92-year-old woman says activity key to long life

Tag : long life

Published June 20, 2008 11:14 am - Zelma Zebert said she never has grown up.
At 92 years old, her hands are more stiff, her hair whiter and herface more wrinkled. But Zebert refuses to get old. On any givenday, the Joplin resident is tending her large lawn with a pushmower and her own two hands.

92-year-old woman says activity key to long life




By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com
Zelma Zebert said she never has grown up.
At 92 years old, her hands are more stiff, her hair whiter and herface more wrinkled. But Zebert refuses to get old. On any givenday, the Joplin resident is tending her large lawn with a pushmower and her own two hands.
“You can make yourself old, or keep yourself young,”Zebert said. “Age doesn’t have anything to do withit.”
The opposite could be true in Zebert’s life. She had everyreason to grow up before her time. Zebert’s mother died whenshe was just 13 years old, leaving her, the oldest girl of sevenchildren to care for her siblings, the youngest 13 months old.
Her father, a Polish immigrant who moved to the U.S. as a youngman, was left to care for his large family. Zebert stepped up tothe plate. She cared for her siblings, baking the homemade breadher mother had taught her to make. Zebert never married or hadchildren of her own, saying she was always too busy caring for hersiblings, and then their children and grandchildren.
She loves children. She credits her constant submersion into youthculture to keeping her moving. Zebert is a staple at St.Mary’s Elementary and McAuley High School sporting events.She is the little old lady, bundled up in negative degree weather,waving spirit flags in the front row.
“I am just sort of crazy about our kids,” she said.“I get so excited at their games. There’s nothing likebeing around kids.”
Running after toddlers and playing ball with junior high students,Zebert said she’s overheard people talking about “theold lady playing with those kids,” but she doesn’tcare. She gets to see a return on her investment of love. She getsto hold the babies of women she once held as babies. She gets hugswhile grocery shopping from full grown men, thanking her for beingat every away game. Teenage boys fight for her attention, teasingher that she is their “girlfriend.”
“It just makes you feel good,” Zebert said of givingher time to young people.
Throughout her life, Zebert has served the unlikely. Since she wasyoung, Catholic priests have been welcome in her family’shome. Her mother was very involved in the Catholic church, andafter she died, Zebert continued that tradition. Maybe it wasbecause Zebert’s uncle was a priest, or maybe it was justbecause she was a good cook, but Zebert said for whatever reason,the Catholic priests felt comfortable with her family.
“I used to invite them over for dinner, then I told them Iwas going to quit inviting them, but they knew what time we ate andthey could come over any time they wanted,” she said.“Sure enough, we’d be sitting down to eat and in herewould walk a priest. They always felt welcome.”
As she grew older, Zebert watched Joplin priests come and go,serving the church, but with limited help. So, she became apriest’s assistant. She cooked and cleaned and ran errands.Zebert followed one particular priest, Monsignor McGrane fromJoplin to Monett to rebuild the church that burned down in the1940s, and regularly threw luncheons and dinners for priests fromaround the area.
“This wasn’t something you started out to be,it’s just something that happens,” she said.