Centenarian’s secret: Keep it movin’




FAMILY—Lloyd Friesen and his mother, Opal, in the backyard of her Thousand Oaks home Nov. 30. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

FAMILY—Lloyd Friesen and his mother, Opal, in the backyard of her Thousand Oaks home Nov. 30. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

Opal Friesen celebrated her 100th birthday last month with 100 jumps on her mini trampoline, just as she does every morning.

Friesen, born Nov. 7, 1922, uses no cane, no walker and takes no medications. She takes a multivitamin at breakfast and lives independently in her two-story condo off Pederson Road in Thousand Oaks.

She still drives, having last renewed her license three years ago at 97. She will have to renew it again when she is 102.

“I ended up with good genes,” Friesen said, by way of explanation. “My dad lived into his 90s.”

The centenarian celebrated with her family, including her son and his wife, granddaughter and eight nieces and nephews who came from her native Thomas, Oklahoma.

“I was 18 when I came to California,” Friesen said.

The Okie settled in Hawthorne, working for Northrop Corp. during World War II. While at the defense contractor, she met Ralph Friesen, her first husband.

Married in 1942 to, the couple had one son, Lloyd, and spent time between Lancaster; Alamogordo, New Mexico; and El Paso, Texas.

In 1963, they settled in Thousand Oaks, where Northrup had offices.

“When we first moved here, there was only one stop sign, on Moorpark and Thousand Oaks Boulevard,” she said. “There were sheep here at the intersection. Westlake was ranchland, with cattle and horses. Ronald Reagan had horses. He used to come into town. There was a grocery store across the street from the Masonic Lodge with a meat counter. Ronald Reagan used to go there.”

But after Ralph was promoted, his job required him to travel the globe. The pair spent five years (1971 to 1976) living on the Greek island of Crete.

“It was fun on Crete,” Opal said. “I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life there, but we had a good time. We’d go around all over the island.”

What is her secret to a long, healthy life?

“You need to keep moving,” she said. “That’s why God gave us legs. Keep moving and pay attention to the people who sit. . . . It isn’t too long till that’s all we can do. We were built to move.”

Lloyd Friesen, a retired chiropractor who lives in Camarillo, describes his mother as the pillar of the family.

“I’m an only child, and my dad traveled a lot for the defense industry,” he said.

He said his mother has outlasted most of her doctors.

“I took her to a new doctor . . . (and) he said her numbers (vitals) are better than mine. Her vision is great. She does not own a computer or tablet. She has a cellphone, but she doesn’t turn it on,” Lloyd said.

Her secret, according to her son, “is that she’s not a big eater.”

“Breakfast occasionally eggs and toast, Kasha (cereal), with fruit and nuts. Not a big dinner eater. She likes red wine, and drinks one to one and a half glasses several times a week,” he said.

Lloyd said his mom’s second husband, Jim Adams, was a high school sweetheart who had lost touch with her.

They got married in 1997 when Opal was 75. Together, they had three residences in Washington state, Arizona and Thousand Oaks.

Between marriages, Opal and her son bought units at Las Flores Villas. She still owns hers, which she’s rented out for 40 years, first to the Dallas Cowboys (when they used to practice at Cal Lutheran) and later to Amgen employees.

Her son recalls riding in a dune buggy to hunt rabbits where houses are now.

“Sheep and horses ruled the area. The rest was not here. Jungleland was on T.O. Boulevard where the theater is now,” Lloyd said. “There wasn’t much. The 23 wasn’t here. The 101 was a two-lane road that went over the hill to Camarillo. There were so many accidents we called it Death Valley.”

For many years, Opal has played Bunco, a dice game that requires several teams of players, several times a week.

Opal attends Sunday services at Unity of the Oaks church, where she is revered, one member said.

“All the women at the church joke about how we want to grow up to be like Opal,” friend Jane Brown said.

Opal said she doesn’t get caught up in the buzz about her age.

“As far as I’m concerned, 100 isn’t that old. Life is good. Just keep moving. Keep a good attitude and have fun,” she said.