An invitation to Winston Pennington's 100th birthday party.Winston and Marietta Pennington admit that they're opposites.
Marietta is a homebody; Winston likes to travel.
She loves country music; he hates it.
She's a perfectionist; he's a slob (she says).
They once had two TVs in their living room because they didn't like what the other one watched.
And yet, they celebrated a remarkable achievement last week - their 76th wedding anniversary.
And Winston Pennington celebrated his own milestone last week - his 100th birthday. Marietta is 92.
"It's not like I did anything special to get to this age, but I guess I've been doing something right," he says. "I was an electrician and retired when I was 62. I found it enjoyable to be able to relax and have free time. I've always eaten correctly and didn't take unnecessary risks, like riding a roller coaster and hurting my neck. I've stayed away from alcohol and I've never been a smoker."
By the numbers
Here's a breakdown of the number of centenarians in various states and the District of Columbia; as might be expected, states with the highest populations were at the top of the list. 1. California: 5,921 2. New York: 4,605 3. Florida: 4,090 4. Texas: 2,917 5. Pennsylvania: 2,419 16. Georgia: 1,141 19. Tennessee: 940 28. Alabama: 759 51. Alaska: 40 Source: U.S. Census
The couple, residents of the Summit View Senior Community in Chattanooga, say a sense of humor helps get them through life with smiles on their faces.
"Sometimes I think laughter is the only thing we have in common," says Marietta. "And I feel a lot better when I'm laughing than when I'm crying."
In the period from 1980 to 2010, the centenarian population in the U.S. experienced a larger percentage increase than the total population, according to the U.S. Census. The number of centenarians increased from 32,194 to 53,364, a 65.8 percent increase, while the total population increased 36.3 percent.
Women make up the majority of people over 100 years old, almost 83 percent, and most of those women are white, according to census figures. About 86 percent of those over 100 live in urban areas.
"Living in the city, you have a lot more mental stimulation and the symphony and better doctors and hospitals and more social networking," says Gary Small, a professor on aging and director of the UCLA Longevity Center in Los Angeles, told U.S. News & World Report. "There are more resources, and there is better transportation."
Advances in medicine and knowledge about proper diet and the detrimental effects of smoking and obesity have helped people live longer, but researchers also say 20 to 30 percent of a person's lifespan is due strictly to genetics.
And the U.S. is not the leader when it comes to the number of citizens over 100. Japan leads the way with 3.43 centenarians per 10,000 people, compared to the U.S.'s 1.73 per 10,000. Other countries such as France, the United Kingdomn and Sweden all have higher proportions of 100-year-olds than the United States.
Though he can't pinpoint a reason to be in good health, both mind and body, at 100 old, Winston says a favorite pasttime is reading. And he reads a lot, including the Times Free Press, National Geographic and AARP the Magazine. He enjoys political satire, citing "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" as his two favorite TV shows. And he also keeps up with technology.
"I've seen the transition from horse-and-buggy to space age. It's something else," he says. "We have Wi-Fi in the office here, so I'll go sit nearby and get on the Internet to find out things I don't know. I also communicate with my son by email. I try to keep up with what's going on in the world.
"They say I have a high IQ, but I don't know about that. I do know how to express my thoughts and I've always loved to learn. I think as I've aged, it's all paying off."
Kendra Coulter, director of executive services at Summit View, says Winston's technical knowledge came into play when EPB workers came to the facility to put in fiber-optic service. As a former electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, he wanted to make sure they knew what they were doing
"He went out to tell them how to do it. They listened to him and they told him he was exactly right," she says. "They were young guys. They're part of the same union that Winston is in, and they all have that mutual respect."
Winston and Marietta live in the center's independent unit, which is "very unusual for someone their age," Coulter says, but Winston is seriously independent and age hasn't dampened that.
"He had to go to the hospital last January because of a stomach issue," she says. "They sent him to a nursing home and he got so upset being there that he checked himself out - pretty unusual for a 99-year-old. He's been fine since.
"I knew the first time I met him when they moved here 6 1/2 years ago, he was amazing," she says. "He has a great sense of humor, is incredibly intelligent and very active. He got the 'bike' room here named in his honor on his birthday. He's in there most every day exercising."
He also still drives on a near-daily basis, mostly to Subway, where he eats lunch.
"My driver's license is good until 2020," he says. "I have noticed that my reflexes are slowing down, and I'll probably stop driving when I feel it's unsafe."
But so far, so good, he says.
"There are so many old people who have dementia or Alzheimer's," he says. "I don't really fear it, but I am grateful that, so far, everything is working."
The Penningtons have one son, one granddaughter, and one great-granddaughter, all of whom live in Florida. And, even though it has been more than three-quarters of a century since he first saw her, Winston still recalls his initial attraction to the blonde teenager he met on a Soddy-Daisy farm. She was just 14. He was 22.
"I thought she was really good-looking," Winston says. "At the time, I had been working at a sugar refinery in California but was in Chattanooga visiting my sister. I went back to California, but came back to Chattanooga to be closer to the woman."
Two years later, they married.
"The age difference wasn't a big deal back then," Marietta says. "He asked me on a date to go swimming. When we got to the lake, and I realized he couldn't swim, I thought he was nothing but a big sissy. I had to take hold of his hand when we walked out into the water. I had never known a man who couldn't swim. It almost turned me against him."
He disputes her recollection of his aquatic abilities.
"Of course I knew how to swim," he says. "I was in the Navy."
"Doggy paddling is not swimming," Marietta responds.
In the end, his swimming skills (or lack thereof) weren't a dealbreaker because they were overshadowed by his charm, his intelligence, his kindness, she says. Oh yeah, and his dark, long, curly eyelashes, she adds.
Despite the loss of his hair over the years, Winston still has the beautiful eyelashes.
"Yes, I've always had these eyelashes," he says, grinning. "When I cry, it takes a while for the tears to fall down my cheeks. First, the tears have to travel up and through the curls before landing on my cheeks."
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.