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Few people live more than a century. Even fewer are healthy, continue to live in their own homes, have the zest for life, and can enjoy their own birthday party.
Friends and family gathered for an early birthday celebration for Saratogan Georgia Nelson, who turns 101 on September 30.
“So you wanna know how to live to be 101?” Nelson said. “You have to start with good genes, then a sense of humor, exercise, a love of medical expertise and chocolate! I keep a poster next to it that says, ‘Optimism is the quality most associated with success and happiness than any other.’ “
Nelson has achieved a longevity that puts her in rare company. Having a sharp memory that spans a lifetime is even rarer.
She was born in Miami, Oklahoma, on land her grandfather, John Bayless, acquired during the Oklahoma Land Rush.
“My father was a banker and builder, and my mother was a schoolteacher and then a stay-at-home mom,” Nelson said. “She was doing nutrition long before it was fashionable and paying us kids to eat cabbage, carrots and so on. He was 12 years old; I was 10 years old.
At Northwestern University, Nelson was a Hardy Scholar and active in debate and oratory. Her debate team and coach traveled to Canada, debating at universities along the way, and were invited by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt for a conversation. She joined the Pi Beta Phi sorority and remained active in the alumni club. She worked for Northwestern after graduation, traveling to interview high school students who wished to attend college.
In 1944, in high school, she married her lover, Dan Garrett, Jr., and had daughter Glenda and son Mike. In 1968, she married Astor Nelson, a native of San Franciscan and father of two daughters, Joanne and Pamela.
“Astor – I called him Nels – died in 1999,” Nelson said. “My son Mike’s house west of Redding was burnt down, so I invited him to come live with me, and 17 years later he’s still there. How lucky I am to have it.
Nelson spent time as a substitute teacher and said, “It’s hard work. I had a class of poorer students who cared very little about learning English in high school and had a fart contest.
Nelson is a Life Master bridge player. “I love bridge,” she said. “At 101, I’m still playing. I did Life Master in 1955, traveled to tournaments, and went to national championships in New York.
She has been active in Saratoga organizations, including the Montalvo Service Group. A member of the Rinconada Country Club, Nelson joked, “For me, a good golf swing is when the club hits the ball.”
“There are at least 101 positive adjectives to describe Georgia,” friend Leslie Anido said. “At the top of the list is ‘elegant’.
As for Nelson’s ever-present zest for life, Anido said, “She has more life in her than the people I know who are 30 years old.”
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