Centenarian: Ilene (Graff) Greenwood

Ilene (Graff) Greenwood is turning 102 years old today. She was born June 30, 1907, in Spokane and has lived in the Eastern Washington and North Idaho region her entire life. Greenwood met her husband, Louis, in junior high when they lived next door to each other. They married in 1924 in Spokane. He died in 1986.

Greenwood was a homemaker and also worked for the state of Washington in daycare for seven years. Her most rewarding life achievement was learning how to drive a car.

When asked to what she credits her long and healthy life, Greenwood mentioned country living – eating home-grown meat and vegetables and getting lots of exercise by always walking to where she needed to go.

Greenwood said her most memorable moment in the past 102 years was the invention of flying. She is amazed that planes are able to stay up in the air and that you can simply step on a plane and fly anywhere.

Greenwood has six children: Vivian Burrell, Spokane; Ray Greenwood, Spokane Valley; Joyce Fiechtner, Carmichael, Calif.; Judy Gaffney, Spokane Valley; Carol Morgan, Marysville, Wash.; and John Greenwood, Deer Park. She has 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and three great-great- grandchildren.