On Feb. 4, Loreen Dinwiddie celebrated her 108th birthday. Born in 1903 she is quite possibly the oldest Adventist in the Oregon Conference.
When asked, “When did you become an Adventist?” She answered, “When I was born.” With tears welling up in her eyes, she says, “I just love the Lord because He has been so good to me and we got chummy when I was little.”
When asked how one might live to 108 and keep close to God, Dinwiddie replied, “Read the Bible... it's all in there. People say to me, 'you don’t have any aches or pains and you’re feeling great at 108, what do you do?' Well, do what God tells you to do. It is all in the Bible.”
She continued, “Second is a vegan diet. When my husband and I got married in 1922, we took some classes at the camp grounds and they taught us to eat two meals a day and walk fifteen minutes every two hours. We liked it so well we decided to be vegan vegetarians.”
When Dinwiddie was asked what she enjoys doing at 108, she responded with a grin, “SLEEPING!” But don’t let the answer fool you. She grabbed her walker and scooted down the hall to her room to show her fabulous paintings. She has seven of her oil paintings in her room and more around the facility where she lives. Dinwiddie has two daughters: One is 82 and the other is 86.
Loreen Dinwiddie celebrates her 108th birthday. (Gary McLain)
Dinwiddie is also an accomplished artist. She painted this piece when she was 106. (Gary McLain)
