Genetically, Alice Paulson may have her mother's side of the family to thank for the longevity she has enjoyed.
Her maternal grandmother was 97 when she died; her maternal grandfather, 90.
Paulson celebrated her 103rd birthday on April 15.
Paulson, originally from North Dakota, has been a resident at Good Samaritan-Riverside Villas in Pine River since the building opened in 1994. In fact, she was one of the first residents to move in.
Before living in Pine River, Paulson lived in Nisswa, and before that, the Twin Cities.
Paulson recalls that when she graduated from high school there were three professions for respectable young ladies: nursing, teaching, and being a secretary. Even being a secretary was iffy at that time.
However, nursing was the right fit for her. "I had wanted to be a nurse since I was 6 years old," she said.
Paulson graduated in 1927 from Fairview Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis.
A registered nurse and a registered nurse anesthetist, her first nursing job was at St. Luke's in Fergus Falls.
From there she headed to St. Luke's in Fargo, before heading home for three years to care for her ailing father.
After his death she returned to Fairview Hospital, this time as a nurse instead of a student.
Following retirement in 1965, Paulson and her sister, Clara, a retired college professor, decided to move in together.
The pair looked for housing in vain.
"The first year we looked it was hopeless," Paulson remembers.
Both from a Lutheran background, Clara put an advertisement in a Lutheran publication looking for a lake home.
A realtor in Hackensack, a former student of Clara's at Luther College, responded.
The Paulsons went to Hackensack but didn't find what they wanted. However, they did find a place with 100-feet of lakeshore on Kimball Lake in Nisswa.
"It was a nice place; we both loved it," Paulson recalls.
Paulson has had a lot of hobbies in her lifetime including reading, sewing, knitting, painting and woodworking. She also gardened, cooked and baked.
As she's gotten older, Paulson has had to slow down. With age came arthritis, and diminished hearing and eyesight.
Paulson recalls when she was young and her grandmother lived with them. The grandmother used to make lace but eventually gave it up due to arthritis. Grandmother used to sit patiently and never complain, Paulson recalls. "I wish I was more like her."
Since Clara passed away, Paulson's closest living relatives are second cousins. She looks forwards to visits with them and with friends who come to call.
She also participates in activities at Riverside Villas including card games, dominos and coffee chats.
When asked, Paulson responded that she doesn't have any secrets to her longevity.
She said that she looks to the Bible that says our days are numbered.
"God decides how long I'm going to live; I don't worry about it one way or another," she said.
