After a century, life’s more than a game of chess

After a century, life’s more than a game of chess

By LARRY OLSON
Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009 12:05 am

Checkmate!

Harold Wagner of La Crosse has decisively “kinged” pre-centenarian days and continues to treasure every minute of life. Might this be because he’s a modern-thinking man?

Wagner – age 100 since Sept. 7 – loves his computer. “Without it, I would not be able to wile away the hours playing chess,” he said.

He’s darned crafty at it, too. On Aug. 11, he checkmated at the most advanced level (seven).

“Now I expect to be addressed as ‘Sir’ by all,” he said.

Sir Harold regards longevity very simply: “Inherit good genes; otherwise, you are on your own.”

Harold, a widower since 2003, moved in with his daughter and son-in-law, Yvonne and John Caplan, a couple months after wife, Lil, lost her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. For 10 years, he cared for her in their hometown of Saginaw, Mich.

Invited to join the Caplan household, he continues to thrive.

Here is the full article.