North Haven resident Anne DellaValle recently celebrated her 98th birthday and proudly proclaims she hasn’t been to the doctors in 30 years.

At that very last doctors visit all those years ago her doctor told her, “you’re fine, you don’t need any medication,” and Anne’s taken that quite literally only consuming a daily dose of baby aspirin for minor aches and pains.

Coming from a large family of nine kids, Anne attributes her longevity to good genes. Her mom lived well into her 90s, her brother reached age 93, and her older sister is currently 100 years old.

Anne also has her own secrets to long life, starting with surrounding yourself with good friends and “letting things go.”

Anne, who for many years sang along with friends in the chorus at the North Haven Senior Center, explains, “I just let things go by. I never really squabbled with my siblings when I was young, and now I really don’t let things bother me. Life is too short.”

Life, says Anne was also much simpler back when she grew up and a lot less crowded. Driving by the old family farm now, Anne says the area “is much more built up with houses.”

Happily married to her husband John for 24 years until his death in 1983, Anne (née Kopylec) describes initially meeting her future husband on her family’s North Haven farm when she was just five years old.

“He came up [to the farm] with his father on a horse and wagon,” recalls Anne, smiling.

John, being eight years older than Anne, used to visit the family farm with his dad and spent his time there with her father.

Anne lost track of John until she was about 19 or 20 when she randomly bumped into him.

“I helped with chores around the farm as a kid,” says Anne, but “I soon moved into convalescent work and bumped into him” after work one day.

“I was walking by, and he was standing at the corner looking much bigger than the last time I saw him. He looks at me and says, ‘Hi farmer,’” Anne recalls with a laugh.

Soon after they started dating, and the rest was history.

“I never really dated until John. I was very serious, working and helping my dad [who only had one arm] on the farm, especially through tough times when the farm wasn’t doing so well, but together the family coped.”

Helping has always come naturally to Anne and the giving continues to this day with Anne crocheting afghan blankets and lap throws which she gives to the senior center that they in turn donate to local hospice centers and the hospital.

Anne says she works on them daily and donates “about five, every other week.” Always keeping busy, Anne is also currently crocheting some doilies for her niece’s upcoming wedding.

Looking forward to the holidays, Anne, who was a long-time singer at local Saint Stevens Church, says she now in return receives a yearly holiday musical visit from the troop, to which she is looking forward this holiday season.

To nominate a Person of the Week, contact Jaki Lauper at j.lauper@shorepublishing.com.