Celebrating one century
‘Sweeter than sweet,’ local woman says on her birthday
Catherine Brent was born on July 5, 1914. If everyone lived to be 100 like her, she has some simple advice.
“Live each day to its fullest, as far as you’re concerned,” she said, adding that people also should try not to be concerned about what they didn’t do.
Brent celebrated her milestone birthday with a large group of family and friends earlier this month. She’s always had a lot of fun with birthdays, instead of worrying about turning another year older.
“I never did think about the age the way some people do,” she said. “My birthday was always a big celebration because people got together for the 4th of July, and we celebrated the 4th and the 5th.”
Reaching 100 is “sweeter than sweet,” she said.
Brent was born in Dallas, but grew up in Missouri.
She attended Baylor University when it was still a female-only school to study physical education and home economics. She later earned her master’s degree in communications from schools in Iowa and Hawaii.
Brent put her education to good use “primarily to help people,” she said, teaching extension service classes such as food preservation through the University of Missouri. She wrote for her local newspaper and had a radio program to help spread her message about home economics, and pioneered a television program telling people about “good buys” and how to prepare that food.
Later, Brent took a similar job through the University of California, Berkeley.
When she was serving as the president of the San Francisco Women in Radio and Television, and was the chairman of the national convention in 1961, Brent invited then-Governor Ronald Reagan to open the convention.
“He was a wonderful, friendly man,” she said.
Despite her career achievements, Brent’s proudest memories are about having her three children: two daughters and one son.
Brent moved to Klamath Falls when her daughter, Chloe Hopkins, moved to town in 2000.
“She always loved telling us about the first cars,” Hopkins said of her mother.
“I can remember the horse and buggy days,” Brent said, adding that she remembers visiting family in Illinois, where they would pick her up from the train station in a carriage.
Because Brent’s birthday is so close to Independence Day, and because she lived through both world wars, Hopkins said her mother is very patriotic. Her apartment at Quail Park is decorated with both an American and a Texas flag, and other Americana items.
Her apartment also is decorated with watercolor paintings she did herself, a hobby she took up after retirement.
“I was always interested in art,” Brent said.
She has traveled around the world, with family and friends, and with her Women in Radio and Television group.
Her trips to Israel stand out as some of her favorites. She first visited the country with her sister and church group, and brought her family back later.
“I loved the Sea of Galilee; that was beautiful,” she said.
Looking to the future, Brent’s goals include “just keep feeling like I want to live,” she said.
Hopkins said her mother also wants to continue her Bible study and to stay connected with family.
“One of her things in life is that if something needs doing, you do it,” Hopkins said, adding that her mother’s advice is always to ‘Try your hardest.’
“It’s amazing where it’s gotten her,” Hopkins said.
The word “sweet” is important to Brent as well, Hopkins said — she doesn’t talk about the bad memories, just the sweet ones. Faith has helped her other stay positive as well, Hopkins said.
“That kept you from being sad or thinking about the bad things because you knew God would get you through,” Hopkins said to her mother.
“I’ve always known that the Lord would take care of me,” Brent said.
While her mother’s age milestone is amazing, Hopkins said, it makes sense looking at it logically. Her mother has been very active physically, studied nutrition and ate well, and always tried to have fun in life, Hopkins said.
“If there was a party, she’d always have a good time; and if there wasn’t one, she’d make the fun,” Hopkins said.