now'
Centenarian-to-be enjoys bingo, dressing up
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Friday, September 28, 2007
GALESBURG - There are very few times in a woman's life when being told she could pass for an 85-year-old could be taken as a compliment.But Iva Hardister turns 100 Saturday and seemed delighted to be compared to a woman of 85.
Sitting in a chair in the tidy home she has shared since 1991 with her daughter, Shirley Hardister, 77, Iva is dressed in blue slacks, a white sweater and matching pink and blue shirt with gold and silver earrings dangling from her ears.
"She has always dressed like a million bucks," said family friend Ruth Pecsi.
Shirley said her mother gets up every morning and takes a bath, puts on her own make-up and jewelry and gets dressed in an coordinating outfit. "She is still particular about outfits that match, including her jewelry," Shirley said.
"Right now, I have about 70 pairs of earrings," Iva said. "And that is after I gave away several fancy pairs I no longer needed."
As Iva spoke, her dog, Ginger, jumped onto her lap.
"100 years. I still can't believe it," Iva said as she shook her head. "There are so many memories, I think my brain is just full."
She gives the impression of a woman who lives in the present, not in the past. "My memory left me and it's not coming back," Iva said with a laugh. "And I don't feel bad about it one bit."
But Iva does recall several details of her life growing up in Winchester, a town of about 1,600 near Jacksonville.
Iva and her sister, Naomi Waitts, of Galesburg, grew up on a farm outside of Winchester. Iva recalled the time her father bought his first car - a used Model T - then had to drive the car back to their farm.
"It was the very first time he ever drove and he must not have gotten all the instructions right," said Shirley. "He drove it right into the shed." Shirley and Iva laughed at the thought.
"I graduated from high school in Winchester in 1926," she said. "The school was brand new at the time." The building is still used as the high school today.
Iva said her longevity can be attributed to good, clean living and good genes. Her mother passed away three months shy of her 100th birthday.
She recalled a time in 1926, she and her future husband, James, sneaked into a cemetery to smoke cigarettes. "It was the first and only time I tried to smoke," Iva said. "I didn't like it one bit and never smoked again. Ever."
Alcohol is another matter. "I never drank much and I never got drunk. But I do like a margarita now and then. They are very good."
Asked about the happiest times in her life, Iva recalled the day she got married and the day she gave birth to Shirley. "Well, not exactly that day specifically," Iva recalled, "because I had her at home and it was pretty rough." Iva said her husband, James, kept going outside to feed the chickens. Shirley imagined they were the fattest chickens in Scott County. The experience was so traumatic for James, he never wanted another child. The Hardisters moved to Galesburg in 1937. "They got off the farm to see the bright lights of the big city," joked Shirley.
"I have to say it myself, I was a pretty good cook. But those days are gone." Although in good health, Iva uses a walker to get around and her mobility is limited.
"Shirley really helps me a lot," Iva said.
"Our roles have certainly changed over the years," explained Shirley. "I am now the mother and she is the daughter."
Nearly every weekday, besides Thursday when she goes to the beauty shop, Iva can be found at the Community Center on Simmons Street. "I have my own seat reserved every time I go," she said. "The lunches are wonderful. I eat and play bingo. I used to play pool with the boys. I used to love to play."
"I would call her the 'Queen of the Community Center' as far as I'm concerned," Pecsi said.
In looking back on her long life, Iva said she has few regrets.
"I think I have been very lucky in life. And pretty happy. I have had a lot of fun and am not doing too bad now for 100," Iva said.
"Life is pretty good right now," she added. Shirley agreed. "It is real good."
Open house in Iva's honor will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Best Western Prairie Inn. All friends and relatives are invited.
