Words to live by, ‘Don’t be negative and take care of today’

Lorene Walker Auld of Lafayette has quite the life story to tell at 102-years-old. 

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Lorene Walker Auld of Lafayette has quite the life story to tell at 102-years-old. 

In December, Auld will be 103. "I never had a birthday party because it was always Christmas and my birthday.  My husband, when I was 90, surprised me with a birthday party. He had the family come and he brought a big cake. That was really my first birthday when I was 90 years old."

Lorene is a resident of a senior living community. She can be found working out just about everyday in the gym. "I walk upstairs and I come here and get on that new step machine and just keep moving all the time," she explained.

Lorene was born in a rural community in Oklahoma. A walk to school was truly a walk to school. She says the walk to school was 1 ½ miles through the country.

Lorene admits that her first marriage did not go as originally planned. "I had been married but the war separated people. It didn't work out. We decided we weren't for each other."

It turned out that the man who was for Lorene was in church. She had a daughter who he adopted. "He never spoke an unkind word to me but he was a tough teacher and a tough military man too." 

In 1956, her husband came to Lafayette to teach accounting at UL Lafayette (SLI at the time). She was an educator as well. Lorene taught for 6 years in Oklahoma. Once in Lafayette, she worked for the Lafayette Public School System and UL Lafayette. "I had wonderful friends over the years. Just many friends in Oklahoma, New Mexico and in Louisiana," Auld added.

Now, Lorene is working on her own life story. "The university has life writing classes. I attended life writing classes for 10 years or more," she said. Lorene imparts this advice about life and about self.    

"Don't be negative, take care of today and use your experiences of today to help you with your future; and just do the best you can in the future."