An Australian woman who will turn 100 in three months says there are two key secrets to a long and happy life: an open minded attitude and a keen interest in other people.
Lorraine Kaemphel, 99, is a Coffs Harbour legend and soon to be freshly minted member of the centenarian club.
The grandmother of ten and great grandmother of 18 spoke to FEMAIL ahead of her big day about love, health, diet secrets and her enduring passion for tap dancing.
Ms Kaemphel, born in 1924 in Binnaway near Dubbo in NSW, was one of four siblings and is the last remaining. She has also survived two husbands.
Lorraine can clearly remember the death of Queen Mary, King George V’s widow, in 1953. She was 45 when man first landed on the moon in 1969.
Her radiant complexion is down to a simple routine of ‘soap and water’ and while she’s not against botox, she’s never had it done.
‘She can’t even see properly but she always looks beautifully put together,’ proud granddaughter Chantel Camilleri said.
When Lorraine attended Chantel’s wedding in 2004 she was the last remaining person on the dancefloor at 2am – earning her the moniker of ‘dancing nan’.
Lou Vacher, Chantel Camilleri and nana Lorraine Kaemphel – who was last off the dance floor at 2am at Chantel’s wedding – earning her the moniker of ‘dancing nan
Lorraine Kaemphel remembers all of her 99 years clearly – and can even recall being sick as a baby one Christmas (pictured at her 99th Birthday party)
The 99-year-old still gets up and does her make-up and hair every day, but she hasn’t washed or dried her own hair in years, preferring to leave that to the hairdresser.
‘I don’t drink or smoke, but I do get my hair done.’
The beloved mum has four daughters (the eldest is 80) and a close-knit extended family, some of whom live nearby – and who couldn’t be more proud of their ‘nana’.
‘I’m very blessed, I have four daughters who I love and they love me, the love of family is everything… loving family is important,’ she said.
She said her life philosophy is best summed up by something she heard on The Bold and The Beautiful the other day: ‘Ageing is a privilege not everyone gets to experience.’
The mother of four couldn’t be more proud of her daughters and all of their families who manage to stay close and get along well – popping in on their nana often
Lorraine says her first marriage to Ray Miller at the tender age of 18 was one of life’s mistakes.
‘I was too young, but it was during the war and everyone was getting married,’ she said.
But she still appreciates it for blessing her with three ‘lovely’ daughters.
She struck gold the second time around with Max Kaemphel, of German background, who unsuccessfully tried to get her to take up drinking alcohol. However, he did re-introduce her to a lifelong love of dancing.
‘I love it, the dancing. When I was seven or eight a lady came to town and she had two daughters about my age, and she was a tap dancing teacher,’ she said.
Lorraine took up dancing again in her 70s after having two lessons when she was eight
‘It was 10 cents a lesson and I had two lessons where I learnt to shuffle. Then the teacher left town – with someone else’s husband.’
It wasn’t until she was 70-years-old – long after her husband’s tragic death from a heart attack while he was standing in the backyard talking to her – that she decided it was the right time to put on her dancing shoes.
Lorraine is a regular feature at tap-dancing classes. She goes three times a week with a group of 16 other women.
Her teacher Julie Ross is inspired by Lorraine’s zest for life and always puts Lorraine in the second row so her failing eyesight doesn’t stop her from being able to follow the moves.
‘She still loves to dress up in our different themed costumes for our concerts ranging from Can Can, Irish Modern or Skeletons,’ she said.
Lorraine and her second husband loved to dance and go to balls – but he couldn’t convince her to take up drinking regularly
When her doctor was wheeling her in for triple bypass surgery at 76 he noticed that even while on a stretcher, Lorraine’s nimble dancing feet still were following steps to music only she could hear under the sheet.
The 99-year-old never imagined that she would live to such a long age when she was younger, and her longevity has a lot to do with diet, exercise and a lifelong interest in people.
‘In the summertime I live on salad,’ she said.
While she used to think that a salad was a slice of cold meat and a couple of slices of cucumber and tomato, her German husband introduced her to the delights of potato and pasta salads and she’s been experimenting with vegetables ever since.
‘I still like to do my own cooking, even though it sometimes worries my daughters,’ the great grandmother said.
She still speaks with sadness about the loss of her second husband after almost 30 years of marriage – and has great memories of their time together at dances and balls (pictured here in her mid 40’s)
Lorraine has never been partial to common vices, either.
‘I never had the inclination to drink or smoke, even though cigarettes were fashionable. I never liked the effect – I tried it but never got into it,’ she said.
Ms Kaemphel said that before taking up dancing she walked absolutely everywhere. When her eyesight wasn’t an issue, she also played a bit of casual tennis.
But it was on the suggestion of her hairdresser that she began receiving regular acupuncture treatments at the age of 85 – and she has kept it up ever since.
She swears by the ancient Chinese technique for helping her cope with osteoporosis and a triple heart bypass – and for enabling her to attend her dance classes.
Lorraine has several great grandchildren, Violet Vacher is following her in great nanas footsteps with a penchant for dance
But it’s a genuine interest in people that keeps her young at heart.
‘I don’t like gossip, but I love to talk and get to know people,’ she said.
‘I go to the hairdresser every Friday and I talk to everyone on the bus. Young people on mobile phones won’t look at you.’
Not one to miss an opportunity to connect, Lorraine called out one of her great granddaughter’s boyfriends for having his head in his phone when he came to visit.
She remembers all the details she learns about the people she strikes up conversations with, and will often astonish them with her incredible memory of everything they’ve discussed.
Ms Kaemphel was one of the lucky few to never have Covid and still lives in her own house in Toormina, where she has been for the last 27 years.
She laughs about how ridiculous the price of food and rent has become over the last few decades, and said there are too many changes in Australia to keep track of.
Her 100th birthday is fast approaching on November 12, with a huge celebration planned and family and friends flying in from all over the country.
Like any party girl about to celebrate she is on the hunt for the perfect outfit and has already planned a dance performance with her friends for her guests.
Ms Kaemphel, who still remembers having conjunctivitis as a baby one Christmas and has lived through several eras of history, said that she is still proud of Australia today.
But she did have one message for Aussies.
‘I just wish that everybody could love everybody, whatever colour skin, it doesn’t matter. Don’t get fixated on politics or religion,’ she said.
She said we need to remember to open ourselves up to people, to be more friendly and to even turn the news off at night when there’s a story we don’t need to hear.
The advice that Lorraine’s heart surgeon gave her probably best sums up her life and her message: ‘Keep dancing.’
And she’s proven you’re never too old to start.
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