100 years and still living independently
If Charlotte DeFrance had one piece of advice to share, it would “Forget about everything but living. Enjoy life and what you have because you don’t know how long it will last.”
And Charlotte has lived a lot of life. On Jan. 24, 2021, she turned 100 years old.
Charlotte has called Highland Regency House, an independent senior apartment community in New Ulm, Minn., home for the past six years. She moved from a farmhouse more than 180 miles away to be closer to family. Both her daughter Lanis and granddaughter Sheila, and their families, live nearby.
“We wanted to bring her closer to us,” explained Lanis. “Highland was just barely built when we first looked at it. It’s a beautiful place.”
“I like the friendly people, the quiet and the cleanliness. Everything is always so clean,” said Charlotte.
Charlotte has taken advantage of many amenities within the Highland building.
“We have a lending library available to all Highland residents and I’m pretty sure Charlotte has read every book we have,” said Barb Weicherding, Property Manager at Highland.
Looking back, Charlotte has not had an easy life, but she made the best of it. Her husband passed away when he was just 28 years old leaving her to raise two small children. She was a schoolteacher for 24 years. She taught fifth grade for 18 years in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, a year in Montana and a few years at a country school.
Lanis, her daughter, shared a story her mother has often shared from when she was teaching at the country school. Some boys decided to crawl out the window and escape from school. When they hit the ground, Charlotte standing there. She probably was not much bigger than they were, because she is small. She told them, they better get back in school and they scrambled back into the building.
“I remember that. It was funny. I laughed more than they did,” Charlotte remarked.
Charlotte celebrated her special day with a small family gathering. Turning 100 marks a special day for Charlotte. Even at 100, she continues to live independently and care for herself. Living at Highland allows her to enjoy a high standard of living with the comforts of home without the added responsibilities. Learn more about Highland at highlandregencyhouse.com.