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Longevity is in his genes

KEEWATIN - He's often asked what's his secret to living a long life.

"I just keep breathing," joked Gordon Bailey.

Bailey, of Keewatin, turned 100 years old on Tuesday, April 4. He's also his tribe's oldest elder in Red Lake, Minn.

Longevity is in Bailey's genes. His maternal grandmother lived to be 103 years old, his mom lived to be 96 years old and one of his grandfathers lived to be 95 years old.

"They had to work hard," he said. "For me, I think a lot of it is because I've raised my own garden, which is healthy."

Bailey was born in Red Lake, Minn., and grew up in Redby, Minn., where he lived for 38 years. The only exception was during the 3 years and 10 months that he served the U.S. Army during World War II. He spent his first 2.5 years of service with a gun company before being stationed in Germany during the European Theater as a master sergeant in charge of battalion maintenance.

"I was selected by the Army," he said. "I didn't even know where Pearl Harbor was. I was meeting my future in-laws and it came on the radio that Pearl Harbor was bombed, and a month later I was drafted already."

From the 1980s until a couple years ago, Bailey would travel to a different state each year to attend reunions to visit those whom he served in the Army with.

"There are so few of us left that we don't have reunions anymore," he said.

Bailey has also traveled to Germany to visit three people who he saved as kids during the war, and one of them has even traveled to Keewatin to visit him. During the war, the kids' home was being robbed and destroyed so they took to the streets for help where they met Bailey.

"They were so thankful for what I did for them that they took care for me when I went to visit," he said. "They wouldn't even let me buy a postcard."

After the war, Bailey and his wife of 64 years, Florence, began raising their family. Together they raised two sons, Gordon and Greg Bailey, and three daughters: Bette Bailey, Candy Petron and Cathe Bozich. They have 16 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

"I've lost count," he said. "I'll sit down and count them once in awhile, but then another one gets born."

In 1955, Bailey moved to the Iron Range at age 38 looking to earn a decent living for his family. He had a difficult time finding an apartment to rent, so he stayed at the El Motel in Hibbing for nine months. His first job in the area was working for a sawmill, which he did for three years.

"I moved here for livelihood," he said. "The highest pay I ever had before moving here was $1.40 per hour."

Bailey was eventually hired by Hanna Mining Co., where he held several positions including having worked in the research center and as lead technician.

"It was interesting," he said. "I liked working in research because the job wasn't the same day after day, so I didn't get bored."

Bailey retired from Hanna Mining after 28 years of service, but remained working for the company as a consultant. In that role, he'd travel throughout the United States and to other countries such as Canada, Colombia and Brazil.

"By then all of my children were grown up so I enjoyed traveling and meeting very interesting people," he said, noting he met the presidents of every company he consulted for.

Shortly after being hired by Hanna Mining, Bailey purchased a house in Keewatin and still resides there today. He said he chose to settle down in the small, Central Iron Range town because it was located in the middle of Hanna Mining's territory, which spread from Virginia to Grand Rapids.

Bailey has been living alone since Florence passed away in 2006. His daughter, Cathe Bozich, said he's still very active.

"He cooks, cleans and does his laundry," she said. "He still drives without any problems, and brings us our mail everyday because we don't get home delivery."

Bozich said that Bailey began letting his kids and grandkids help him around the house just last year.

"He finally lets us do more of his lawn mowing and snowblowing - even though he sneaks out with his snowblower," she said.

Bailey even managed to tend a garden on his own last summer.

"It's going well," he said of living at home. "My granddaughters stop by for breakfast every morning to check on me, which is really nice."

http://www.hibbingmn.com/news/local/longevity-is-in-his-genes/article_c689f1fc-1cb1-11e7-9e72-dba37ee9ed94.html#utm_source=hibbingmn.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1491737485&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline

 

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