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By Crystal Reith At 100 years of age, Alice Beattie believes the key to longevity is staying busy.
The Slayton resident still drives, keeps up her apartment at Sunrise Terrace, helps with church quilting projects and gathers weekly for card games with friends.
Beattie celebrated her centennial birthday on Tuesday, May 12, and her family is planning a celebration on Saturday, May 16, at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton.
Born and raised in the Boyd and Milan area, Beattie grew up in a time before electricity and indoor plumbing were common in rural homes.
“We appreciated things more when we did get them,” said Beattie, who was one of 10 children in a family with Norwegian roots.
Beattie attended school in Milan and Dawson. As a child, she experienced a serious health scare when she temporarily lost control of her right arm and leg.
“They thought I was getting paralysis,” she said. “Dad took me to a chiropractor, and in 10 treatments I was cured.”
In 1942, she married John Beattie of Dawson, Minnesota. The couple moved to Slayton in the early 1950s. For 50 years, Beattie worked at a bakery before retiring around age 70.
After the death of her first husband in 1988, Beattie married Jerry Thaler in 1991. Thaler passed away in 2016. Beattie’s family includes five kids, six stepchildren, 13 grandkids, nine step grandchildren, 27 great-grandkids and three great-great-grandkids.
Along with raising a family and working full time, Beattie has devoted decades to volunteering at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton. She served in numerous leadership positions, but her main role was helping lead quilting efforts for about 25 years.
“In my 90’s, it was time for somebody younger to take over,” she said. “I still go help get material ready.”
She volunteered for many years at Senior Dining and at the Hospice Rummage Sale.
Beattie considers quilting with the church group as one of her greatest accomplishments, as many of the quilts were distributed to people in need through charitable organizations and outreach efforts.
Throughout her life, travel became another important part of her life. Beattie visited Norway, Switzerland, Canada and much of the United States over the years, often traveling by motor home with family.
One of her favorite memories was traveling to Norway and meeting relatives from her mother’s family.
“We met one of my mom’s sisters and other cousins,” she said. “I encourage others to travel while they still can because once you get older you may not be able to.”
Along with her three daughters and her daughter-in-law, Beattie has taken a girls’ trip in the fall.
In 2002, they traveled to Washington DC, where she watched her son receive a postal award.
“While we were there, we toured all around Washington DC,” Beattie said.
Although she now uses a walker and cane at times, Beattie continues to live independently at Sunrise Terrace, where she moved in 2018.
“I’m still driving and my license is good for another year,” she explained. “But I don’t drive out of town. Only to the grocery store, church and card club.”
Reflecting on her life, Beattie wishes she would have asked her mom more questions while she was alive.
“You just live day to day and don’t ever think about the future,” said Beattie.
While having patience has been the most important lesson she has learned throughout her life, her advice to younger generations is that technology can sometimes be more detrimental than helpful.
“When I think back on my childhood and how we never had to lock our door and we weren’t afraid to go out to walk at night,” said Beattie. “It’s so different now.”
Still, Beattie looks back on her life, career, travels and family with gratitude.
“It’s been a good life,” she said. “It was a struggle for the first few years, but it’s been a good life.”
