Living 101
story by Emily Rhyne
“When I get up in the morning, I thank God for the day,” Alma Montgomery says. “And then I get up and use it.”
A consistent routine, positive attitude and deep-rooted faith: Alma says these are the secrets to living to age 101.
Alma is very much alive. She walks a mile every day, has near perfect blood pressure, plays bingo on Mondays, goes to church on Sundays and attends potlucks with her friends. For her, 101 is not a constraint—it’s a liberator.
“I’m very well blessed to do the things I do,” she says.
Everyone at the Roosevelt House, a retirement community, knows Alma. Some call her the “queen.” Others call her “Aunt Alma.” She can hardly walk down the hall without running into a friend. After more than three decades as a resident there, her vibrant personality has left quite the impression on people.
Her influence in Owensboro began in 1929, when she started as a nurse’s assistant at what is now Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. She retired from the hospital at 62, but couldn’t stay away. Two years later, she became a volunteer at Mercy Hospital. When she moved into the Roosevelt House, she became a senior companion.
Through the changing decades, one thing has remained constant in Alma’s life, and that is her desire to serve. Her desire to love. Her desire to care. The first to give and last to take, Alma Montgomery has found the fount of youth.
“I tried to live a Christian life. I think positive. I’m doing ok,” Alma says. ”I just love people. I love everybody.”
Alma Montgomery, 101, has lived at the Roosevelt House in Owensboro, Ky., for four decades and delivers energy to every room she visits. "I just love people," Alma says. "I love everybody."
Alma Montgomery and her childhood friend, Hettie Crask, get their hair done together every Thursday in Owensboro, Ky. Hettie lives across the hall from Alma in the Roosevelt House.
Alma Montgomery, a 101-year-old resident at the Roosevelt House, preps for a potluck lunch with friends. Even at 101, she loves putting on makeup.
Alma Montgomery, 101, lives alone in her apartment in the Roosevelt House. Although she says being old is lonely at times, she is abundantly grateful for each day the Lord gives her.
Alma Montgomery (left) shares a special relationship with her caregiver, Charlotte Carpenter. Alma was one of Charlotte's first patients, and she considers her a dear friend.
Alma Montgomery, 101, has weathered changes in the Owensboro community and her own life. Through the years, however, her Catholic faith has remained constant.
Everyday, Alma Montgomery walks 16 laps –– a one-mile trek –– through the halls of Owensboro's Roosevelt House. When asked about the next chapter of her life, she says with a smile, "Well, I guess I just keep going."