A Feel Good Friday surprise for a 97-year-old piano player

Her life spans nearly a century of change. Nina says she got her driver’s license at just 12 years old and loved driving her mom to the grocery store. Her first house didn’t even have electricity, a reminder of just how much the world has changed during her lifetime.

Her late husband, Bill, worked at what is now the Idaho National Laboratory, and Nina spent years giving back as an educator. From 1973 to 1986, she taught math and computer classes at Skyline High School, leaving a lasting impact on generations of students.

Family has always been at the center of Nina’s life. She and her son, Geof, have a special tradition of making homemade applesauce from an apple tree in the backyard. Every year, Nina makes around 40 quarts, and anyone who’s tried it will tell you — her applesauce is to die for.

Nina’s family history reaches deep into the past — her father was born in 1872 — and yet she remains as sharp as ever. She lives independently, insists on taking out her own garbage, and proudly says she’s an independent woman who doesn’t need help.

When asked the secret to her long life, Nina jokes that it’s because she’s a procrastinator — she never rushes into anything.

Though her husband passed away 38 years ago, Nina is surrounded by love. Her children visit often, and she continues doing what she loves most — playing the piano, something she still does beautifully at 97 years old.