Patty Ewing and her 105 year old mother, Leta Grace Deveraux

In 2013 in the United States, the average life expectancy for a woman is 85 years. If you have difficulty imagining what life might be like at 85, consider making it another twenty years!  

And yet, Leta Deveraux of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, celebrated her 105th birthday this year.  She lives with her 75-year-old daughter Patty Ewing and her son-in-law Frank, 78.  We spent time with the family, discussing with Patty what it is like to care for her mother, and what it is like caring for a parent at home when they have reached well into their second century on earth.

Despite her age, Leta has her wits and humor about her, and on more than one occasion made quips that had the entire room in stitches.  For example, when I asked her what it is like to be 105, the quick-draw Leta came back with, “Want to switch?”

She is not as mobile as she used to be, of course, and spends most of her days at home. It is fair to suggest that most senior citizens, many far younger than she, are on a daily regimen of prescription drugs.  Not so with Leta; she relies on none, and never has—her body has proven remarkably resilient to the ravages of time.  As equal proof, perhaps, she remains a bit of a flirt and enjoys it when men come to visit—our presence was most welcome!  

Patty joked with her mom, saying, “How do you feel with all of these good-looking men here to visit you?”  Leta’s eyes lit up and she smiled with the sheer pleasure of a teenage girl at a school dance!

A peaceful, quiet home is the ideal place for Leta to live, and Frank and Patty correctly decided that it would be better for her to be close. Meanwhile, Leta and Frank share a wonderful relationship.  At 78, and like so many in Jackson Hole, Frank takes excellent care of himself.  He still makes Leta laugh and often jokes around with her.  Part of Leta’s longevity, no doubt, is that she lives in a home that is filled with love. 

And yet, in a candid interview, Leta maintained, “It’s time to die.” She knows that it is just a matter of time and so does the family. That hardly means that they are just going to sit and wait for it complacently, either.  The family owns the Barker-Ewing Whitewater Company, specializing in rafting trips.  This fall, they have plans to take Leta rafting on the Snake River in a raft, a trip that they make annually.

It is our plan to be there to capture the excitement!