Birth Date: August 9, 1900

I was 19 when I cam to America from Switzerland. My first jobs were farming, agriculture and cheese making in Dodge County. I learned the trade of cheese making from my father, and I knew how to make several types of cheese, but I wanted different life experiences. During World War II, I tried to enlist but was rejected due to scars on my lungs. In the late 1940s, I went to work for the railroads maintaining freight cars, and I met several interesting people. At 59, I contracted tuberculosis and I didn't think I would ever live to be 101. I retired in my late 60s or early 70s.

My advise to fellow Americans is don't go into serious debt; try to pay for things with cash when you can. And remember, life is not what you make it; it's what you run into.

My hope for the future centers on my family. I wish them a long and happy life. I hope they keep on drinking the brand I drink -- clear water!