Siebert: Enjoy every moment

At 104 years old, Siebert knows how to have a good time! The Chicago native met and married his wife, Shirlee, shortly after World War II. They raised two sons near Los Angeles and moved to Camarillo three decades ago to enjoy their retirement. He attributes his long life and 72 years of marriage to staying socially connected and enjoying life. Although he studied to become a teacher, he served as a draftsman and helped build Navy ships during the war. Later, he owned his own furniture store and then became a commercial developer. While working hard paid the family’s bills, Siebert made socializing, volunteering in the community and fun, a priority. The couple enjoyed ballroom dancing, which led them to the Lawrence Welk Show. They danced to big-band music of the 1940s, seeing the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, in person. That kind of exercise and remembering all those dance steps – from swing and the waltz to Latin dancing and disco – kept them sharp. They also played cards (poker, gin and pan) regularly with their neighbors and enjoyed bowling with friends on a league. Dinner parties, fundraising galas and vacation cruises were regular dates on their social calendar. “We had a good life,” Siebert says. Their volunteer work with AmeriCorps’ Retired Senior Volunteer Program earned them the President’s Volunteer Service Award.  While the love of his life has passed, Siebert remembers their life together with a twinkle in his eyes. Enjoy every moment, he says, and minimize stress as much as possible. Those are his words of wisdom on living a long life.

Maria: Be curious, Embrace change

It’s a miracle Maria, a native of Austria, survived World War II. As a teenager, she was separated from her Jewish-Catholic family and brought to New York from Austria after Hitler invaded her country. She was taken in by a foster family and they were living in Honolulu when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Incarcerated during the war because she had a German passport, she eventually landed in a convent. In 1944, at age 19, she was finally reunited with her father in New York, and three years later with her mother and sister. She earned a medical degree, married and started a family. Maria practiced medicine around the world while accompanying her husband, an international educator advising developing countries for the United Nations. They eventually settled in San Luis Obispo, where she practiced family medicine and hospital pathology. While there wasn’t a lot of free time, she and her husband of 53 years enjoyed playing Bridge with friends. Most of her time was devoted to family, faith and medicine. In 2002, at age 77 she retired and devoted years to bringing communion and outreach to residents in assisted living facilities. After her husband’s passing, she moved in with her sister in Goleta, making up for those lost early years. Recently, she settled in with her grandson in Camarillo and now lives in a three-generation household surrounded by her loving family with deep bonds and connection, something she’s grateful for given her experience during the war. Ingredients to living a long life, she says, include having curiosity and embracing change. “I looked at change as fertilizer for plants. It’s good for us to be exposed to different situations, and to accept, embrace and make the best of it,” she says.  The 100-year-old says faith, prayer and minimizing stress are also important to longevity. “I lived by the adage my husband shared – to keep life simple and not be lost in complexity. Don’t make life too fancy, too difficult or complicated.”