Two seniors turn 100 in Woodland on New Year's Day: "Happy to be here"
WOODLAND -- Two seniors living at The Californian Assisted Living in Woodland rang in the New Year in style, turning 100 years old on January 1.
Jack Clarkson and Virginia Lemaster were both born on New Year's Day in 1925.
Clarkson is from the Bay Area and Lemaster was born in Colorado before relocating to Yolo County later in life.
The Californian hosted a birthday celebration for the two newly crowned centenarians.
"I'm happy to be here on this earth. I'm an old lady, but happy. And I love people," Lemaster told CBS13.
Clarkson was away celebrating with his family and unable to be interviewed.
Lemaster, a long-time music teacher, chooses to start her new year on the right note.
"Be kind to people. There's so much meanness now it seems like in the world," said Lemaster.
She credits her longevity to an active lifestyle.
"I always played a lot of golf. A lot of active things like that," said Lemaster. "And eat a lot of good food!"
Lemaster and Clarkson were children during the Great Depression and teenagers as WWII raged on, living through so many different monumental chapters of history.
Clarkson served his country in the Navy during WWII -- as did Lemaster's husband, Greg.
Greg Lemaster died years after the war from injuries he sustained in battle.
"I took him to San Francisco and to some of the best doctors. But he died. So I lost him to WWII, really," said Lemaster.
Lemaster never remarried, saying Greg was the one true love of her long life.
As time ticks on, she says she has learned 100 times now not to carry your worries into the new year.
"Just forget about it and live, you know?" said Lemaster.
She also shares a bit of advice to our younger generation.
"To enjoy life. To enjoy animals, to enjoy people. Not expect so much to be given to them free of charge. They need to work for it," said Lemaster.