There is a new oldest person in Canada. Pearl Lutzko of Ituna, SK. is 111, and is believed to be the oldest after Elizabeth Buhler of Winkler, MB. died this week. Buhler was also 111, only a few months older than Lutzko.
When something happens among the country's oldest, there is often curiosity how they did it. It is assumed that there is some secret to longevity that the women have, which somehow people can figure out and share among themselves. Everyone wants to live as long a life as possible, so seeing these two ladies makes one wonder what it is about them that gave them their longevity. Surely there must be some kind of trick in diet or lifestyle that has allowed them to outlive the rest of the people born in 1899.
So what do they have in common, for a starting point? The most obvious thing the ladies shared is that they are both women. This is not a big surprise, women do live longer than men, on average, and that is borne out in the records for oldest living people. Of the ten oldest people to have ever lived, only one is a man, and the same holds true for the list of oldest people currently living. Immediately it becomes apparent that if you are a woman, you already have an advantage when it comes to having a very lengthy life.
Otherwise both women had lives typical of people when they lived. Their early lives were difficult, they immigrated to Canada at a young age and made a life for themselves, they struggled through the Depression and they had large, loving families. It's a good life, but it's not unique to them. Their diets hold no clue either. Buhler even had a special affection for lard, which would make any cardiologist cringe.
They do both try to stay active, from all reports, with Lutzko reportedly being quite fond of bingo and Buhler participating in fun walks into her 90s. Maybe that's the trick in the end, the need to stay as active as possible until it's not possible anymore.
Whatever the trick might be, Buhler and Lutzko figured out how to have long, happy lives, and for doing that they should be celebrated. The stories that have come to attention about both women show ladies who are well liked and special members of their communities. Buhler may be gone now, but Lutzko deserves to enjoy her place as the oldest person in the country, she earned it.
