Feeling great at the century mark

In 1920, Woodrow Wilson was president, women gained the right to vote and a loaf of bread cost 7 cents.

It was also the year Marion Johnson entered the world. Johnson, a resident at Good Samaritan Society – Moscow Village, turns 100 years old today.

Johnson and other Good Samaritan Society residents will be able to celebrate with a drive-by Mother’s Day parade at 4 p.m. today at the Moscow Village on Eisenhower Street.

Residents will be seated outside and friends and family members can drive by in their cars, waving, blowing kisses and shouting greetings as they slowly pass by, Tammie Poe, sales and marketing director at Moscow’s Good Samaritan Society, said via email. Decorating their cars, or floats since it is a parade, is optional.

The drive-by parade is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic because family members and friends are not allowed to visit their loved ones at the Moscow Village. Johnson said she hopes to see her two sons, who live in the area. Her third son lives in Portland with his family, she said.

“I want to see my family,” Johnson said.

Besides poor hearing, Johnson said her health is in good condition and she feels great.

She said she loves to exercise and read, two things Leilani James, Moscow Good Samaritan Society assistant activity director and certified nursing assistant, said helps keep Johnson sharp physically and mentally.

James said she leads residents in 30-minute exercise sessions. Residents do exercises from their chair using 1-pound weights. She said the group workout sessions have been suspended due to the coronavirus.

Johnson said she believes exercise has been key to living a long life.

“That helps me a lot to keep going,” she said.

When the weather is nice, James said Johnson enjoys outdoor strolls and sitting on the patio, soaking up the sun with other residents.

James said Johnson is witty, has a good sense of humor and is social with other residents and staff.

“She always wants to please everybody,” James said.

Johnson was born and raised in Minneapolis.

She said she loved to sing at churches and play in the snow as a child.

“I was told I had a beautiful voice,” Johnson said.

She worked in financing at Dayton Company in Minneapolis. The “big department store,” as Johnson described it, is called Target today.

Johnson said her job involved a great deal of typing.

“At that time, they didn’t have duplicating machines,” she said. “It’s so different now.”

Johnson has lived in Moscow most of her life. She married David Johnson when she was 28 and they had three sons.

She said getting married and having children were some of the most exciting times of her life. David died from cancer while he was in his 60s, Johnson said.

Johnson said she did not think she would live to the century mark.

“I didn’t think I’d live that long, but it’s been great,” she said.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.