Posted on 05/22/2015 3:25:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A can of beer every day is Mark Behrends’ secret to a long life.
The Nebraska City man turned 110 years old on May 16, making him Nebraska’s oldest living person and possibly the oldest man living in the United States.
“He always told everybody the reason he has lived so long is drinking one can of beer, every day at 3 p.m.,” said his daughter Lois Bassinger of Nebraska City. “He always joked that that was his medicine since he takes very little medicine.”
His “medicine” of choice?
“Whatever kind was around,” he said, though Bassinger said her father’s preference leans toward Miller brands. The supercentenarian lives at the Ambassador Health home in Nebraska City. His days are very quiet as he doesn’t care for television and has hearing loss, making conversation difficult. He also has to be reminded of his age — and his achievement as Nebraska’s oldest living resident.
“I don’t even notice it,” he said during a phone interview in which a staff member relayed questions. E. A. Kral of Wilber, Nebraska, who tracks Nebraska’s oldest residents, said men typically don’t live long enough to achieve supercentenarian status — people who have reached age 110 and older. In Nebraska only three men and 31 women have reached the age of 110, Kral said.
“This is really kind of special to accomplish what he has done,” Kral said.
Behrends is the oldest man in the United States among those whose age can be verified, according to the national Gerontology Research Group. Two other men — a 116-year-old in California and a 112-year-old in Illinois — have gaps in their age records.
“All this means is that there is a confusing situation, whereby we have three potential contenders for ‘oldest man in America,’” said Robert Young, director of the group’s supercentenarian research and database division. When it comes to the oldest U.S. resident, Behrends doesn’t even make the top 50 list — it’s dominated by women. Age may have slowed, but hasn’t stopped, Behrends, said another daughter, Mary Lou Woods of Dunbar, Nebraska. His family threw him a birthday party May 16 at First Christian Church in Nebraska City to celebrate this year’s milestone. About 50 to 75 family members attended and he enjoyed the more than three-hour celebration, Woods said.
According to the Nebraska Health Care Association and verified by E.A. Kral of Wilber, Nebraska, who tracks Nebraska’s oldest residents, Behrends is one of three people living in Nebraska to have reached age 107 and older. The other two are: Thelma Liesche Sutcliffe, 108, and Agnes Kopecky Orcutt, 107, both of Omaha.
Kral said 172 people in Nebraska history have lived to see their 107th birthdays and more. Of those 172, only 17 were men. The oldest man in Nebraska history was Luther L. Goding Sr.. who died in 1995 at the age of 111 years and 157 days, according to the Nebraska Health Care Association. The second oldest was Reuel S. Millar, who died in 2007 at the age of 110 years and 45 days.
Behrends, born May 16, 1905, grew up on his family’s farm in eastern Nebraska. He and his wife, Irene, raised four sons and three daughters.
“He was out in the field morning to night,” Woods said. “When it was time to start chores, he would holler up at us to wake up. Then he would go out to start milking the cows, and we would all go back to sleep. When we heard him coming up the steps, we knew we had to get out of bed and get moving quick.”
In his later years, Behrends worked in maintenance for Masters Implement in Nebraska City. He retired in 1983, the same year Irene died. Behrends couldn’t remember how he had met his wife — he just knew that they danced. “He and mom loved to dance,” Woods added.
He lived independently until he was 106, when he moved to the Ambassador Health facility. “He was able to renew his driver’s license for five years when he was 106,” Bassinger said. “He drove a little after that, but we thought it would be best if he quit. His reaction time wasn’t quite as quick. His license is still good, though.”
Behrends had forgotten about his driver’s license. “Oh, boy, I’m using that,” he joked.
Longevity runs in the family, Bassinger said. Her grandfather lived to be 99. The family plans to keep on celebrating with Behrends.
“When he turned 99, we had a big party for him because we didn’t know if he’d make it to 100,” Woods said. “He made it, so we had a bigger party (at 100). ... We keep having parties and thinking, ‘This could be the last one.’”
When asked his advice for a long, happy life, Behrends’ response was short and simple: “Right here,” he said, pointing to his heart.
EXCELLENT! I’ll live 4 times as long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like the whole beer thing is settled! :)
God bless him, I hope he lives to be as old as Methusela (sp?)
If one beer a day gets you to 110, I oughta live to be 330 at least!
Settled science. Law of the land. So let it be written, so let it be done.
One beer a day... long life.
Many beers.. immortality.
Boom.
I love America!
Unless you fall down and break your head.
Friends of NRA
May 11 at 4:30pm ·
Today, America’s oldest living Vet turns 109 and shows us his guns. He credits his health and longevity to “smoking cigars, drinking whiskey and being able to defend himself and his country with firearms.” To see more, visit http://bit.ly/1IwRK14
http://www.guns.com/2015/05/11/americas-oldest-living-vet-turns-109-and-shows-us-his-guns-video/
https://www.facebook.com/thepatriotnation/posts/10152664965110904
Three of my paternal grandparents smoked into their mid 90’s. Two of them drank, but weren’t heavy drinkers. I have aunts, uncles o made it to their early 100’s. None of these folks were saints or prudes. My dad is 82 and is like the Energizer bunny.
For the sake of convenience, say he started the (12oz) beer a day when he was 10. That would be 365 cans a year for 100 years, or 36,500 cans in 100 years. 36,500 x 12oz = 438,000 oz of beer. Or about 3,422 gallons. Water weighs about 8.31 pounds per gallon. Or about 28,437 pounds of beer = 14.2 tons. You’re right, I have nothing better to do at the moment.
Guess this picture wasn’t taken at 3 p.m.
And there ya are.
When I am 110 (only the good die young), when interviewed, I will attribute my long life to a pack of Lucky Strikes, and a gallon of black coffee every day.
Taken at 2:15.
Ha! Same! You and I can have a contest. last one standing buys the other a beer.
My Brother, Sister, and myself were raised in a household with the presence of our Great Grandparents. One might say they were instrumental in our upbringing. They were originally from Hannibal, Missouri, and migrated to California in the 1930’s.
“Granny” was one of them. A beer at lunch everyday of her adult life, and as long as I knew her she had that beer with a grape jelly, and peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with it.
Maybe that’s why “Grandad” worked for Pabst.
My mom died a few months short of her 103rd birthday. Her cousin is 107 and neither ever had a beer.
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