Svend’s
100th birthday.
The Danish Club celebrated one of their members’ 100th birthday this weekend.
Svend is an amazing guy who likes to go out dancing and works out twice a week at the gym.
Members, log in and see more photos from the celebration and everybody, go to the link at the bottom and see the video clip with this incredible man!
Fifteen to twenty members gathered at the Wooden Spoon on February 25th to celebrate Svend on his 100th birthday earlier this month.
Most of the members of the Danish Club have met Svend and his wife Neva at the Christmas parties where they welcome people to the party and give out name tags to everybody. When you meet Svend you don’t realize his high age, but he is the first to tell you with great pride in his voice.
You wonder how some people can be so active when they get older and I guess part of it may be good fortune and part of it may be in the genes, but a lot of it is most likely a matter of wanting to be part of things and just staying active. Both Svend and his wife Neva are very active. Up until a few years ago they were still “working” or volunteering (as Neva insisted when I said working) a few days a week at the Dallas Arboretum. Neva told me today that Svend had wanted to quit because his legs aren’t as good as they used to, and so she also quit because she would rather do things together with Svend.
They have done a lot of things together, like traveled to all of the states and to Europe and also done several cruises. Svend still drives his car and doesn’t seem to mind to drive from south Dallas to the northern suburbs to be part of the events with the Danish Club.
In spite of the fact that his legs are not what they used to, they still go out dancing. Svend can take a rest in between dances. He also works out twice a week at Gold’s Gym. The gym also had a birthday celebration for him and he received a lifelong membership card, so now he can work out for free for the rest of his life.
When he wants to do something less strenuous he calls out the numbers for the old folk’s bingo.
Svend speaks Danish, but he is born in the US. Both of his parents were Danish. His dad Thorvald had a farm in Nebraska and put out an advertisement because he needed help on his farm. A young Danish girl, Mette, and her brother came to help and Thorvald fell in love with Mette.
On February 16th 1912 their twin boys, Svend and Kaj were born. Svend grew up in Iowa in a Danish community and the reason that his Danish is so good is that he went to American school in the morning and Danish school in the afternoon.
Svend told me that getting into the military was the best thing that happened to him. He got a good job, he could have his car with him and he had quite a bit of free time. I think the best thing of it all was the U.S.O sponsored dance where he met this beautiful redhead named Neva. It actually only took him a few dates with her before he proposed. Imagine his reaction when she answered “I can’t marry you. You are too old.” Neva was 21 and Svend was 32. Little did she know, that many years later they would celebrate his 100th birthday together. Actually, Neva says that Svend promised her that he would outlive her, and maybe was that why she agreed to marry him.
Svend’s birthday was on CBS news and if you missed it here is the link:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/02/16/working-out-seems-to-be-working-out-for-100-year-old-dallas-man/
