Centenarian

Emma Elizabeth Meyers

SPOKANE

Emma Elizabeth Meyers will celebrate her 102nd birthday today. She was born Jan. 2, 1906, in North Chester, Neb. She has lived in Eastern Washington for 62 years.

Meyers met her husband, Ernest, in Texas, when her family moved to the same street, and also at Sunday school. They were married in 1930 on Christmas Eve. He died in 1994.

She was a schoolteacher for 28 years and says that her most rewarding life achievement was teaching a first-grade boy how to play the piano, at his request. Fifty years later, this student continues to write to her.

Meyers attributes living a long and healthy life to hard work and good food. She spoke of hauling water from the lake to her house for her family and for the cattle because there was no running water.

When asked what her most memorable moment in her past 102 years has been Meyers talked about living through World War I, remembering that it was a scary time, her friends from town left, but then there were large parades when they returned home.

Meyers has four children: Nyla Raab, Ann Romine, both of Spokane; Earl Myers of Idaho; Boon Myers of Arizona; 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.