On the sunny afternoon of June 4, Francisca “Paquita” Morales took visitors to see the boxed gardens where she grows beans, cilantro, peppers and other vegetables at the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation’s Plaza Taino in Humboldt Park. Dressed in a satiny pink flowered dress with freshly painted pink finger and toe nails, she then led the visitors to a courtyard where she likes to spend time during the day praying. Morales discarded her pink-and-white flowered cane and started dancing and singing. While this might seem like regular activity for many in their senior years, Morales was just two days shy of her 107th birthday. Believed to be Chicago’s oldest resident, Morales is a faith-filled Catholic who was born on a farm in Puerto Rico on June 6, 1917, the second of 11 children. Two of her siblings are still alive. She moved to Chicago 54 years ago to live with her daughters. She has five children, 13 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren, many of whom attended her birthday party with building residents on June 7. Speaking Spanish with her daughter Maria Vazquez translating, she said, “I am happy and proud that God let me live to 107.” God is the most important part of her life, she said, pointing upward and adding that she prays all day long as she walks the halls and around the building. During her interview, Morales broke out into spontaneous prayer several times. Growing up in rural Puerto Rico, Morales’ family walked barefoot to church until they reached a stream where they would wash their feet and put on their shoes. They would wear the shoes to church and then take them off again to walk home. This was to save their only dress shoes. The farm had no running water or electricity, and the family grew all of the food that they ate. She married young and continued working on a farm. When her husband died, she moved with her five children to the city of Corozal for better opportunities for work and for their education. Mary is her favorite saint and she often prays the rosary. For years, Morales would walk to daily Mass at nearby St. Mark Church, which has since closed. Now she attends Mass on the weekends at St. Sylvester Parish. Taking care of others is very important, she said through her daughter. When she was more able-bodied, she would often visit other people in her building who were sick or bedridden. The key to a long life is faith in God, healthy living and daily exercise, she said. Instead of watching television, Morales likes to walk around the building inside or outside and, of course, dance. She also does her daily stretches. Children and adults are too attached to their TVs and cellphones, Morales said, when asked about modern media. She also cautions against inactivity. “To be old and cranky is no good,” she said through her daughter. “She doesn’t like to lay down in bed. She likes to walk,” her daughter said. Morales laments the fact that more people don’t believe in God like they did when she was growing up. This strong 107-year-old woman is an inspiration to her family, Vazquez said. “She shows you how to be strong, working very hard,” her daughter said. “She’s the rock of the family.”
Academy offers educational opportunities for people 55 and over Are you retired and looking to learn something, or just get out of the house and meet new friends? Renaissance Academy, a non-profit organization that meets at Saint Xavier University, is looking for you.
Diversity among seniors grows with population Once upon a time, not so very long ago, agencies providing social services to senior citizens had a pretty good idea of who they were serving: older adults in their 70s and 80s, who needed help with basic activities like shopping, cooking and transportation. Most were members of fairly homogeneous communities, and spoke and understood English.