Staff photo by Fritz Busch Oak Hills Living Center resident Charlotte DeFrance, center, talks about her longevity Friday. Pictured at left is her daughter Lanis Curtis and her granddaughter Sheila Brownfield, both of New Ulm. Staff photo by Fritz Busch Oak Hills Living Center resident Charlotte DeFrance turns 103 years old Jan. 24. She cites her longevity to hard work and having a positive attitude.

NEW ULM — An Oak Hills Living Center resident who turns 103 on Jan. 24, cites hard work and a positive attitude for her longevity.

Perhaps it was challenges earlier in her life that made Charlotte DeFrance so resilient.

Born in Fergus Falls, DeFrance’s mother died when she was 13. She later moved in with her an aunt and uncle in Spokane, Washington. She would eventually marry Robert “Bob” DeFrance, a U.S. Navy World War II veteran. He served on submarines and was a mechanic who was interested in becoming an airline pilot.

“When you were on submarines, you had to learn to do every job. He (Robert) liked submarines and anything that was advanced,” DeFrance said.

“I was told he survived depth charge explosions while on the submarine,” said DeFrance’s daughter Lanis Curtis.

Her husband died at age 28 in 1951 in a small plane crash while they were living in rural Montana.

A passion for education was important too.

She returned to Minnesota to be close to family and go to college, earning an education degree cum laude at Bemidji State College.

DeFrance worked as a cook and waitress for 25 cents an hour plus occasional tips while going to college in Bemidji.

“I loved education. After my husband died, I had two babies and had to support them. I had to work for a living,” DeFrance said.

She wanted to do scientific research after college but said a college advisor talked her out of it because she was a woman.

“She was told she could go through more higher education but she’d never be hired because she was a woman. She was told to be a secretary, teacher or a nurse because those were the only professions open to women,” Curtis said. “Now women, can even fly planes. She has a granddaughter that flies planes. Another one is a teacher, teaching students from kindergarten to junior college.”

DeFrance taught fifth-grade in the Anoka-Hennepin School District for 18 years. She wanted to teach in Bemidji to be close to family members but the school district didn’t hire her.

“I liked fifth-graders. They were 11 years old and good kids,” DeFrance said.

After teaching, she moved to the family farm near Underwood, living there until age 94 when she moved to New Ulm and lived in Highland Regency House senior apartments until moving to Oak Hills Living Center a couple years ago.

“I suppose I lived a good healthy life. I never smoked,” DeFranze said.

“Oatmeal with milk and honey are what I have for breakfast. I haven’t been able to read for a few years, but I’ve read more than 1,000 books,” she added. “I like science but not science fiction.”

“She was a gardener, doing lots of canning and growing vegetables and flowers. She was a big salad eater. We ate them at every meal growing up,” Curtis said.

“I tried to stay alive, stay healthy and have a good attitude. I enjoyed living. I enjoyed teaching and the children.”