Happy and healthy at 100

Secrets to long life are simple, says Ernestine Andersen: good food, honest hard work and simple life

Vernon — Scientists from Sardinia all the way to the Okinawa Islands are busy researching the secrets to a long life. But all they need to do is take a look at one Vernon resident who has the answers.

Ernestine Andersen turned 100 on June 24, and she attributes her long life to diet, exercise, honest hard work and living in simpler times. This centenarian lives in her own home, doesn't take vitamins, never had her cholesterol checked and firmly believes in not taking a lot of medication. For Andersen, fresh vegetables, staying active and helping people is what enabled her to celebrate her 100 birthday with 60 of her closest friends and family at The St. Thomas Episcopal church in Vernon.

"I've had a good diet and always made home cooked meals with vegetables for my family," says Andersen. "You also have to stay active and stay interested in everything...don't vegetate," Andersen advises.

Starting out
Ernestine Liegeo'is Andersen was born in 1912 in Palisades Park, the oldest of five sisters. Because she was such a hard worker and a fine student, Andersen was sponsored to attend college at no cost at The Normal School, which today is known as William Paterson University. Every day she would take the trolley from Palisades Park to the college, where she earned her degree in K-8 education, completing school in just three years. At the age of 19 she graduated and began teaching at the Lindbergh Elementary School in Palisades Park.

Andersen married her husband Paul in 1940 and moved to Richfield. Paul then went to fight in the Pacific. When he returned home after the war, the couple settled down in Closter, where they raised their five children. Andersen was a homemaker, but when her youngest went off to kindergarten, she decided to go back to the profession she loved. Starting out as a substitute at Hillside School in Closter, Andersen was eventually asked to stay on full time. Enjoying a 30-plus year career as a fourth grade teacher, Andersen reluctantly retired at the age of 70.

"I loved everything about teaching, it was challenging and interesting and I love children," she says. "I was the oldest in my family so I was used to taking care of children."

Andersen recalls, at the age of 9, when both of her parents had to go to work, it was she who was left in charge of the family. Andersen would tend to her siblings as well as do the cooking and cleaning. Being a natural giver, a career in teaching made sense for her.

Times change
Eventually Andersen and her husband made the move from Bergen County to Vernon so they could be closer to their daughters. The Andersens were married over 60 years when Paul passed away. Even then, Ernestine Andersen continued to remain active, volunteering for the soup kitchen in Sussex and staying busy with her needlepoint. Often, she sits at her large oak dining room table and reflects with her son, Robert, on a time when life seemed simpler, people interacted more and children had to use their imaginations. It was a time when children walked home from school for lunch, every family had an Encyclopedia Britannica and Palisades Amusement Park was the place to be.

"Things are more difficult today, people are more competitive and everyone buys things on credit," says Andersen. Her son Robert agrees.

"When Mom was raising her five kids no one used credit cards. If you needed something that bad you saved for it, otherwise you did without it," muses Robert Andersen. "People didn't go out on a limb for material things. It was a save and reuse mindset. Today we live in a throw-away society," he says.

It was this mindset, saving and reusing, coupled with the fact that Andersen had some creative ways to make extra money, that enabled the mother of five to send her children to college; her daughters followed in her footsteps and all became teachers. Andersen used her talents in the kitchen to bake bread that was so tasty, neighbors lined up to pay two dollars for a loaf, at a time when bread was sold for only 25 cents. The Andersens were able to provide an education for their children without loans or taking a second mortgage on their house. Instilling in her children that if you work hard and live within your means success its attainable, Andersen reaps the joys of raising a happy family.

"We had everything we needed. It was very good," says Andersen.

Her son, Robert smiles and agrees.

When fun was fun
"We didn't have a lot of money for vacations, but no one did. It was a different time," reflects Robert Andersen. "But I can sure remember the big highlight of summer was driving up to Bear Mountain in a car with no radio, no air conditioning, amusing ourselves, and then stopping for an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen."

"And we always wondered why my Dad was so exhausted at the end of the ride," he laughs.

"And of course..," Robert Andersen says emphatically, "We had Palisades Park."

Like Freddy Cannon used to croon "You know it's Palisades Park," He fondly recalls the hot attraction of the summer where his family used to go.

"That was THE big attraction we would go to. If you lived on the East Coast, you knew about Palisades Park," he says, as his mother looks on smiling.

Family connection was of utmost importance to the Andersen family, and that meant sharing meals together. Both mother and son fondly recall the Sunday ritual of going to church in the morning, stopping at the bakery on the way home for fresh rolls and buns and enjoying a family dinner. Andersen cooked her healthful meals from scratch, and if one of the kids balked at what was being served, well, then they were free to help themselves to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because this mother wasn't running a restaurant.

After dinner, Andersen would enjoy an hour-long walk with her husband, Paul.

So scientists can research all they want. Perhaps the truth about the secret of a long life lies within the legacy of Ernestine Andersen. A woman who knew how to save patiently, a woman who enjoyed the simpler things in life, a woman who raised happy, successful children who think their mother is so interesting, she deserves to be in the newspaper.

Comments