Oldest living Minnesotan shares secret to long life at 111th birthday

At 111, Evelyn Kleine is pretty easy going, not asking for anything for her birthday.

Maybe that’s one of the secrets to how she became the oldest living Minnesotan and why she looks decades younger than she is.

“Thank you to everybody for coming,” Kleine said to the guests at her 111th birthday party Wednesday. “I just don’t know what to say.”

Her party was at Chandler Place in St. Anthony where she’s a staff favorite, even though they’ve only known her for seven years.

She moved into the facility at age 104, living on her own in an apartment before that.

Kleine was born in 1907 when Theodore Roosevelt was in the White House. She’s now on her 20th president.

She grew up in Columbia Heights, the youngest of four sisters. She learned how to drive in the family’s Model-T Ford. She continued to drive until the age of 99 when she says her car gave out before she did.

Her long life, she says, is from clean living. She never drank, never smoked and didn't take medication until she turned 100. She swears by vitamins, taking them every day since she was young.

“I had three sisters and the one that was two years older than me wouldn't take the vitamins,” she said. “She died a long time ago and I’m still going.”

She’s still going, an inspiration to all and there’s no reason to believe we shouldn’t start planning for 112.

“Well, we hope to see you here again next year!” she said.