Virginia “Ginni” Oas, age 97

Virginia “Ginni” Oas turned 97 on July 1, and the world has changed immeasurably since she was born in her parent’s home in Ruth, Nevada, in 1923. 

Growing up during the Great Depression, Ginni, who now lives in the Memory Care neighborhood at Arbor Terrace Naperville, learned never to waste anything, and she carried that lesson with her throughout her life. 

Her father worked as a steam shovel operator, loading ore from copper pits onto train cars. During the school year, he sent Ginni and her brothers and sister with their mother to Los Angeles so that they could get an education and learn social skills. Ginni sang and tap-danced on stage in Los Angeles. 

Ginni’s childhood next-door neighbor Arne eventually became her husband. He was an American Airlines pilot, and they were together until Arne’s death in 2014. 

They had two daughters together, and Ginni’s career was as a homemaker and mother. Soon after her husband’s death, Ginni moved to Naperville to be closer to her family. She came to Arbor Terrace in 2018. 

She attributes her longevity to “sunshine; exercise; eating meat, veggies and dairy; and walking a lot.”