http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2011/10/24/age_has_no_season/doc4e9e00c184f3d911809570.txt
By Michael Berman
In 2009, Doris Mackenzie moved into Spring House. Shortly thereafter, she started compiling a book, a book of stories with written accounts by her fellow residents.
Last year, she published “Heart and Soul: Our Stories, Our Lives.” Mackenzie had left notes in the mailboxes of residents, asking them to write up a story or two from some time in their lifetime. In total, she received 75 stories from 45 different authors.
“When we moved into here, I thought it would be fun to do it with the people here at Spring House,” said Mackenzie. “Ninety percent of them, I did not know.”
Mackenzie’s motivation was a lack of memories from her youth. She wanted to put together memories that could be passed on for future generations to have.
“I lost my parents when I was 19 and before that I never really asked them anything; I didn’t think about it,” she explained. “As I got older, there were so many things I would have loved to have asked them and I didn’t have them.”
Named after a 1938 song by Hoagy Carmichael, the book has various types of stories. Some have a serious tone and some are humorous. From first kisses to World War II recollections, there are lifetime memories throughout.
One of the stories revolving around love in “Heart and Soul” was written by Frank Hartung. A widower, in 2005 he reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Cynthia, at a Germantown Friends Class of 1945 high school reunion. (Mackenzie was a graduate of that class as well.) In the book, he describes how he courted her and would go back and forth to Connecticut to visit her. His car was getting older and he didn’t want to risk it breaking down, so he started taking Amtrak, and still does so every other weekend.
I’ve been keeping them in business ever since,” he says with laughter.
Previously, when friends would ask him how he was doing, he would give them a typical answer of: “One day at a time.” Now, he gives them a rejuvenated response.
“Terrific,” he says with excitement.
One story is written by Frank Herrelko, a commander of a radar station in California during the attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He wrote about his memory of that tragic day.
Another resident is Mary Williams. At age 11, Williams won the Senior National 3-Meter Championship of the United States. She will always have the distinction of being the youngest national diving champion, as the minimum age is now 12.
“I was always told I could swim before I could walk,” she says.
Glenn Schueler has three stories -- two near-death experiences and one account of how his wife played a prank on him, making him believe that the gladiolas he planted had successfully risen up and grown.
“I thought I was a damned good gardener,” says Schueler.
Jean Barto, whom Mackenzie had previously worked with on a book titled “Humor Heartaches and Harrowing Tales,” mentions how everyone has something special to share.
“Everyone has an interesting story and has done something fascinating,” she says.
Mackenzie put a lot of time into the book, but she credits her husband, daughters, grandson and, of course, the Spring House residents who contributed their stories. Their memories are what make the book.
“The book is not me, it’s them,” she says.
The residents at Spring House, with the help of Mackenzie, now have something they can pass on to future generations. She feels that everyone should write down a few memories for their parents, grandparents and other relatives.
“Grandchildren would eventually love something to have like that,” she says.
As for Mackenzie’s children and grandchildren, what will they eventually write about?
“They say, ‘boy oh boy, we got a lot to tell about you!’”
If you are interested in purchasing the book, Doris Mackenzie can be reached at grammydmc@yahoo.com.