Maria Niesslein recently celebrated her 100th birthday at her home at Kathy’s Place in Florence.
Maria was born in the harvest season, on September 12, 1924 in Tlumacz, Poland, on a farm with no water, plumbing or electricity.
She was the oldest of four children, with one sister and two brothers and she has outlived them all.
At 18, the Germans came to get workers for Germany to work during World War II. They wanted her little sister, but she volunteered to go instead.
She was lucky to be assigned as a nanny to the family of a German officer. She later went to work in a sewing factory and gained skills she used for a lifetime to earn money as she worked her way to Canada after the war. She was sponsored by a relative, and was soon able to send for her fiance. They married and in 1956 they had a son, Ray, in Montreal, Canada.
The family immigrated to the US in 1964 and lived in Van Nuys, California for 38 years. She had a pool, orange tree and a lemon bush in her backyard, and grew lots of plants and flowers with her “green thumb.” Ray taught his mother to swim in their pool when he was 11 and she was in her 40s. She walked every day and stayed fit.
Ray moved to Montana in 1994 after the LA earthquake. He asked his parents to join him in Montana, since his dad was in an assisted living center with Alzheimer’s.
In 2002, Ray added an additional living space to his house in Stevensville, and that year Maria and Herbert moved in. Maria cared for Herbert’s daily needs. It was no small feat for a 5-foot-2-inch woman to manage a 285 lb. man. She managed for two years, until Herbert moved into a Stevensville care facility. He passed away soon after.
Maria enjoyed life with family close by. Although she struggled with macular degeneration and was slowly going blind, she liked playing cards and dominos with Ray and created a beautiful garden which she could never see. Five years ago she became totally blind and eventually moved to Kathy’s Place in Florence. She has finally settled in there and is happy and thriving.
If asked what her secret to longevity is, she will tell you to walk daily, eat single ingredient foods, and start your day with oatmeal. She requests it with honey, brown sugar, and a prune or two.
She has a son and daughter, four grandkids, four great-grandkids, and six great-great-grandkids. She gave her grandkids their inheritance early so she could live to see them retire while she is still alive.
Maria is still sharp as a tack in conversation and interested in current events, but she’s losing her hearing. Ray visits her weekly, and delivers requests she has for food. She has all her hair and teeth, and likes brats, potato salad, steak, and recently she tried Ray’s favorite barbecued chicken wings. She liked them!
Family members came from Atlanta, Seattle, Sacramento and Kelowna, Canada to celebrate Maria’s birthday with her. At Maria’s request, Ray prepared a lunch of BBQ rib-eye steak, mashed potatoes, and pickled asparagus, accompanied by a bottle of Cabernet sauvignon wine, and cake, of course.
The family has plans for a memorial bench dedicated to Maria to be installed in Lewis and Clark Park in Stevensville.
Glen Munn says
As one of the grandchildren, I would like to add a few things that were not mentioned in the article. First, Ray is not the only one who has done anything for my grandmother. During her time in Van Nuys, my mom, Renate (her daughter), would do my grandmother’s hair every Saturday and was always there whenever she needed anything while living in California.
Second, her last name is spelled incorrectly; it should be Niesslein.
Regarding the printed information, “She gave her grandkids their inheritance early so she could live to see them retire while she is still alive,” this is not correct. I am the only grandchild close to retirement, and at 55, I am not sure if I am done working. My grandmother was a very generous person, and I do not understand why this was mentioned. I am not sure where this information came from or who was interviewed. Was this article about Ray or my grandma?
Lastly, Ray is not the only person who visits her every week. My aunt and cousin, who also live in Stevensville, visit her weekly. Maybe reach out to others for a more comprehensive view?