Elaine Gates Roberts

Elaine Gates Roberts turned 100 this month, and when asked how she feels about the milestone, she doesn’t make a big deal of it.

She said with a chuckle, “Pretty good. Today feels good.”

She’s experienced life for a century. She doesn’t look it. She’s steady and humble. She appreciates modern conveniences that make everyday life easier. Although being “ready to go” was her joke over the years, those gathered to celebrate her could see the punch line. Elaine is surrounded by an extraordinary circle of loved ones. Relatives from Alabama and New Hampshire. Neighbors from her Scandia years. Friends from long ago. And a family tree that spans generations — new branches reaching out, and older ones holding firm. They reunited under one roof on Valentine’s Day to celebrate her. What a fitting day for someone who gives and loves so freely and who understands it in a way few seem to grasp.

Elaine and five generations gathered for photos, and what a sight it was. Her grandchildren are Amee, Barb, Shelly, Michele and the late Shawn; her great-grandchildren are Cody, Andrew, Kalie, Samantha, Leah, Ellie, Anna and Mikey; and she has a great-great-granddaughter, Bailey.

Elaine was born in Ohio in 1926, before the Great Depression. Work was scarce and money was tight, so when Elaine was five, her family traveled to Pennsylvania to visit her mother’s relatives and never returned. They moved in with her grandparents in Russell — a crowded household, but it worked. “It was a big house,” Elaine recalls.

She learned responsibility early — packing lunches, caring for siblings and helping out. They raised chickens and a cow to make milk and butter. “We made it through,” Elaine said.

In 1944, she was one of 12 graduates at Russell High School. It was the final stretch of World War II and she started work at Sylvania, making light bulbs. When she was 20, she met Charles (Bill) Gates through her brothers. Dates were square dances that didn’t require much besides music and a willing partner. They fell in love, married in 1946, built a house and started a family in Scandia.

They found joy in their two sons, Bob and Charlie. They had their share of grief, too: when their son, Craig, was stillborn, and when their daughter, Kandyce, survived just minutes.

After the children, Elaine took a job at New Process Company, where she stayed for nearly 29 years, remembering with pride: “28 years, 8 months and 2 weeks.”

Their home was the place to be over the years — the hub. Whether it was a holiday, a snow day, or the first day of hunting, everyone was welcomed and fed when they stopped for a visit. It was common for her sons and their families to be there — and for the windows to be fogged over.

There was always a simmering pot of pea-and-potato soup on the stove or baking-powder biscuits for strawberry shortcake in the oven. She made holiday cookies by the hundreds and delivered them to neighbors. Bill and Elaine started traditions that endure. They made food from recipes passed down through the generations (and still going strong). They created an environment where everyday moments turned into cherished memories.

Gates died in 1986, and in the years that followed, Elaine worked hard and remained focused on what mattered most: family and friends. Then, life intervened with a surprising second love story. Elaine met William Roberts (known as Bill or Elmer) for the first time in high school while sled-riding on Fox Hill. It was years before they found their way back to each other. They married in 1997, traveled and had good times together, until he passed away in 2011.

Ask her what brings her the most joy, and she doesn’t hesitate. It’s her children, Bob and his wife, Gloria; Charlie and his wife, Paula; and the five other generations who adore her. Mostly, it’s the love that fills a room when they’re all together. She speaks of them with deep affection. “The kids are good,” she says, emotion in her voice. “The whole family. I’m so proud of all of them.”

Ask her the secret to a long life, and she returns to the constants. “It’s being with the Lord and surrounding yourself with a loving family,” she said.

Elaine Gates Roberts didn’t set out to live a remarkable life. She set out to love her family, do her work and keep her faith. A hundred years later, that has proven to be more than enough.