Centenarians share birthday party

RICHLAND – Radio and telegraph communication was the bee’s knees in technology when Emma Wentz and David Rutherford were young. Now they live in an age when e-mail and texting make worldwide communication virtually instantaneous.

The two celebrated their birthdays Thursday, he turning 100 while she topped that by turning 101. And just in case you’re not hip with early 20th-century slang, the bee’s knees denote something that’s excellent.

At Richland Gardens, a senior living community where the two live, they were celebrating something excellent.

“Having two residents with the same birthday does not happen often, and especially to have them reach 100 and 101,” said Jamie Boelow, executive director of Richland Gardens. “Usually our eldest residents are in their low 90s.”

Boelow said Wentz and Rutherford have been teasing and sparring with each other since spring, and the other residents too, doing a countdown of the days.

“All the gentlemen say she doesn’t look a day over 90 and hope they look that good at 100,” she said.

Wentz was born Aug. 5, 1909, on a farm near Streeter, N.D. She later became a schoolteacher.

“She’s doing really well,” said her daughter, Marlene Jelsing. “Her body’s getting weaker, and she’s hard of hearing, but other than that she’s doing well and still quite witty.”

Rutherford, who was born Aug. 5, 1910, in Indiana, is a a retired minister, said his son-in-law, Dan Martin, of Richland. “He preached his last sermon in August 1991.”

Family members of the birthday duo joined Wentz and Rutherford for lunch Thursday and enjoyed a piece of cake. But the two celebrating their day opted instead for cheesecake topped with a musical candle.