Donna Brown is one person who can actually say she had to walk up a hill on a gravel road to get to school back in the day.
That early childhood experience instilled in the Eudora woman a lifetime love of exercise, which she credits for her active life.
Brown celebrated her 95th birthday Friday surrounded by family and the tight-knit group of friends from her exercise class.
Brown has lived in Eudora for the past 15 years after moving here with her husband Harvey to be closer to family. She regularly helps with the Eudora Food Pantry.
“It’s been great being close to our daughter and granddaughters and great-granddaughters,” she said.
Brown was born in Silverdale, Kansas, and grew up in Arkansas City as the oldest of five children. She remembers playing outside until dark, when her parents would call for her to come in to get ready for bed.
She worked as a representative for a telephone company while her husband was a building contractor.
“When I was in high school, I got a job at a drugstore part time for 35 cents an hour. And then after I graduated from high school, I took some classes at the college, but I got on with Southwestern Bell and went to work for the telephone company for 50 cents an hour,” Brown said.
Her greatest piece of advice for young people is to work hard in school.
“The main thing is to get a good education and hopefully you can find a good job. Usually, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up,” Brown said.
During her time at Southwestern Bell, she traveled as a representative to different cities like Dallas and Galveston, Florida. This, plus her travels as a child with her family is what sparked her love of adventure.
“After my husband had to retire, we traveled and everywhere we went, we walk trails just every place and then about, I think it’s been about eight years ago, I went with this group, and we went to Europe,” Brown said.
She likes to stay active because she has been active her entire life. Her daughter Marsha Gordon said her mother has walked almost everywhere since childhood and attributes that to how she has remained in good health at her age.
“Mom walks everywhere. She always has. She and dad. I mean, exercises so much for a daily routine. You know, a lot of people can live a long time but the quality is not that awesome,” Gordon said.
Gordon describes her mother as a kind heart with enthusiasm for life.
“You’ll find that she’s just inspirational. Not only does she keep coming here, but she’s just mentally with it and physically, she keeps going,” Gordon said. “And she’s just a delight to be around. Our whole family just loves hanging out with her. And she’s one of a kind, at least in my view.”
She has always been active and adventurous with a full glass approach to life, said her other daughter Judy Crandall, who traveled in from Texas for the celebration.
Brown enjoys traveling to places such as Europe, New Zealand and Australia where she and her friends found trails to walk.
Her friends in exercise class look up to Brown as well. Ruth Hughs said Brown is the kindest person you will ever meet.
“Who you see is who she is. She’s sweet. She’s energetic. She encourages all of us to think that age, it really is just a number,” Hughs said.
The exercise group has met regularly for 10 years and has become tight-knit.
“We’ve had spouses and dear friends die, but we are always there. So it’s more than exercise. It’s really a group that welcomes anybody that wants to come. We are always open to new people,” Hughs said.
The celebration included a shortened workout, cake and refreshments, and gifts.
Reach reporter Anna Denison at [email protected].
