Schmitt still rolling strong at 91

Jack Schmitt's 91st birthday Thursday didn't keep him from making his appointed rounds for Flathead County's Meals on Wheels program.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Schmitt shows up around 10:30 a.m. at the Agency on Aging's meal preparation facility. Along with other volunteers, he loads up hot meals to deliver to disabled and elderly people around the valley.

Schmitt gives thanks that he remains healthy enough to help out people younger than he is.

"There's only one person that I know of that's older than I am," he said with a laugh.

By about 11:15 a.m., Schmitt has his Durango packed with meals tucked into hot packs. He drives the southwest route out Foy's Lake Road on Tuesdays and the southeast route in the area of Woodland Park on Thursdays.

"We have eight different routes," he said.

On his birthday, Schmitt was delivering a customer favorite: oven fried chicken, rice pilaf, vegetables, biscuits and jelly, and dessert to about 11 people unable to prepare nutritious meals on their own.

Each day brings a different, well-balanced meal. On Tuesday, Schmitt distributed potato soup, crackers, ham on whole wheat bread, coleslaw and pickles, and dessert.

"They have very good food," he said.

No matter what his hot packs hold, Schmitt said he gets a friendly reception from the people he serves. He has learned just where each one likes to have their meal of the day set up.

"I know all of them personally," he said. "They're always glad to have someone to chat with them."

He recently began his ninth year as a volunteer driver. Schmidt said he joined up because it sounded like a good program that helped people out.

Besides, he needed something to keep him active and involved.

"I'm a person who just can't stand around and twiddle my thumbs," he said. "I've got to be doing something."

Schmitt spent his working career in farming, real estate, insurance and banking in California and Washington while raising two children with his late wife, Rita.

He first came to the Flathead in 1970 when he was hired for the new Kalispell branch of the Production Credit Association. Schmitt retired at 62 in 1975, looking forward to hours of fly fishing, golfing and touring the world.

He and Rita spent many happy years traveling across the country three times.

"Right after I retired, we were snowbirds," he said with a smile. "I've been in every state in the union."

Other adventures took them to Europe, on paddlewheel cruises on the Mississippi and aboard cruises through the Panama Canal and up to Alaska.

"We enjoyed it," he said.

Schmitt has stayed closer to home after losing Rita three years ago, just short of their 60th wedding anniversary. But he still puts a lot of miles around Kalispell.

In the summer, he plays 18 holes of golf at Buffalo Hill on the three week days he hasn't committed to the Meals on Wheels program. He credits his good health and longevity to keeping active.

"I get quite of bit of exercise doing this, getting in and out of the car and going to homes," Schmitt said.

When he can't play golf in the winter, he jumps on his treadmill to make up for the missed time on the links. Schmitt also volunteers at the Kalispell Senior Center, where he has served on the board of directors.

"That's the secret to longevity," he said. "Stay active, keep moving."

Schmitt used the formula to overcome a couple of health problems over the years. He survived a triple heart bypass in 1991 and a hip replacement in 1986.

He also overcame severe arthritis by following a cure he received from a Canadian fellow traveler that he met at Lake Havasu.

The Canadian told Schmitt he cured himself by cutting out coffee, orange juice and other acidic foods. Each morning, he drank a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of raw honey and cider vinegar.

Schmitt said he was skeptical but he was so miserable that he gave it a try. At eight months into the treatment, he ran across the Canadian and told him that he hadn't had any results yet.

"He told me to stick with it," he said.

Just two to three months later, he said his arthritis disappeared almost overnight. Schmitt said he has told several other people about the treatment and it worked for them too.

"I don't miss the coffee a bit," he said.

The 91-year-old has one other regime he thinks may have helped him break into his ninth decade in good form.

"I enjoy a highball before dinner three or four nights a week," he said with a laugh.

It sounds odd, but medical research does support the health benefits of very moderate drinking. On the other hand, if you can't keep it moderate, you had better stick with the honey and vinegar treatment and leave the highballs to Jack.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com