NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. Frances Shevenaugh celebates her 108th birthday among family and friends Thursday at the store of her Goddaughter, Sandy Gill, who owns Coquina Beach Swimwear, 100 Cooper St., just behind Flagler Avenue. She was born July 16, 1901, in Zanesville, Ind. As part of her birthday bash, 108 balloons were released.
NSBNEWS.net photo by Sera Frederick. Frances Shevenaugh models a bathing suit on her birthday at the store of her Goddaughter, Sandy Gill, revealing a well-toned physique as evidenced by her right bicep. She works out three times a week at the YMCA doing chair aerobics. In recent years, she's ridden a horse on a dude ranch, done some aerial maneuvers in Costa Rica, swam with dolphins in Cancun, Mexico and gone four-wheeling in Hawaii.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Frances Shevenaugh turned 108 today. Her secret to such a long and productive life: She stays active every day and adds: "I take life one day at a time."
It doesn't get any easier than that. After all, she's had 39,420 days of practice. But then again, who's counting any way?
Courtesy photo. Frances slides along on a cable 100 feet off the ground in Costa Rica a couple years ago.
Frances Kain Shevenaugh biography
Born July 16, 1901 in Zanesville, Ind. Parents were William Henry and Mary Mantilla Fryback Kain. The youngest of eight children. There were two brothers, Clint the oldest and her twin, Franklin. Five sisters were Maude, Carolyn, Delta, Fern and Ida Mae.
1901-1912
Lived with her parents, brothers and sisters on a farm in Zanesville, Indiana and attended grammar school.
1912-1920
Moved with her family to a farm in Newton Falls, Ohio, and attended elementary school and high school in Newton Falls. Worked in the summer for the Newton Fall Post Office. 1921 Attended Tri State College in Angola, Ind., and received teacher’s certificate. Tri State had been an all male school and had just recently allowed girls to attend. They offered her a teaching position in Kansas, but she decided it was too far away.
Courtesy photo. Frances climbed a volcano in Hawaii within the last five years.
1922-1926
Returned to Newton Falls and worked for the Newton Falls lumberyard figuring estimates for various projects. Then went to work for Youngstown Steel Company in Newton Falls. There she progressed from a bookkeeping clerk to the assistant to the President. This is where she met her future husband.
1927
She married Frank Shevenaugh, an engineer at Youngstown Steel Company. 1 927-1935 She moved to Alliance, Ohio, with her husband who took a job with Suburban Power Company. Frank passed away in 1935. He was a wonderful man. They weren’t sure what was wrong with him. He took a fall on some ice and has to use a cane to walk and he just got progressively worst until he was bedridden. They moved in with his mother and she took care of him to the end. He was always joking with everyone that came to see him. He never lost his fun loving spirit.
1935-1940
She moved to Altoona, Pa., and lived with members of her husband’s family and worked for the Pennsylvania Rail Road Company.
1941 She moved to California and lived with her two sisters, Fern and Carolyn. She never remarried nor had any children.
1941-1966
She worked as a bookkeeper/cashier for Maryland Casualty Company for 25 years in Los Angeles.
1966-1988
She retired in 1996 and moved to Santa Anna, Calif., with her sister, Fern. Carolyn who was now married to Murray McDonald also lived in Santa Anna. SheI traveled, had fun with, and later cared for her sisters and Murray. Murray lived until he was 100 years old.
1988-1997
She moved back to Indiana since all her family in California was gone. She lived there with a niece. In 1997, Tri-State University named their Department of Education in her honor.
1997-1999
To escape the cold winters, she moved to Deland, to the independent living area of the Lutheran Retirement Center. 1999-Present She moved to Orlando with my great niece, who is her Godchild and her husband, Sandy and Richard Gill.
They also have a second home in New Smyrna Beach. She has been active all her life by mostly walking to work, the bank or to pay bills. After retirement, she lived in a second story condo and went up and down stairs many times daily.
Courtesy photo. Frances enjoys four-wheeling these days.
How she stays fit:
"I don’t walk or go down stairs as often as I did in my early years but I get the majority of my exercise at the Wellness Center three times weekly. My workout includes a chair aerobics class three times weekly, riding the stationary bike nu-step machine 60 minutes three times a week. I also work on the weight equipment a couple times a week and walk the track. I enjoy reading, movies, and going out to lunch & dinner with family and friends. I help my niece in her new swimwear shop in New Smyrna Beach."
Her motto:
"I attribute my long and healthy life to exercise, a modest diet, and a positive mental attitude. My advice is live each day to its fullest. Don’t look back and don’t look ahead. Just live in the present."