When I interviewed Marion Almeraz for this column, she didn’t understand “what’s the big deal” about her life other than the fact that she’s still independent and active at age 99. Marion’s friend Claudia, who referred her to me, felt otherwise.
Born Marion Reese in Detroit, MI on September 3, 1911, Marion’s family participated in the post-WWI Upper Midwest migration to the Golden State. Her fondest lifetime memory is of the family trip west over a 3+ month period in 1920, driving a 1914 Ford Touring Car with a canvas top and “Isinglass” windows (made from a form of mica) and camping along the way.
Marion’s father was a sheet metal worker in Detroit, but when WWI ended it was difficult to find the coal needed to fuel their family furnace the following winter. After suffering through temperatures dropping to 20 degrees below zero during the winter of 1919-1920, her father declared he was “never going to spend another winter in that Godforsaken country!” Thanks to her father’s love of reading and knowledge about world affairs, he knew the family’s future was destined for the Golden State of California and they arrived in the Central Valley on Marion’s 9th birthday.
During the Great Depression, Marion recalled that her parents and two older siblings stood in food lines. Her father found odd jobs and her older brother ultimately worked for the phone company. In Marion’s opinion, the most significant World event in her lifetime was when Teddy Roosevelt was elected and established the Social Security system, because this system “has kept this country from being in even worse shape today. Before Social Security, when people lost their jobs they went to the Poor House and had no security whatsoever.” Marion has always been very interested in democratic politics, and her work included being secretary to the President of the Democratic National Committee in Santa Rosa.
Marion moved to Santa Rosa with her husband in 1941 to be near her sister. He was in the sign business, but materials weren’t easily accessible as WWII approached so he found work painting buildings for the air force and in 1943 they bought the house Marion still occupies today. Marion proudly raised two children in that home, and boasts about her three grandchildren who “are all college graduates.”
A dominating theme in Marion’s life stems from her love of animals. She received her first dog at age six, raised Irish Setters and Poodles, and had a poodle grooming parlor for 30 years on her property in Santa Rosa. In 1949 Marion helped start the first dog obedience class in Santa Rosa, and also established the first AKC dog show at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Today, she owns two cats, Dexter (Maine Coon) and Raja (Siamese).
Despite a small physical setback earlier this year when she fell boarding the bus to a local casino (an outing she enjoys weekly), Marion remains incredibly active at age 99. She plays bridge 3-4 times per week at the Santa Rosa Senior Center, and loves to dance at every opportunity. She also enjoys crossword puzzles and chauffeurs her much younger friend, Claudia, around town, boasting a 67 year accident and ticket-free driving record. Her current license expires in three years (age 102), and Marion fully intends to keep driving herself and others as long as she is able!
Marion credits her long life and good health to being “lucky, I guess!” She claims to eat and drink whatever she wants, but doesn’t smoke and religiously eats half a grapefruit every day. When asked what advice she’d like to share with today’s youth, her knee-jerk response was to say “I’m glad I’m not raising children now,” and then, “establish a goal and stick to it.” She also wishes young people would write and appreciate “good music” again! Me, too, but I do recall my own parents’ reaction to Rock ‘n Roll…
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