This independent lady is 94 years old. She was born and reared in Missouri, and graduated from a Methodist College here. In 1929, she married a young Methodist minister -- six years after meeting him during her first week at college. She has one son and one grandson. Her husband died in 1991.

Halkaline starts a 'usual' day by not getting up very early. She then has breakfast, does a little writing, and goes to the senior center for lunch and social interaction. Her afternoons are usually spent doing correspondence, as she keeps in touch with many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great nephews, and her numerous friends across the country. She also enjoys writing and reading - and a little television. She is still active with her church, and does her own housework.

Responding to a question about what makes her feel good about what she does, Halkaline replied, "I feel good that I have excellent health. No pains to combat. Whatever I tackle, I enjoy. I have a lot of good friends which I enjoy also." And what makes her feel bad? "I would like to be able to help others more if I had more get up and go."

Halkaline originally became involved with the senior center when her husband was alive. They frequently visited and had lunch there. She added, "Now that I'm alone, it's much more enjoyable than eating alone, and also cheaper." When she first started visiting the senior center, the meals were prepared and delivered by another senior center in a neighboring town. Today, the local center not only prepares its own meals, but prepares and sends meals to several other centers in nearby towns. "It's the social center of the town for senior citizens," said Halkaline.

She has always enjoyed writing. She has had some things published over the years. A few years ago, she compiled a biography of her father, and had it printed and distributed to family and friends. She has just recently finished a biography of her mother, and it is ready for the printer.

Her husband was a Methodist preacher all of his life, and she participated actively in church work with him. At one point, when he was doing a lot of traveling for the church, her bishop advised her to get a preacher's license so she could fill in for him when he was gone. She did. During the last 10 years of his ministry, her husband served on the Methodist Board of Global Ministries, helping churches with fund raising campaigns. Together, they traveled to 37 of the states - including Hawaii.

Halkaline felt she could not describe successful aging to anyone else. "It makes a great deal of difference as to your health situation. A healthy person can't tell a sick one how to age successfully." She added, "I've had a good life from a youngster."

When asked why others might refer to her as aging successfully, Halkaline responded, "Because I haven't got my head buried in the sand, I guess. I have lots of good friends and I'm active in church. I don't complain or cry on anybody's shoulders. I guess you might say I'm pretty self-sufficient." Then, she added, "Your attitude toward life figures in also. . . and I have good genes. My mother and grandmother, and two sisters, all lived past 90. What about facing a challenge; how would she cope with it? "When I was 90, I had to have some surgery. The doctor came in my room, sat on my bedside, and said 'Ninety is not a very good asset for surgery. What do you think?' I answered 'The alternative is no better, so the word is go!' He did, and they said I recovered like a 40-year-old. But, I think religious faith is also involved in this aging process, too."

In answer to a question about what she would do when things didn't go quite as she wanted them to, Halkaline responded firmly, "When I go to bed, I go to sleep! Not much time spent in worrying. My son and his wife travel. He is the director of the Institute of International Economics in Washington, D.C. I decided long ago that I couldn't worry about them all the time, so I have to rely on my faith and their good judgment."

When asked what she did to 'turn things around' when she was feeling 'down' or 'blue', she replied, "I've never been 'blue'. I really don't remember ever being there. I have a very positive outlook on life."

She and her husband set up living trusts many years ago to avoid financial problems. They bought their home in 1963, after years of living in church-provided parsonages. At that time, she convinced her husband that it was sensible for them to establish a 'home base' in her home town. They were traveling - often for several months at a time - and it was quite convenient to have family or familiar friends who could look after the house while they were gone.

Regarding an adequate income, Halkaline said, "I have my husband's Methodist pension - plus we lived frugally and put some aside for when we needed it. And, I also have Social Security." She was a member of several honorary organizations in college, and was involved in all of the important groups within her church over the years. She was affiliated with the American Association of University Women, but has not been active for a good many years. She takes an active interest in her alma mater, and said "I have set up some scholarships there. After all, I graduated there, my husband graduated there, and so did my son and daughter-in-law."

Travel? "When we were first married, my husband and I went on a boat trip to the Holy Land - which was not Israel at that time, but was part of Syria and Palestine. And, in 1951, my husband became involved in the Pastoral Exchange Program, and we went to Wolverhampton, England for some time."

When asked about her work history, she answered, "I taught school for two years after college, before getting married. After that I supported my husband's ministry. He retired in 1968 from taking appointments to serve a given church, but continued to help churches in the midwest with fund-raising campaigns on a consulting basis."

"The Methodist Church probably had pre-retirement workshops, but we never participated in them. We spent our one-month vacations each year at Chautauqua, New York." Over the years, their friends were mostly from the church. "However," she added, "My husband also had many good friends who were clergy in other denominations. He had one special friend who was a Baptist minister. And we always kept in touch with our college friends."

Regarding her current mental frame of mind, Halkaline describes it thus: "I suppose you're never 100% satisfied with your accomplishments, but I consider that I've had a pretty full, well rounded life, and I'm content."

What would she do differently if she could do it all again? "I can't imagine anything I wish I could have done. I met my husband four days into college, and I knew from the start he would probably be the one I'd marry. I then dated him for six years, and married him."

2001 UPDATE: Halkaline sent us a lovely letter in March. She reported that her family had given her a surprise on her 95th birthday last fall. Her most time consuming activity these days is her considerable correspondence with friends and family all over the United States, and even some in Switzerland and England. She tells those with whom she corresponds that the one privilege she has reserved is that of giving lots of unsolicited advice. "At 95 almost anyone can feel full of advise, solicited or unsolicited!"

She related a great story that concerns her tenure on "an important board that administers a legacy given for use in our public school" in her town. Each member is initially given a one-year term, and after that they are appointed for three year terms. When her one year term expired, the chairman (who is aware of her age) asked if she had a preference as to continuing. She replied "I certainly wanted to continue, for it would look good on my obituary!" She is now well into her three-year term, and appreciates that it keeps her abreast of what's going on in the schools.