Moch: Going strong in her 90s

Tillie Moch is reluctant to talk about herself; it isn’t her style. But it is easy to gain a sense of how exceptional she is when you learn that she only recently retired. That’s because Tillie is 97 years old.

For the past four decades, Tillie has worked as a cook at the Manor St. Joseph in Edgeley. The facility bills itself as a “home away from home” for the community’s elderly and disabled. While the long-term care facility serves some of Edgeleys’ residents who want to stay close to their roots as they transition to assisted living in their later years, executive director Tammy Jangula explains that the Manor also relies on several able-bodied employees who are well past the traditional retirement age.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, 8.4% of people who are age 75 and over are employed. The Manor employees who fall in this category show a work ethic that has been shaped by decades in the work force. Even though some of them work part-time, they take jobs seriously enough that if a winter storm is brewing, they may stay overnight at the Manor so they can start making breakfast early the next morning.

Tillie explains their mentality in matter-of-fact terms. “Just keep on working. It keeps you healthy and keeps you going.” She shrugs when asked how it felt to cook breakfast several times a week for people younger than herself. “Some feel better than others,” she explains.     

The Manor job is not the only one she’s held. Tillie moved from Hague/Strasburg area where she helped milk cows while growing up to Edgeley when her sister, a new wife and mother, asked for help. Shortly after, Tillie met Wendlynn, and they married on June 27, 1945. When he died unexpectedly in 1980 and with their youngest of ten kids still at home, Tillie was at a loss. That’s when Sister Michael called and told her to come work in the Manor’s kitchen.

But Tillie has also cleaned the Catholic Church, the parish hall, and the rectory for over 30 years. She “helped some” with washing the church linens and since the rectory didn’t have a washing machine, she took those clothes home and washed them too. Along with the linens came a lot of ironing.

Meanwhile, with the job at the Manor, Tillie learned over the years what everybody preferred for breakfast, and she would make bacon, eggs, oatmeal, toast, and sometimes cream of wheat.

Three years ago, at age 94, Tillie was still mowing her own lawn with a push mower. But last winter, she warned Tammy that she might quit. The weather was getting tough for her when she walked to work. Her children were also encouraging her to move, and Tillie admits her eyesight is going. So within a two-week span this fall, Tillie retired, gave up driving, and moved into the Manor, becoming their second-oldest resident.

She already knew the people living there and is now learning the rest of the staff who didn’t work during her morning shift.

In her room, Tillie keeps a notebook and photos of her family, including one of her parents and their ten children. They notebook helps keep track of everyone, since she has ten kids of her own, 43 grandchildren, and 86 great-grandchildren. She’s mystified a bit. “The names these days, you never know what they’ll be. We have a River and a Meadow. What’s next, a Sky?”

When asked her health secrets, Tillie says, “Move around, or you’ll get stiff.”

She does exercises and stretches in bed when she wakes in the morning, and participates in the bone cuilders class. She stresses that people should keep busy, through work or exercise. Faith has also played a strong role in her life, and she attends Mass nearly every day.

While the Manor’s newest 97-year-old resident adjusts to a well-deserved retirement, the remainder of the Manor staff—of traditional working age or already in their “retirement” years—will continue to dedicate themselves to make her and the other residents as comfortable and happy as possible.