Longevity runs in my family

My mother just turned 90. Hard to believe but she's in great shape and I anticipate she'll keep going strong for some time to come. But she's not the only one in our family. Here's a picture of my mom and two of her siblings when they were kids. Coincidently the two siblings in this picture are the two that are still alive: her younger brother is 85 and her older sister is 97!

From the writer's collection L to R, mother, Uncle Len, Aunt Vi

Even though their three other siblings are now deceased all lived to a good age - my two uncles were 82 and 85 and my aunt was 90. Here's a picture of my grandmother with her four eldest children. I'm not sure if the baby is my mother but it's possible. Not sure who the other two children with the snazzy hats are, could be cousins. So being born on a farm in Saskatchewan obviously was a healthy start to life!

From the writer's collection. L to R u/k, Aunt Bertha, Uncle Art, Uncle Henry, Grandma Bena, my mother?, uk, Aunt Vi

Or perhaps the longevity gene came from the Matzkes, about whom I've already written. My grandmother Bena Matzke Besler unfortunately died from lung cancer at the relatively young age of 75. But her two younger sisters lived long lives. Christina Matzke Schneider lived to 81 and Carolina Matzke Mundt lived to 102! Their father Franz (Frank) Matkze lived to 85. All the Matzkes were born in Romania and managed the arduous trek to Canada so obviously some good genes there! Here is my favourite picture of the Matzke family again.

From the writer's collection. L to R Caroline, Josephine, Christina, Jacobena, Franz Matzke

However, there's some longevity on my father's side as well. My grandmother Getrude Kingswell Brooks lived to the age of 86. Here is a great photo booth picture of her. I call this my glamorous grandma Gertie picture!

From the writer's collection

Her youngest sister Christina Kingswell Clegg also lived to a good age dying at 91. Here's her glamorous photo booth shot, probably from the same time!

From the writer's own collection

Their sister Olive Kingswell Glover lived to 93and their brother William Kingswell to 96. 

On my father's father's side my great-grandfather John Andrew Brooks lived to the age of 88. Here's a picture of him as a young man. I'll be writing more about John and his family in the future.

From the writer's own collection

All in all I have almost 50 ancestors that were born in the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century that lived into their 80s, 90s, and even 100s. Life expectancy in the 17th and 18th century was about 35. In the 19th century it was around 40-45 and in 1900 50 for males and 51 for females. Currently it is around 80. Seeing this you would think that it would be odd for people to live as long as my ancestors did. However, the cause for the low average life expectancy was the prevalence of death in childhood. If people were able to survive childbirth and the many childhood diseases that one would encounter in the days before vaccines and modern healthcare they could live as long as people today.

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