By ENELLY BETANCOURT, Staff Writer
Intelligencer Journal / Lancaster New Era
January 25, 2012

(Photo by Lancaster Newspapers)

Anne Kensinger sat quietly in a comfortable chair in her apartment at Landis Homes in Lititz. She spoke softly but clearly, as she described her life.

“I had all the diseases a child could have,” she said. But that was long ago, and a lot has changed.

Kensinger turns 105 today, but to her this is just another birthday. “It’s no different than turning 104,” Kensinger said. The elegant centenarian rapidly explained that she’s not planning to celebrate this milestone in a big way. “I just want something quiet. I don’t know why they want to celebrate my birthday again,” Kensinger said with a shrug.

But to her family it’s reason to celebrate. They will gather for dinner Saturday to mark the occasion with the traditional birthday cake and ice cream.

The mother of two, grandmother of five, great-grandmother of eight and great-great-grandmother of 16 said she has no answer for those seeking the secret to her longevity, but she thinks staying away from alcohol and cigarettes has something to do with it. “I wish I knew the secret. All I know is I never smoked, never drank and always believed in the Lord,” Kensinger said.

Kensinger said the love of her family is what has kept her happy all those years. “I have a good family all the way around,” she said.

Her favorite foods? Fried oysters, shrimp and corn on the cob. Ground-cherry pie makes her happy.
“I love it. It’s just the best,” Kensinger said. “There isn’t much that I don’t like … except squash,” she added with a chuckle.

Her advice? “Stay away from dope and alcohol,” she said. “I didn’t do a lot of running around growing up. I’ve lived a pretty good life,” she said.

At 105, she’s still a lively character with a sharp memory. Kensinger was born Jan. 25, 1907, to Isaac and Alice Long on a farm in East Lampeter Township. She was their only child. She attended Smoketown Elementary School and the former East Lampeter Township High School, but never graduated. “I was sick a lot, and I was afraid I wasn’t going to pass, so I dropped out,” she explained.

Kensinger spoke about how she always worked with her father on the farm where they grew potatoes, wheat, corn and tobacco. She tended the farm animals and developed a special fondness for horses and dogs. I was in the fields a lot,” Kensinger said. “Life was a lot better then. There were no murders and no stealing.”

She also remembers when she first laid eyes on Walter Hicks, her husband of 48 years. Hicks was her uncle’s boss in construction. The 30-year-old came to the house one night to check on his employee, who was staying with the family. “I was out in the barn,” Kensinger said. It was love at first sight. She was 18 years old when they met that night and 20 when the couple married in 1927. They had two boys, James and Thomas Hicks.

Walter Hicks died in 1975, and Kensinger remained a widow for almost 14 years, when she met Norman Kensinger at Salem Evangelical Reformed Church at Heller’s. They married in 1989 when she was 81. “Norman only lived three years and three months after we got married,” Kensinger said.

Kensinger drove her own car to hairdresser appointments, grocery stores and family dinners until she was 100. She exercises and reads the newspaper every day and still bakes sand tart cookies. “I will bake cookies as long as I am living,” Kensinger said. She uses an antique rolling pin that once belonged to her grandmother and a recipe that goes back to the 1800s.

Regrets? Not many. “I would have liked more time with my husbands,” she said.