Seniors reflect on a century of living

At 100 years old, Mildred Busat credits genetics for her longevity — specifically, the genes she inherited from her mother.

“Everybody in her family lived into their 90s, a couple in their 100s,” Busat said. “So, I guess that’s where I got it.”

Recently, Busat joined three other senior residents of The Palms at Ponte Vedra Assisted Living and Memory Care to reflect on their memories of the past century. Sitting around a table next to Busat were Geraldine Iwanowski, also 100; Harry Hansgen, 97; and Charles Thonus, 101.

They are members of a select group: those who lived through the end of the silent movie era, the stock market collapse of 1929, the Great Depression, World War II, the birth of rock and roll, the Cold War, mankind’s first steps on the moon, the first home computers, the rise of the internet and much, much more.