On June 18, 2002 Everett was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame by Governor Taft. The Mayor of Chagrin Falls, Lydia Champlin accompanied him. Last week a call came from Burbank, California. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno asked if the Hosacks would be guests on the show, all expenses paid, of course! All taken in stride, no matter what this dynamic couple is up to, anyone who encounters them is sure to enjoy their humor, warmth and marital harmony. Married for 67 years, Everett and Elsa Hosack shared some of their thoughts and interests with Benjamin Rose.

You have been married nearly 67 years. Tell us how you met.
Elsa: It is a very interesting story. In 1928, Everett was on his way to South America. He wanted to buy a gift for his cousin Thelma. I was working at the Actuel Music Store in Youngstown, Ohio, selling sheet music and records. He came into the store and asked for a record by Red Nichols and his Five Pennies. We didn't have that record because our competitor had the exclusive on it. I tried to sell him a much "better" record, but he said goodbye. Within 10 minutes he came back with Red Nichols and his Five Little Pennies under his arm, smiling. Then he left for six weeks. I didn't expect him to come back, but he did. I was only 18 years old. We were married on September 28, 1935.

Everett: I wanted to take this trip because I was furloughed from the railroad and I was thinking of joining the navy but I would have to sign up for four years. That was a long time. I decided to take a trip. Anyway, I had a requisite of someone I wanted for a wife: a person who played the piano and a school teacher. Well I got half of it. (Elsa plays the piano.) That was one reason why I came back.

What advice do you offer those who hope to be married for as long as you have been?
Everett: It's a lot of give and take, sharing both good and bad.
Elsa: My philosophy is "harmony is better than victory."

What is the most remarkable thing you have witnessed in your lifetime?
Elsa: There is nothing as constant as change. So many things have changed in our lifetime. Electricity has affected us more than anything else. Also, the telephone has changed the way we communicate.

Everett: I agree with Elsa, so many things happen in 100 years. There are some things that don't change, though. The sun, the moon, the stars, the tide, the seasons. The trees lose their leaves every year. All those things stay the same.

There is so much talk about longevity. What are your thoughts on the topic?
Elsa: I am always surprised by people in their 50s and 60s and what they write about longevity. The only people who know about longevity have lived much longer than that. We didn't think we were old in our 80s. Now at 92 and 100, we can talk about longevity. The decision to move from our century home of 50 years to a retirement community was a difficult one. The advice to anyone making the decision is to move while you are physically able to do it.

Everett: Stay active. I always had the desire to restore a house. So that is why I was attracted to our property in Highland Heights. It took many years to restore the house. I loved it. I would go to work and then work 4 or 5 more hours on the house. I liked being busy. I worked for the New York Central Railroad for 41 years. I served on the Highland Heights City Council for 11 years and I served as an elder at the Cedar Hill Baptist Church for 18 years. I was unhappy about retiring. We took a couple years to travel. Then I worked for a surveyor and I really loved it. I worked at bank sites and at the AAA building at East 55th Street. After that I worked for a dairy company calling on supermarkets. I covered the area from Painesville to Berea. I worked there for 20 years, until I was 88.

What inspires you to embrace life in this way?
Elsa: I think it is very difficult to accept slowing down. We have to learn how to acknowledge, then accept, and then adjust. One of the things that make it very easy to adjust is a firm conviction in the doctrine of providential guidance. To believe and know that you are provided for by providence, gives you peace of mind. Also, stress disappears when you can talk to other people. If you are stressed, you can not have peace of mind. I also think happiness is keeping busy, keeping your hours filled with pleasant things. Pleasure replaces the aches and pains of aging. We avoid and refuse to discuss those aches and pains, but make no mistake, they are there!

Everett: That is why I worked as long as I did. When you are gainfully employed, you don't have time to worry about little aches and pains. I love being with people and I love to meet people. Working for the dairy company was just fantastic. I also want to emphasize Elsa's ability to do things. Together we keep each other going. I still have my convertible. I bought it in 1985. That was an exciting year! It was our 50th golden wedding anniversary, we took a trip on the QE II, the Concorde, the Chrysler convertible and our 1824 house was featured on American Greetings Christmas cards.

Elsa: We enjoyed the convertible all summer. And what has replaced "work" are activities. When you give up something you have to replace it. It is so important to keep your mind tuned. To have fellowship and companionship is important, too. One of the advantages of being together is doing things together and enjoying the fellowship of residents where we live at Hamlet Village. We take trips, read books and discuss them, hear music at Severance Hall. For our 50th anniversary we sailed to England on the QE II and came back on the Concorde. Everett loves to be with young people, especially, and they enjoy him. We do something every day. When things don't happen we make them happen.

Everett, How did you get started with the Senior Olympics?
Everett: Years ago I had a friend from High School who had to go to Florida for his health. His mom invited me to go with them. We lived in Gainesville and enrolled in the University of Florida. There, I had to choose between taking a physical education prerequisite or going out for track. So, I went out for track. I trained and trained and became proficient at the high and low hurdles. It was the first year that the school had entered track meets so I was the best freshman hurdler. I went with the team to meets. We went to Mercer and Georgia Tech to name a few. I was fortunate enough to beat everybody. That is what whetted my appetite for running.

Elsa: The Gainesville Gazette called him "the brilliant young Gator from Ohio."

Everett: During the Depression, I returned to Cleveland and worked at General Motors. I heard that the New York Central Railroad had a track team. Well, that was all it took for me to take that job instead. I got to train and they gave me time off to practice hurdling. Each year they had a meet. I came in third the first year. I didn't do any [competing] for 50 years after we bought the house in Highland Hills. I did mow a path at our farm in Highland Heights and I ran around it to keep fit. Then I heard about the Over the Hill Track Club and joined. At the first event I did I received a bronze medal. From then on I kept doing training and running. I was about 80 when I started going out of town for meets. I started to include field events like the hammer throw, the discus, the javelin and the shot-put. Last week I went to Columbus for a senior meet and ran the 400 meters. It took me 5 minutes and 30 seconds. There wais a regular indoor meet in Boston last year. I set 4 records there. I broke the record in the hammer throw, shot-put and discus.

Elsa: On Everett's 95th birthday he flew to Birmingham, England and competed with athletes from 73 countries. He won in all 5 events that he entered. He is very modest in the way he is reporting. He is a very humble gentleman.

Everett: That was a terrific experience! Can you imagine being featured in the London Times on the front page of the sports section where they put a big picture of me?! (A picture of Everett running takes up almost the entire space above the fold.) I set a record in the long jump there. Traveling to different events is fantastic. The Penn Relays are put on by the University of Pennsylvania. (He broke his own world record there.) In front of a crowd of almost 51,000 people I ran. I was nervous. I get nervous still at my age, but all the people in the grandstands were cheering me on when they saw the huge 1902 printed on my shirt. With attention like that who wants to quit?

I recently spoke to students at Kirtland Middle School. I told them to accomplish something every day. It builds a foundation. Stick-to-itiveness is important.

Elsa: Once a year he speaks to Case Western Reserve University pre-med students.

Everett: Yes, the doctor called me his ace in the hole. Back when I was born, we didn't have medical care like we do now and yet look at me, but here I am, 100 years old. Nutrition is one of the avenues that has helped us to reach the ages of 92 and 100. Exercise first, then nutrition. A positive and optimistic attitude and flexibility are of utmost importance.

Elsa: As I said before, when things don't happen, make them happen.