May 26, 2026: 'Portraits in Aging' as Colorado and the US mark milestones

Summary

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Colorado Matters: May 26, 2026

"Portraits in Aging" as Colorado and the US Mark Milestones

Hosts: Chandra Thomas Whitfield & Ryan Warner (Colorado Public Radio)
Air Date: May 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this special edition of Colorado Matters, host Chandra Thomas Whitfield presents “Portraits in Aging”—firsthand stories from a diverse mix of older Coloradans. As the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary and Colorado reaches its 150th year of statehood, the episode explores what it means to age in Colorado through a series of intimate interviews. The stories touch on topics around identity, health, family, contribution to society, community, and battling misconceptions about aging, all delivered in the subjects’ own voices.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Misconceptions and Realities of Aging (00:02–00:34)

• Common Stereotypes: Many assume older adults are "stubborn," "unwilling to change," or "incapable of learning new things" (Lucy Guo, 00:11).
• Visibility: Concerns that society treats older individuals as “invisible” or “throwaways.”
  • “As you grow older, people just discard you as though you are invisible. I am not a throwaway.” (Deborah Taylor, 00:16)
• Vitality: “65 is like the new 40.” (Cathy Senna, 00:24)
• Continued Relevance: “It's not about your age. It's about you as a person and what you’re really involved in or interested in.” (Vince Rogowski, 00:28)
• Faith and Belonging: “Don’t ever lose your faith in who you are... Without hope, you lose your desire to be part of a community.” (Grace Gillette, 00:34)

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2. Portraits in Aging – Individual Stories

a) Grace Beatrice Gillette, 77 (01:46–07:49)

• Background: Executive director for the Denver March Powwow, youngest daughter of the Saugnesh people, left the Fort Berthold Reservation at 16.
• Early Experiences: Faced confusion and exclusion during the era of segregation in the U.S.; felt “invisible” as a Native American (07:17).
  • “I'm not black and I'm not white, and I don't know which bathroom or water fountain to use... Honey, if you're not black, you're white.” (06:04)
• Cultural Identity: The importance of passing on tradition to her children in the face of lost language and boarding school trauma.
• Aging Challenges: Increasing difficulty with high altitude due to asthma; loneliness among elders.
• Public Perception: “We can’t move as quickly as we once did... We’ve lived our lifetime and we’re due respect” (07:17).
• Milestones: Appointed to the America 250/Colorado 150 Commission.
• Notable Quote: “Let’s make it a commemoration of what we have survived. And we are still here today.” (07:36)

b) Ed (86) & Linda (83) Archer, Fort Collins (07:49–13:00)

• Life Together: Retired diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers; moved for family, built community through volunteering.
  • “Being older doesn't mean you're feeble. Most older people feel themselves to be 20, 30 years younger... At the peak of their life.” (Ed Archer, 12:24)
• Healthcare: Appreciation for ready access to quality care.
• Social Integration: Overcame initial concerns about acceptance, pleasantly surprised by vibrance and connection in Fort Collins.
  • “It's hard to get older and it's even harder to find a place where you feel at home.” (Linda Archer, 11:58)
• Active Lifestyle: Enjoy biking, hiking, skiing, volunteering.
• On Community Perception: Older people want to be included; “If we can’t do it, we’ll tell you. But most of the time we can.” (Ed Archer, 12:24)

c) Cathy Senna, 65, Aurora (14:04–18:59)

• Health Challenges: Battles with cancer, chronic pain, multiple surgeries, early retirement.
• Daily Routine: Manages pain, maintains her home, continues helping friends and neighbors.
• Single Parenthood: “I made it work,” raised son alone, grateful illness waited until after his childhood.
• On Aging: Emphasizes independence and activity. “You can either do it gracefully or you can sit in a rocking chair and just watch your clock, which I choose not to do.” (17:20)
• Misconceptions: “The biggest misconception about getting old is that we can’t do nothing. Us older people are more active these days than people realize.” (17:50)
• Notable Quote: “65 is like the new 40.” (18:57)

d) Lucy Guo, 71, Southwest Denver (19:07–24:12)

• Background: Immigrant from Taiwan, retired from Denver Water, active family life.
• Daily Life: Stays active with exercise, social gatherings, karaoke, cooking, community events.
• Health Approach: Sees aging as a “maintenance phase,” embraces positive attitude toward challenges.
• Challenging Misconceptions: “The biggest misconception about older people is they're stubborn, don’t want to change, …refuse to learn new things.” (20:15)
• Cultural Context: Practices familial caregiving rooted in Chinese tradition.
• Technology & the Future: Optimistic about AI and robotics enhancing elder care.
• Notable Quote: “People still overall maintain the kindness and willingness to help... Let's hold on to it and continue this tradition of kindness, generosity, adventurousness, and faith.” (23:22)

e) Vince Rogowski, 84, Gunnison (25:24–33:14)

• Background: Educator, business owner, city official (mayor/councilman), Catholic deacon, hospice chaplain.
• Community Involvement: Active in senior lunches, church, hospice, community service.
• Meaning of Life: Insights from hospice work: “It's not about the money, the cars, the houses... It's the relationships you have.” (29:50)
• Contribution and Identity: “Older adults in Colorado are still active. Just because you hit the age of 65 or 70, that doesn't mean you can't do something.” (31:05)
• Advice: “You can do it… you just have to have that spiritual motivation that you're here for a reason. And now you got to find that reason.” (32:56)

f) Deborah Taylor, 73, Aurora (33:28–39:52)

• Background: Caregiver for her 88-year-old aunt, lifelong dancer, executive assistant by trade.
• Daily Life: Balances caregiving with line and partner dancing; choreographs for “5280 Line Dance Crew.”
• Intergenerational Care: Transitioned to caregiving as an act of family commitment.
• Aging & Activity: “The biggest misconception is that there's nothing to do. And that is so untrue.” (36:52)
• On Diversity: Acknowledges historic lack of diversity in Colorado’s perception but points to robust opportunities for engagement.
• Visibility: Speaks against the tendency to disregard older adults.
  • “As you grow older, people just discard you as though you are invisible. I am not a throwaway. We are smart. Listen to our stories.” (38:05)
• Notable Quote: “That old lady that you see might be an angel, and that old man walking with a walker and cane is a king. Treat them like that. Don't discard them. They're not invisible.” (39:30)

g) Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Graff, 80, Arvada (40:35–47:15)

• Career Longevity: 55 years at Target, still working. Started in 1970, moved from management back to frontline service for more daily enjoyment.
• Purpose & Joy: “If they're happy because I made them happy, I’ve had a good day. If I have somebody come in disgruntled… by the time they leave, they're happy.” (41:27)
• Community Recognition: Valued and remembered by generations of customers and former employees.
• Accessibility & Inclusion: Praises Colorado parks, but notes some attractions lack senior accessibility (e.g., hot springs). Cites improvements in places like Estes Park.
• Active Retirement: Advocates staying social and engaged rather than isolating at home.
• Looking Forward: Excited to witness major state and national milestones. Encourages others: “Get out there and meet people. Don’t stay at home. Celebrate with everyone, be positive, enjoy it.” (46:24)
• Notable Quote: “There are so many things that you can do as an adult to keep yourself entertained... Look around you. We have a lot to do and a lot to see, and we have a beautiful state. Make it that way and keep it.” (46:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“As you grow older, people just discard you as though you are invisible. I am not a throwaway.”
– Deborah Taylor (00:16, 38:05)

“Older people feel themselves to be at the peak of their life, not at the end of their life.”
– Ed Archer (12:24)

“The biggest misconception about getting old is that we can’t do nothing. Us older people are more active these days than people realize.”
– Cathy Senna (17:50)

“It’s not about the money, the cars, the houses... It’s the relationships you have.”
– Vince Rogowski (29:50)

“People still overall maintain the kindness and willingness to help... Let’s hold on to it and continue this tradition of kindness, generosity, adventurousness, and faith.”
– Lucy Guo (23:22)

“That old lady that you see might be an angel, and that old man walking with a walker and cane is a king. Treat them like that. Don’t discard them. They’re not invisible.”
– Deborah Taylor (39:30)

“If you have fun at your job, everybody’s going to have fun too… There are so many things that you can do as an adult to keep yourself entertained… Get out there and meet people. Don’t stay at home.”
– Jacqueline Graff (41:27, 46:24)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Key Misconceptions: 00:02–00:34
• Grace Gillette – Resilience, Culture, and Faith: 01:46–07:49
• Ed & Linda Archer – Partnership, Community, Vibrant Aging: 07:49–13:00
• Cathy Senna – Health Struggles & Helping Others: 14:04–18:59
• Lucy Guo – Family, Tradition, and Embracing Technology: 19:07–24:12
• Vince Rogowski – Service and Reflection on Meaning: 25:24–33:14
• Deborah Taylor – Caregiving and Creative Expression: 33:28–39:52
• Jacqueline Graff – Work, Joy, and the Value of Staying Engaged: 40:35–47:15

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Themes & Takeaways

• Aging is Diverse: No two stories are alike—participants’ backgrounds range from indigenous leadership to immigrant experience, from public service to lifelong work at Target, and every kind of family structure in between.
• Activity & Agency: Across the board, older Coloradans push back against stereotypes of passivity—demonstrating ongoing involvement in volunteerism, caregiving, creative pursuits, and civic engagement.
• Community & Connection: Relationships, whether familial, professional, or in the broader community, are consistently identified as the most meaningful part of later life.
• Cultural Wisdom: Many interviewees emphasize the importance of retaining and sharing cultural traditions, faith, and stories, seeing themselves as bridges between past and future generations.
• Advocacy for Inclusion: There’s a call for more accessibility, for inclusion in social and civic life, and for society to recognize the value and wisdom of its elders.

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For more stories and resources, visit cpr.org/AgingMatters.

Transcript

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

The fastest growing population in Colorado is people 65 and older, but we all age differently. Today we hear from Coloradans about misconceptions,

[Lucy Guo]

the assumption that they're stubborn, doesn't want to change and doesn't want to learn new things.

[Deborah Taylor]

As you grow older, people just discard you as though you are invisible. I am not a throwaway.

[Cathy Senna]

And Opportunities 65 is like the new 40.

[Vince Rogowski]

It's not about your age. It's about you as a person and what what you're really involved in or interested in.

[Grace Beatrice Gillette]

Don't ever lose your faith in who you are and what your beliefs are, because without prayer, there's no hope. And without hope, you lose your desire to be part of a community.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. CHANDRA I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. As the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, it's semiquincentennial, and Colorado prepares to celebrate 150 years of statehood on August 1st. Today, for our series Aging Matters, we're featuring Portraits in Aging, a series of conversations I've had with a diverse mix of Coloradans across the state, talking about what it's like growing older here. Yes, aging in their own words and their perspectives are especially relevant and timely. Those aged 65 and up are the fastest growing population in our state, impacting everything here from housing to healthcare.

[Grace Beatrice Gillette]

My name is Grace Beatrice Gillette. I'm the executive director for the Denver MARCH Powwow. I'm 77 years old. I have white hair at shoulder length, and I'm also wearing jacket, which is decorated with dragonflies. And I'm wearing it because in our beliefs, dragonflies are the spirits of our ancestors. And I felt the need to have them around me today as I share my life story with you. I'm the youngest daughter of Shwetao and Sinish Dagga of the Saugnesh people of the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. My Indian name is Swaho. The English translation is Squash. It's my maternal grandmother's name, and she had the name Squash because she was such an industrious person. She said, even though you're the youngest in the family, should I see your brother and your sisters going to you when they need help or they need, you know, help getting anything done? And so I received the name Squash. When I was 16 years old. I got on the bus and made my way south and never gave a thought to the civil unrest that was going on in that area. And when we got into Kentucky and there was a bus stop, a rest area there, I got out of the and went in to the bus station. And clearly marked were bathrooms signs. White only, black only for the drinking fountains as well. And being neither one, I was at a loss of what to do. And no one would make eye contact with me. And there was. Finally there was a little old lady. She came out of the women's restroom. So I approached her and I excused myself and I asked her, I said, I need some help. And she said, well, what can I do for you? I said, I'm not black and I'm not white, and I don't know which bathroom or water fountain to use. And she said, honey, if you're not black, you're white. Since I've left the reservation when I was 16 years old, I have seen so much change, not only in America, but in the world. The biggest misconception people have in Colorado, I believe, is that there's services available for you that you should have no worries. Growing old in Colorado, I consider myself very fortunate that I did have a long career and I'm still working and I can count on my Social Security. I find that the challenge for me getting older in Colorado is the altitude. I have asthma and I've had, you know, I had pneumonia one time and have been on oxygen two or three times. But it's hard when you try to exert yourself. It's hard to breathe. And when you're uncomfortable like that, then you become inactive. I believe that the most misunderstood aspect of aging is that we're settled, we don't have any worries, we're financially set and we're self sufficient. But I'm finding, not for myself in particular, but a lot of elders, they're lonely. I was born and raised on the Fort Berthold Reservation. And in our home, my parents were. Had been taken to boarding schools and punished for speaking the language. It made me realize that it was my responsibility as a mother to introduce her to what our culture was. But it's been the very foundation of me being able to live outside the reservation and away from my family and still remain strong in who I am and the direction I need to take. I think what people forget in Colorado about older adults is we can't move as quickly as we once did. Almost like we're in the way. And I think they just. People just need to be more cognizant that we're here. You know, we've lived our lifetime and we're due respect this past August, I was appointed to the 250America, 150 Colorado Commission by Governor Polis. Rather than saying a celebration, let's make it a commemoration of what we have survived. And we are still here today. I would just like to remind our, our native elders and, you know, any elder in Colorado that's listening is, don't ever lose your faith in who you are and what your beliefs are, because without prayer, there's no hope. And without hope, you lose your desire to be part of a community.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Former Peace Corps volunteers and U.S. diplomats, Ed and Linda Archer retired in Fort Collins to be near their daughter Deborah.

[Ed Archer]

I love to meet other EDs because we always know that if you have a friend who's named Edward, that two eds are better than one. Linda is three years younger than me. She's 83 and I'm 86.

[Linda Archer]

I've been here almost 10 years now, and it's nothing that I had anticipated or thought of before I had a stroke. And the care was extremely good. As opposed to when we lived in Africa, you were lucky if you could find a doctor. And here you can really have your choice of what you want and the type of treatment that you want. We came out here because our daughter was having a baby and we, little by little, got to like it. It was very different than any place we've ever lived. I wasn't sure what I was moving in terms of the people and how they would react to our marriage and what have you, but it all worked out and here we are. I was a Peace Corps volunteer and I met my husband, who was another Peace Corps volunteer, and after a not very long period of time, I won't tell my grandchildren how quick we got married. Well, we got married quickly because they were posting us all over the country of Liberia, and we knew a special place that we wanted to go to.

[Ed Archer]

When Linda and I were living in Rome, Italy, and Linda retired, she was working and I was not. We had no place to go, so we decided that we were going to go to San Francisco, Seattle, or Fort Collins. And so we came out here not expecting very much, but we were really pleasantly surprised. This is a very vibrant, well managed community and we're very pleased to live here overseas. Both Linda and I worked for the Red Cross as volunteers, and we came here to Fort Collins and I immediately joined the Red Cross and started helping out people. In addition, the city of Fort Collins advertised, hey, you guys want to be master naturalists? Help out young kids. So Linda and I both decided we're going to be master naturalists and we took a course. And also the Parks and Wildlife Department said, hey, you know, we could use volunteer ranges, which means you go out, for example, you at Gateway park as a volunteer. We manage the entryway when people come in and going, we help the rangers. Last year, before she got hurt, we would go skiing in the winter at the senior center. Every Wednesday they would have a bus take you up to ski slopes and pick you up at 4 o' clock in the afternoon and take you home. You can drink up, you can drink on the slopes. We lived in Europe, so we were accustomed to having hot chocolate with a lot of rum in it. We used to hike two to four miles a day. We used to do things like dog sledding, snowshoeing.

[Linda Archer]

Well, I like the climate, but I don't have to shovel snow. And it's an easy place to get to meet people, but it takes a long time to build a friendship. If you don't mind a cold climate, it's a great place to be.

[Ed Archer]

Aging anywhere is difficult because you can wake up one morning and find yourself here that you no longer can do something that you could do yesterday.

[Linda Archer]

It's hard to get older and it's even harder to find a place where you feel at home. And the one thing that's surprisingly enough, Fort Collins has had a lot of we've made a lot of connections. Oh, you know this one, this one knows that one. And before you know it, you have a little circle and it's we haven't had any problems racially, which makes a big difference.

[Ed Archer]

Being older doesn't mean you're feeble. And most older people feel themselves to be 20, 30 years younger. Older people feel themselves to be at the peak of their life, not at the end of their life. So I think it's what people should recognize. We like to go out to movies, we like to go out to shows. And, and maybe we're a little bit slower, but that doesn't mean we should be ignored or not invited. If we can't do it, we'll tell you. But most of the time we can.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

86 year old Ed and 83 year old Linda Archer of Fort Collins sharing their experience growing older together here for our series Aging Matters. After the break, more portraits in aging, including a woman who goes above and beyond to help her neighbors in need, even as she battles debilitating health conditions. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters on CPR News and krcc. Welcome back to Colorado Matters from CPR News and KRCC I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Today for our series Aging Matters, we're featuring portraits in conversations with a diverse mix of Coloradans across the state sharing what they think about aging here as America turns 250 on Independence Day and Colorado observes 150 years of statehood on August 1st. Now we hear from 65 year old Cathy Senna of Aurora. She's battled cancer and struggles daily with other serious health conditions, but still makes time to help other fellow older adults in need.

[Cathy Senna]

My day to day activities are pretty much the same for the most part. I get up around 5 o' clock each morning because I'm in severe pain. I have chronic pain and so I usually have to take something for that. Then I come downstairs, make my coffee, go back upstairs, relax my back for a while and of course I probably didn't get enough sleep. So maybe I tried to sleep a little bit more, then wake up second time, have another cup of coffee and then if I have appointments then for that day, then that is what I focus on. If I don't have appointments that day, I may go assist a friend, neighbor or somebody that needs my help or I will just focus on just staying home and cleaning things that need to be done and they have a routine, wash a load of clothes every day, stay on top of my dishes. Since I live alone, I want to make sure my house is manageable and it's well taken care of. So everything's on me. For example, today's Tuesday and it's trash day so I have to take all my trash out to the curb, which is so much fun. No, not really. My life before retirement was awesome because I didn't have all the ailments that I have now and I was more mobile. Plus I also had a small son which I raised on my own. And I'm so glad I didn't have these ailments because I was able to focus, focus on him and solely him and go places and do things because when you have a child, you have to be go, go, go, whether it's school, whether it's the park, whether it's ilitches, whether it's lakeside, whether it's interacting with other children and just keeping him busy. And plus I think when he reached the third grade we decided to homeschool him and so I was very hands on with that. And he's grown now, so I don't have that. But all of my ailments and my surgeries came before he left home so he was able to assist his mom a lot and, you know, just. Just be there for me, you know, whenever I would get out of the surgery or whatever. I had to retire early because I developed different health issues. I had to have back surgery. I had to have knee replacement. I won't list them all, but there's about eight to 10. Over the past 30 years, my body was breaking down faster than I thought it would, so I was forced into being on disability. So I guess I call it early retirement. I don't get, like, retirement money, but I get disability, so that's good enough. Because I had tons of work history since I worked, since I was like 13, 14. I looked at it as a blessing because I was able to stay home with my son and raise him and I didn't have to put him in daycare and I didn't have to go to work and the money wasn't great. And I did it alone. There was no father involved, no child support or anything. So I made it work. We made it work. What I like about aging in Colorado thus far is I have great care. I've been going to the same place for 30 years, so they treat me great. I have wonderful, wonderful doctors. I can't complain. I've had multiple surgeries, and I can't complain about any of them. They're great doctors. The only bad part is the cold weather, because once you have the surgeries, the cold weather affects you when you have titanium in your body. The biggest misconception about getting old is that, that we can't do nothing. Us older people are more active these days than people realize. You could either do it gracefully or you can sit in a rocking chair and just watch your clock, which I choose not to do. And I want to stay independent as. As long, long as I can. And I want to be able to do things for myself and assist other people as well, you know. But if one of us are down, we help each other out. 65 is like the new 40.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

This southwest Denver woman says the key to staying vibrant means staying surrounded by loved ones, lots of food, folks and fun.

[Lucy Guo]

My name is Lucy Guo G u O. I was born and raised in Taiwan. I am 71 years old and I have three grandchildren and they all live in Colorado. And also I have niece and nephews. And I counted one time, there are 32 of us. I worked for Denver Water starting 1982 and I retired 2015. So I've been retired for 10 years and my job there is it for my retirement days. I spent a lot of time with my Husband travel in the morning. I usually do some exercise. Okay. For my muscle, my bones. And I do believe we do need to do some maintenance at this age. I usually cook with my husband together. The principle we've been holding is like we do one major thing a day when the weather is good, we do play golf and we do go out to hiking. The most likable thing in my opinion About Colorado is 300 days of sunshine. We have group of friends that like to get together like once a month, look for good restaurant and then we do karaoke. And also we do involve with some community activity. Okay. For instance, if there are some celebration Chinese New Year or culture related thing. And so I have to invest and also our family with. With big families. So almost everybody every day have birthdays. So we are pretty busy. This year. I have two implants for my teeth and also my cataract surgery. They're all very successful. We need to take care of health and I call that maintenance phase of our life. And we try to make sure that we have a very positive attitude to face all the health challenges. The biggest misconception about older people is they're stubborn, doesn't want to change and usually very quiet, not telling you what they are thinking in their mind and refuse to learn new things. I think that's a biggie misconception. I think in a baby boomer they all really love to learn new things. Most of them. My own parents and my husband's parents, they all lived with us before, before they passed away. Basically. My mother lived in my same neighborhood so I was able to take care of her more conveniently. And so I think that is a very common arrangement. For all my background, I was born in Taiwan, so it's a Chinese culture. And we try, we try, but it's not necessary. Everybody can do it. I only speak for myself as far as the tendency try to take care of our own parents as much as we can. What can Colorado do more for older adults? I have to incorporate the modern day technology which help with that effort. Now we have AI, we have robotic technology with autonomous vehicle and we have quantum computing. We hope to employ all this great technology to help with the care for senior adults that embrace new technology and make use of it. And we are very lucky live in this era of this time in human history. This is a great country. People still overall maintain the kindness and willing to help people have faith in this country and think about the Bill of Rights and Constitution. It's such a wonderful thing. Not the rest of world be able to do so and with the people's adventurous spirit to try new things. I think the biggest luxury in this country, I should say, is you try one way, try somebody, and it's not work. We try the other one. So the pendulum, no matter where it swing, it will come back and let's hold on to it and we'll be continue to carry on this tradition, the kindness, the generous, the adventurous, and have faith.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Lucy Guo of southwest Denver is 71 years old. She shared her story for our special series Portraits and Aging. My conversations with the diverse mix of Coloradans sharing what it's like aging in the Centennial State in their own words. After the break, a recent retiree on the Western Slope who's fired up about stepping up to serve his community and an Aurora woman who believes you're never too old to get your groove on. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. You're with Colorado Matters on CPR News and krcc. Back in a moment. Welcome back to Colorado Matters on CPR News and KRCC. I'm Chandra Thomas Woodfield. America turns 250 on July 4th, and our state marks 150 years of statehood on August 1st. In light of that, today we're sharing portraits in aging older Coloradans across our state, sharing in their own words, their thoughts about growing older here. People age 65 and up are the state's fastest growing demographic. And many retirees, including Vince Rogowski of Gunnison, tell me they're not slowing down. They're stepping up to serve their community.

[Vince Rogowski]

And I'm going to be 84 years old in April, and I live in Gunnison, Colorado. I'm from Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, went to the University of Minnesota. I have a bachelor of science degree in medicine and I also have a master's degree in educational psychology. And so one of the things when I was still in Minnesota and was working, I was working for the Department of Family Practice in the medical school, the University of Minnesota. And the thing of it is, I've been there for about 10 years and my brother in law and I decided we wanted to start a business. And we said, well, how about skiing? We both love skiing. And so he took a trip with his wife around all of Colorado visiting ski areas to try to pick up a skier that we'd like to work at and start a business in. And he selected Crested Butte, Colorado. And so we opened up a property management business in 1981. And we had that business for about 20 years when we saw in the news and Various things that I was keeping track of as a financial officer, that the economy was sort of going downhill and that we couldn't sustain the business that we were doing since it had been successful for all but one year so far, that we ought to sell it. So we sold it. And that's when the economy went down and we were able to do other things. One of the other things that I decided to do was to do some special woodworking, installing high end kitchens. And so I did that for Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte. All this time that I'm doing all of this, I'm volunteering, actually, as a councilman for eight years, mayor for two years in Mount Crested Butte. And then I went back to school to become a deacon in the Catholic church. While my days are taken up with a number of different activities, one of them is going to the senior lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and visit with the seniors and have lunch. We generally sleep late, my wife and I. And my wife and I have been married for 53 years. So my wife and I do probably everything together. And so going to the senior lunch is when we as a couple can talk to the other people, the other seniors in the community and find out what some of their needs are. Every so often, I also do a communion service for the Catholic Church up in Mount Crested Butte. And, you know, my ministry is volunteer ministry. I don't get paid for that. And so after 20 years as an ordained deacon, I've been doing a lot of things. One of the things kind of associated with that is I'm also with hospice, and I'm the hospice chaplain for our local hospice organization. And so I've learned a lot of things just talking to people who are moving on. And so it's important for me to do that because I have a connection with them since I'm older and they're older. So we're about the same ages most of the time. And it's very interesting talking to people who are dying. And one of the things I always try to ask some of the senior citizens who are in hospice is, tell me about your life. What was the most important things? One of the things I learned is it's not about the money, the cars, the houses, that type of thing. What is really most important, and this is the answer that most of the people who are dying tell me is the fact. It's the relationships you have. One of the things that happens a lot of the times is you get a reference of for a person your age. And I go, what do you mean? My age, I'm still very active doing a lot of things. And so that's the important thing. It's not about your age. Sometimes your physical condition starts to go down a little bit, but it's about you as a person and what you're really involved in or interested in. What I love most about working in Colorado, and especially in a small town like Gunnison, is the fact that you're not hassled to rush everywhere. Working in Gunnison, and whatever I'm doing is very relaxing. The traffic is not as heavy, and I really like working in a small town where people know each other. The thing of it is, in a small town, one of the things you're missing is some of the important services that are held in big cities like medicine. And the thing of it is, is you miss some of the specialties that are out somewhere else, like Grand Junction or Denver. The thing of it is, some of those specialties are also providing services here in Gunnison at the hospital. They may be only here one day a month, but you don't have to travel. Older adults in Colorado are still active. Just because you hit the age of 65 or 70, that doesn't mean you can't do something. And so it's important to understand that older folks are still contributing to the community. We haven't just reached a point in our lives where we can shut everything off and just go live in a community. Watching to that was one of the other important things, is when my wife and I moved here to Gunnison, we looked around and selected a place that we can have all the services within walking distance. It's the Gunnison Community center, which is just two blocks north of where we live. Well, the thing of it is, you have to have patience, but the other thing is you have to be persistent. And that's the one thing people I think missing is what's in it for me? And it really isn't what's in it for me, it's what's in it for us. And it's all about us working together, because working together, we can accomplish a great deal that seemed impossible before. So we all have various kinds of ailments and physical problems, but we shouldn't let that stop us from doing anything. None of that stops me. I just keep going on work in all of these other meetings and medications and physical things and stuff like that, because we still are valuable, even though we may have some things that slow us down. The thing of it is, my mother died at 92, and Joanne's mother died at 91. And so Joanne and I both expect to live another 15, 20 years. So, you know, we got time to contribute, to do stuff, and you can't get discouraged. You can do it. You know, you just have to have that spiritual motivation that you're here for a reason. And now you got to find that reason.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

For some, the key to longevity in the latter years is staying active, engaging in activities they've always loved, including this metro Denver woman who says she hasn't let the responsibility of caring for an aging aunt keep her away from the dance floor.

[Deborah Taylor]

Hello, my name is Deborah Taylor. I live in Aurora, Colorado and I am 73 years old. My life right now, I am a caregiver for my 88 year old auntie and I dance. I dance line dancing and partner dancing. I dance with a group called 5280. I also dance with other groups as well. My day to day life consists of in the morning I get up. Now, there's not a set time because I consider myself to be retired, but I'm really not. I make a cup of coffee and then from there I sit down and I have my time with the Lord. I pray for all of my friends, my family, and I do speak their names out loud when I'm praying for them. So I cup my hands, I say their names and then I release it to God. And that's my day as I start. Then I take my shower and I go see my 88 year old auntie and I spend usually about 5 hours a day with her. Before I retired, I actually worked as an executive assistant. Even before that I was in California and I worked as an executive assistant for a footwear company. I missed being here at home. I'm a native of Colorado and so what I did was I left and came back here. I did executive work for a health care company and while doing that, I really became familiar with the duties of a caregiver. And how I ended up working with my aunt was she had a caregiver. They were no longer available to care for her. And she told me about it and I said, okay, auntie, let me pray about it. And the next morning she said, what did your mother say?

[Grace Beatrice Gillette]

I said, how?

[Deborah Taylor]

You know, I was talking to mom and actually mom said, please take care of my sister. So I stopped doing the executive assistant and started working with her. She is the historian of the family, so it has been a hoot caring for her. Oh yes, I do care for my aging aunt. My aunt is 88. One of the things that we do. And I thought I would never be able to do this Scrabble. So we play Scrabble with the group at Windsor Gardens, which is a retirement community. Yesterday, my aunt got a seven letter word. And if you get a seven letter word, that's 50 points. She ended up with 90 points. I was like, okay, when I grow up, I want to be like you. I think the biggest misconception is that there's nothing to do. And that is so untrue. I'm 73, so I have been dancing, I would say 72 years. My mother would come in as I was growing up and would sing a song to me as a baby. And she said that I would be in that crib just jumping up and down. And from there I have been a choreographer. In fact, with the line dancing, I have choreographed four dances. With line dancing, I love to do choreography. So with line dancing, I have choreographed four dances with the 5280 Line Dance Crew. And the latest one is my star. And boy, it has taken off. One of the biggest challenges in growing up here in Colorado is a lot of people think that there's no diversity, but there actually is. If you go down on the five points, you get a lot of good jazz music. There are plays. If you get involved with dancing or theater with Cleo Parker Robinson, and there is even a black ski summit here. There's a lot of things here in Colorado. The biggest challenge in growing older in Colorado is the winter weather and driving. As you grow older, people just discard you as though you are invisible. I am not a throwaway. We are smart. Listen to our story. Stories. As I age here in Colorado and moving forward, what I would like for the world to know is that we are beautiful people. That old lady that you see might be an angel, and that old man walking with a white walker and a cane is a king. Treat them like that. Don't discard them. They're not invisible.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Deborah Taylor is 73 years old and lives in Aurora. Our Portraits and Aging series continues after the break with a woman who at age 80 still loves her job. Yes, job. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is an Aging Matters special on Colorado Matters from CPR News. It's Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Today for Aging Matters, we're featuring Portraits in Aging, a series of conversations I've had with a diverse mix of Coloradans talking about what it's like growing older here. Like this woman who fell in love with her job more than 50 years ago and she's still with the company to this day.

[Jacqueline Graff]

Hi, I'm Jacqueline Graff. I live in Arvada, Colorado and I am 80 years old. I started working for Target in 1970. August 25th. I didn't start as a career, but it worked into a 55 year one. I love everything about Target. They have been so good to me. In all my illness that I've had, I've overcome everything. I'm a fighter and I've enjoyed my career. I was in management as a team lead for 35 years and I resigned that position because I wanted to be able to more have more fun at my job because I believe if you have fun at your job, everybody's going to have fun too. And I like to interact with guests and if they're happy because I made them happy, I've had a good day. If I have somebody that comes in, just gruntle about something, usually by the time they leave, they're happy because I try to solve their problems. I work at guest service desk at the front of the store and it's a daily challenge because everything is different. Every day you have a different problem to solve. And that's what I like about working for Target is because I get the opportunity to work with people and that's what makes it so enjoyable. And then I get recognized when I go to some of these places. So that's why it takes longer, because you meet people that, oh, you work at Target. I know who you are and that's been a pleasure. And I've had several kids that worked for me when they were 16, 17, 18 that have gone on to college and come back and they've gotten married and they bring their kids in to meet Jackie because she's still here. They say that was the best job they ever had. And I trained them very well. They said they'd never met another boss like me, and I like that. So it's just been really a lot of fun. I have the opportunity to always see the Rocky Mountains and we have a wide variety to travel around in the mountains and things and places to go see that a lot of people don't ever get to see in a lifetime. Colorado has really worked hard to keep their parks open for the seniors and families to enjoy. And I'm proud to say I do go to the mountains a lot through the years. I have become handicapped, but I don't use that as a device. They have made a lot of trails for handicapped and I've overcome that by going to these different areas. I travel with my stepsister two weeks out of every year and we just go all over places in the United States, states I haven't seen this year we basically traveled a couple other states had fun last year we went traveled Colorado to things that she hadn't seen or I haven't. We grew up here. Arvada has different parades and things throughout the holidays. They have a lot of gift shops in Old Town Arvada, same with Westminster. So we have access to so many cities around us us that you're not secluded in one area. They have a lot of craft sales and of course I'm a crafter, so I enjoy those places very much. Things I would like changed in Colorado are some of your hot springs are not accessible by seniors. And I've gone to a couple this last year and we've had to turn away and go away because there was no way I could get my walker up to the areas they never have changed over 50 years. And I never thought about it before until I went there again and I wasn't able to go to the hot springs. So those are things I think should be changed. And a lot of other areas have improved and made it more accessible to wheelchairs and walkers, like Estes Park. Estes park has gone far and above to make it good for people to go to their shops and have fun, enjoy it. And even the Stanley House, they have improved a lot and I had no problem going there and going through everything. A lot of the older adults when they retire, they sit at home, do nothing or lean against a wall and close their eyes and pretend like they're not in the room. They don't communicate outside of their home when they retire, it's like they've given up their life and they don't go do anything that could be fun. There are so many things that you can do as an adult to keep yourself entertained, meet with friends, don't sit at home, get out there and meet people. Colorado is going to have a milestone of becoming 150 years and America is going to be 250 years. And I'm here to witness all of this because I'm 80 years old and so there's a lot of America that I've seen and done. And I think this is going to be a fabulous celebration for Colorado and America. And I think everybody should get out, enjoy it. You don't have to stay at home. You can go traveling through Colorado, see some things you haven't seen before. Celebrate with everyone, be positive enjoy it. Just think that. Look around you. We have a lot to do and a lot to see, and we have a beautiful state. Make it that way and keep it.

[Linda Archer]

SAM.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Jackie Graff is 80 years old and lives in Nevada. She shared her story for our Aging Matter series, Portraits in Aging, my series of conversations with Coloradans age 65 and older across the state, talking about what it's like growing older here. These interviews were supported by the US at 250 Fellowship from New America to commemorate America's 250th birthday taking place on July 4th. And Colorado celebrates 150 years of statehood on August 1st. We will share more Portraits in Aging throughout the year and you may read my full news feature on these profiles, including pictures on our [e-mail] AgingMatters. That's our show for today. Special thanks to audio engineer Michael Hughes and executive producer Carl Bielick. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. Thanks for listening to Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc.

[Linda Archer]

SAM.