Centre County centenarians share their favorite memories, advice and hope for the future

On a snowy February day, eight Foxdale Village Retirement Community residents gathered to talk about their lives and their experiences that range from visiting Machu Picchu to serving in World War II.

Some are Centre County natives, others came to the area for Penn State and never left, some have traveled the world. They are car enthusiasts, former teachers, nurses and more.

One thing they all have in common? They’re all over 100 years old, representing Centre County’s centenarians.

Foxdale’s eight centenarians are Helen Roback, 101, John Buzzell, 100, Emily Way, 101, Rhoda Weisz, 103, Gertrude Wiant, 100, Christine Ayoub, 101, Emory Brown, 101, and Jose Ward, 103.

Jeannine Shade, Foxdale’s life enrichment supervisor, said a third of the home’s residents are over 90 and they often have anywhere from five to nine centenarians.

“We’re pretty ancient,” Weisz said to a chorus of laughter from the group.

Roback is the only one of the centenarians who lives in Foxdale’s independent living community, in the cottages on the property. An avid camper and hiker, she made two trips to Machu Picchu in Peru with her husband, in 1999 and 2009. In her early life, Roback was a teacher with a passion for math and science but those subjects were often barred to women in the 1940s. She found her opportunity at the start of World War II, being able to teach in those subjects once many positions opened during the war.

Both male centenarians are veterans of World War II. Buzzell served as a cryptologist after being drafted in 1942. As a chemistry student, Buzzell knew German, a requirement for many chemists of the age, and was drafted to decrypt and translate German messages for Allied troops. Buzzell was on the command ship intercepting American radio messages on D-Day as soldiers were unable to relay information to central command.

After the war, Buzzell married and worked at DuPont as a chemist. In retirement, he became interested in forestry, leading forest walks for his fellow Foxdale residents.

Brown served in the Army Air Corps, helping manage bases in China and India. After the war, he went to undergrad at Penn State, a Michigan State graduate program, and taught and researched at Berkeley for engineering and social psychology. Aside from his work, Brown loves to ski, and traveled “anywhere with snow,” including the Swiss Alps, to pursue his passion. Despite his love for skiing, Brown doesn’t count himself a particularly great skier, just someone who very much enjoys it.

Way is a member of the family known for Way Fruit Farm. Before the apple farm, Way’s family lived on a cow farm. Way taught second grade for a number of years and has stayed in Centre County nearly all her life, she said.

Weisz, the oldest of the group, was a registered nurse for several years before marrying and having children. Weisz said she was always known for her memory and recounted the 1930s as her favorite decade, filled with sneaking out to ride her brother’s bicycle, learning to swim and graduating high school.

Ayoub is one of Foxdale’s founding residents, one of the first four couples to stay at the facility. She’s also a skilled bridge player, playing online every week and teaching others the ins and outs of the game.

They residents spoke with the CDT about their lives, travels, passions and what they hope for in the future. Here’s a look at what they said, with answers edited for length and clarity.

CDT: What was the greatest invention or technological advancement of your life?

Buzzell: I should say it was a computer. I never got past my desktop computer but I still have one of those.

Brown: Automobile, they were already developed ... but there weren’t many around. ... (My first car) was a 1939 Chevrolet Convertible two door ... but I had about three or four in there at one time!

Weisz: I was glad to hear the telephone ring and loved to pick it up and say hello to my friends.

Ayoub: We bought the washing machine after our first baby was born to help with the diapers and all of that.

Roback: The jet airplane and private phones ... my grandmother was on the same line as we were and she always listened in. When we got to be teenagers and we had boyfriends, we warned our boyfriends that grandma was listening in.

Wiant: I haven’t even caught up with the smartphone.

CDT: What’s one of your fondest memories?

Buzzell: Getting married to Jane in 1951 ... in Sparta, Wisconsin, that was her hometown. We were married 71 years. ... I liked to think of this favorite memory, we had decided after living in State College for nine years that it was time to think about moving into a retirement home. ... We came in the front door — it was 1998 — and I took one sniff of Foxdale and it smelled good. You will think that’s strange but its part of the aura — the Foxdale aura — I didn’t look any further, we came to Foxdale.

Way: I went to Slippery Rock ... I had nice friends there in college.

Weisz: We always went to Sunday School and I was always part of the Christmas play. ... I was the one that kept everything moving.

Wiant: My grandpa’s mill, he had a grist mill ... we’d play hide and well, not much we didn’t do.

Ayoub: My mother playing the piano ... she played Chopin and classical. We had a grand piano and I used to lie under the piano and listen to her play.

Roback: The summer I dated my husband — my husband-to-be — the summer of 1948. We were both in Cornell University summer school.

CDT: What’s one thing you wish you did in your life?

Wiant: Go to college.

Ayoub: Learned to play the piano.

Roback: I would liked to have done more camping earlier, I love to camp.

Buzzell: The first thing that comes to my mind is that when I bought a second car for our family it was a Chevrolet Nova, and that was a mistake. I wish I had brought the Dodge instead.

Way: Maybe I should have taught school longer.

Brown: I wish I would have spent many more days skiing down the mountains in the world.

Weisz: Gone to college.

CDT: What do you want for your next birthday?

Wiant: Family, they come from all over.

Ayoub: A nice birthday party with friends and family ... carrot cake.

Roback: My kids usually come for my birthday and I would like them to continue coming and bring the great-grandchildren ... let them come a day at a time so I can get to know them.

Buzzell: We had a nice big party at 100, that was great. But I don’t need one of those every year, maybe quiet recognition by my family ... and a nice chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

Way: Well, I would like for all my kids to get together.

Brown: I want a Tesla! Well, it’s something new, creative and it’ll stop in the middle of the street.

Weisz: A pot of gold. Well if you’re wishing you might as well wish big!

CDT: What’s your advice for younger generations?

Wiant: Stay away from alcohol.

Ayoub: Get a good education.

Roback: Do what you want to do when you’re young and can do it.

Buzzell: Become trained in some kind of field they’re interested in. You don’t have to go to college but they should be trained in some sort of trade.

Way: Go to college.

Brown: To love people, to understand people and to maintain hard work in whatever profession they find themselves.

Weisz: Stay in school and do well, which is what all our children did.

This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 6:00 AM.