The Worthington's — Long lives of love together

This past Sunday and Monday I got the opportunity to spend some time with a great couple. The occasion that spurred this meeting was Vernon Worthington's 100th birthday party and he and wife Ella's home in Long Beach. Now in most cases this would be of interest, but in this case it was extra special as his wife had turned 100 six months ago. The two have been married for almost 75 years. The story and photo package are the lead piece in the paper that comes out today. Here's some pix.

“We didn’t have wedding pictures. We didn’t have much of anything, did we dad?” Ella Worthington asked Vernon, her husband of nearly 75 years. The two were married during the onset of the Great Depression and worked the acreage of their Long Beach farm for many years. “He has to do the cooking now that I can’t see. I set the table and help put things away,” said Ella of how the two work together these days. “If anything happened to one of us, the other one would have to go to a care center because you couldn’t manage alone. I depend on him a lot and he depends on me a lot. It’s been a partnership.”
On Sunday afternoon, Vernon Worthington, enjoyed visiting with a number of relatives and friends who stopped by to wish him well on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
These days Vernon relies on his cane and at times various pieces of furniture to help him make his way throughout the house. Years ago the Worthingtons were a spry couple, holding impromptu square and circle dances on their living room floor with their friends.
“We get quite a lot of help from the neighbors,” said Vernon. Having no children of their own, the Worthingtons rely on various friends who check in on the couple. Rose Armstrong and her husband regularly runs errands and takes the couple to the store now that they don’t drive anymore. “They’re really our life savers,” said Ella.

Whats perhaps the coolest thing, other than the fact that they are fantastic people, is that if you didn't know how old they were you'd swear they were maybe 20 years younger. They still know what alls going on and keep up with current events. Vernon even follows the Blazers on a daily basis. They also have a good sized garden that they tend to in the warmer months.

I'm really looking forward to spending more time with them in the months to come, if not for the paper, than for myself, a personal project of sorts. I hear that they work together gathering the fire wood too, he splits the wood and she caries it in — I can't wait to see that. I'll be sure to post more as it comes along.
cheers,

-DKM