'Two peas in a pod'

Ginny Swarts and Betty Olson were born in 1921 and 1922, when Warren G. Harding was president, radio was new, and the movies were silent except for live musical accompaniment.

This month, the two best friends at Alpine Way Continuing Care Community in Shelton celebrated their 101st and 102nd birthdays. They also celebrated a friendship born over a mutual love of music, bingo and bus trips.

"We do everything together," said Swarts. She added, "We really fit like two peas in a pod."

Swarts was born April 13, 1921, in the Midwest and moved to Claremont, California, when she was 3. "Everything was oranges and lemons in those days in California," she recalled. She sold ads for a daily newspaper, married and had two sons, one who moved to Hoodsport. Four years ago, she followed her son to Mason County and moved to Alpine Way.

Olson was born April 6, 1922, in Waterville, near Wenatchee and grew up on her family's wheat farm. She married at 17, also had two sons, built pontoons at the Portland Shipyards during World War II, and moved to Shelton in 1945. She styled hair for 45 years.

In 2017, Olson moved into Alpine Way with her husband, Orval Anderson. He died two years later.

"I was by myself after my husband passed away," she said.

Not for long. Olson and Swarts said they first bonded at a picnic and started eating meals together.

Both have longevity in their genes. Olson's mother reached the age of 100 years and three months, and two of her sisters reached 100. Swarts' parents lived to be 93 and 97.

Both women were feted with birthday celebrations in the past couple weeks. "We milked it," Swarts said.

Both say they are troubled about the state of the world today.

"I worry about the future. I think it's a fractured nation ... It's getting worse, not better ... the hatred, the fighting," Olson said. She added, "I think there's a lot of greed compared to what there used to be."

Swarts said she is disturbed by "the gun violence ... the homeless are taking over the big cities."

But at Alpine Way, they have each other.

"Sometimes I can be her eyes," Swarts said of Olson, who has vision challenges.

"We just enjoy life and are happy we're able to," Olson said. As for her pal, "It's nice to have someone to say goodnight to."