Quiet life doesn't interest 85-year-old Erna Mae Yeagley years ago
Staff writer
"My second husband died 36 or 38 years ago so I operated the farm by myself," she said. "I've done all the work that needs to be done on a farm."
Following the death of her husband, Erna Mae found herself a widow.
"I wasn't quite 50 so I went into the Peace Corps. I was one of only five people accepted and went to Mexico for training," she said.
However, at that time, the Peace Corps prohibited its representatives from "mentioning religion."
"Fellas were supposed to work with animals and farming and women were supposed to just help women. And they (Peace Corps) were going to send single women into places where you don't send single women," she said. "Half of us left before our training was over."
Instead, Erna Mae joined the Christian Service Corps spending two years working at Melmark Home, a home for retarded children as it was called back then, in Philadelphia, Pa.
"Janet's husband helped with things on the farm while I was gone," she added.
Besides her service work, Erna Mae also took some time to travel the world.
"I've traveled to all 50 states, the Canadian provinces, and Mexico. I've been to six of the seven continents. I've been everywhere but Antarctica," she related. "I've been to Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Holy Land a number of times."
Back in Marion County, Erna Mae threw her energy into working with community service organizations and church committees.
"I've been stocking shelves with the food bank since they opened 15 years ago. When there's not enough food donated I go out and buy it. I never bought anything without a coupon," she said. "I wore out two cars running around for the food bank."
Erna Mae also finds time to help others by driving for the FISH (Friends I Should Help) program.
Although she's held "all the offices" in Valley United Methodist Women's group, Erna Mae said she keeps busy making health kits, school kits, and kits for church world services. She also substitute teaches the adult Sunday school class at Valley, and participated in last year's CROP Walk.
"I was the only person from Valley who walked last year," she said. "I raised more than anybody."
Erna Mae said she plans to get more people involved in the program this year.
"CROP Walk is in October," she said. "I guess I better get busy."
Church involvement is very important in Erna Mae's life.
"I've always been active in church. I'm one of those dummy people who hasn't missed a Sunday in over 10 years," she said.
Erna Mae attributes her stellar attendance record to the fact that she never gets sick.
"Except for my hearing I have perfect health. I've had no headaches in 50 years. I've been to the hospital one time and that was when my last child was born," she said.
Her health is so good that she's been a regular at the Red Cross blood drives for years.
"I'm only lacking two pints of giving 25 gallons of blood," she said.
"I get a flu shot every fall. I guess I'm too mean to get sick," she said with a laugh.
That's quite a change from her health as a child when she caught "all the diseases, even scarlet fever."
Erna Mae says her hearing problem is the result of answering the phone one time during an electrical storm.
"For awhile I could hear really good, then it gradually got worse," she said.
Erna Mae said she keeps physically and spiritually fit by doing 50 minutes of aerobics everyday followed by 30 minutes of devotions, then works on altering garments. Erna said she did the alterations for the former Van's Department Store in Marion for years.
"I've altered 60 some garments a year," she said. "Nobody much does alterations anymore. Thread, tape, and material is all so expensive.
"I bought a piece of silk back when I was in China and decided to make a dress with it," she said, shaking her head. "I've had a time with it. I've spent hours and hours working on it."
After 85 years of keeping active and being in control of her life it's no surprise that Erna Mae already has made plans for following her death.
"Since I'm never sick I've already made arrangements to donate my body to the KU (University of Kansas) Medical Center when I die. I never had a broken bone.
"When I go I hope I just fall over dead," Erna Mae said.
But Erna Mae doesn't plan on checking out anytime soon.
"I've got too much to do. I can't die."
She may be right.
