Nystrom celebrates her 100th

THIS ‘N' THAT

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by JOANNE MALENE Marjorie "Mid" Nystrom of California is recognized at Friday's River Concert Series on July 3, Nystrom's 100th birthday. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Michelle Obama called to wish her a happy birthday. She was introduced and received a standing ovation at Friday's River Concert at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Tomorrow she will take a chartered plane to Nantucket, Mass., to participate in a family reunion and be feted again for reaching the century mark.

"It's never going to end," said Marjorie "Mid" Nystrom from her California home at the Wildewood Retirement Village on Monday, with a laugh.

Her sight and hearing are failing; she needs a walker to get around. But Nystrom says she feels all right for someone who has reached her 100th birthday. "But this is all kind of nerve wracking," she said of the fuss people are making over her.

She was born in Rutherford, N.J., on July 3, 1909. Her family moved to New Orleans when she was 3 and returned to Rutherford at 7 and remained there for most of the next 50 years. She went to Elmira College, where she majored in home economics. After graduation, she worked as a secretary for Medical Economics magazine before marrying Axel "Ax" Nystrom in 1934. Her husband worked as a mechanical engineer for Western Electric, a subsidiary of AT&T. The couple had two sons, Peter and Stephen, both of whom attended the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Nystroms traveled extensively — visiting Turkey, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Scandinavia and almost every state in the union. They initially retired to Royal Oak on the Eastern Shore, where they sailed, golfed and played bridge.

Ax died when he was almost 80. "He's been gone quite awhile now," Nystrom said of her husband.

For almost the past 13 years, Nystrom has lived in California, near her son, Steve. She is the oldest resident at the Wildewood Retirement Village. Until about six months ago, she particularly enjoyed playing bingo with the other residents. But her sight has made that difficult now. She spends her time listening to books on tape — she prefers books about history. In the early evening she likes to turn on the TV to hear the news and maybe watch Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. She also enjoys attending the River Concerts, and noted that she didn't miss a single concert last season.

Every day she takes at least a couple of walks up and down the long hall where she lives.

Nystrom seems surprised to have reached her 100th birthday. "It sneaked up on me," she said.

She says she has not taken particularly good care of herself. She smoked, and she spent a great deal of time in the sun with little thought of sunscreen. "It didn't do anything special, really," she said. But she did take a lot of vitamins, she said. Her son, Peter, works with the Shaklee vitamin corporation. Her mother was long-lived also, living to 95. Nystrom stayed as active as she could, playing golf until she was 85. "And I did my own housework," she said. "I just kept active. Maybe that was it."

Her son, Steve Nystrom, suggested that his mother's longevity could be attributed at least partly to her personality — she enjoys life and enjoys others, he said. "She is one of those people that when you meet her, you will become one of her best friends in about 30 seconds," he said.

Steve will accompany his mother on the airplane trip from St. Mary's County Airport to Nantucket on Thursday. She said she is looking forward to the family reunion and to the plane ride. "It will be quite a celebration, I'll tell you that," she said. One night will include a lobster dinner, she said. The reunion will also feature a big cake and a celebration of Nystrom's landmark birthday. "I never dreamed there would be so much fuss," she said.

Yard sale to benefit MVFD auxiliary

The Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary will have an indoor "air-conditioned" yard sale on Aug. 15 from 7 a.m. to noon at the firehouse social hall. Set-up will take place from 6 to 7 a.m. Refreshments will be available. Call 301-884-0277.

Vendors needed

Antique and craft market vendors are needed for the 12th annual Southern Maryland Farm-Life Festival at the John Knight Parlett Farm in Charlotte Hall, which will be held Oct. 10 and 11. This event benefits Christmas in April-St. Mary's County. Spaces are available for one day for $25 and for both days $40. For more information call 301-884-5678 or e-mail jbohle@md.metrocast.net.

Benefit event planned

A benefit to raise funds to help Terry Meador, who is battling stage 4 cancer, will be held Saturday, Aug. 1, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Apehanger's Bar and Brill in Bel Alton. A $10 donation is requested. The event will include an "old-fashioned pig pickin'" with all the trimmings. There will be live entertainment by Big Daddy and The Riff Hounds, as well as raffles, silent auction and bake sale Donations are welcome for the silent auction and bake sale. Call 301-753-1650.

Coffeehouse slated

First Saints Community Church will hold a coffeehouse and open mic night July 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at its St. Paul's Campus in Leonardtown (next to St. Mary's Hospital). The evening features Salvaytionz Army (the church's youth praise team), followed by an hour of open mic and concludes with a local Christian group. Specialty coffees and other beverages will be available.

scraton@somdnews.com