Centenarians Mark Occasion

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Bea Goad’s 100th birthday is just another day

By Craig Reed

Bea Goad says her 2017 birthday was no big deal. The Oakridge resident turned 100 on July 27, but didn’t get too excited about the century mark.

“July 27th was just like the 26th and just like the 28th,” Bea says. “I didn’t feel any older, I didn’t feel any better.”

She did admit there was an important reason to reach the milestone, but she says it was more about others than about herself: Bea did not want to disappoint the many people planning her birthday party.

“I didn’t want to spoil the fun everybody was planning to have at a big party,” she says.

There was a party, and Bea was the center of attention. She says the highlight of the event was not her birthday, but being able to visit with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bea did hope to reach 100 years to be the longest living member of her family. She had a cousin live to age 98 and another cousin and an aunt live to 94.

Even at 100, Bea is independent. She lives alone in a one-story house in Oakridge. She does her own cooking and housekeeping. Outside, she waters her many plants and flowers.

Bea says she still drives, mainly on the backstreets of Oakridge, but has two nearby friends, Sandy Nixon and Sandy Henderson, who help her with transportation, running errands and shopping.

“Without those two Sandys, I’d be in bad shape,” Bea says with a chuckle.

Bea moved to Oakridge shortly after her husband of 41 years, Vern, died in 1979. Her son, Thomas, and a granddaughter both lived there.

Eugene was also getting bigger andbusier, and Bea says she believed she could be more independent in a