With winter on the wane, Montana officials begin anew their search for citizens who have seen nearly one hundred springs or more.

Brian LaMoure, aging conference coordinator with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services, put out a call for names of centenarians to honor in May at the annual Montana Governor’s Conference on Aging.

To qualify, a senior must attain the age of 100 or older by the end of 2010. Centenarians become guests of honor at luncheons at three conference locations across the state.

LaMoure said the festivities take place on the first day of the gatherings scheduled for May 10-11 in Polson (KwaTaqNuk Resort), May 11-12 in Lewistown and May 12-13 in Miles City.

Even if centenarians can’t make it to a conference luncheon, the governor sends them a certificate and places them on the honor role of Montana’s most seasoned citizens.

To submit a centenarian name, gather the following information along with a good (not Polaroid) photo:

•Name and address.

•Date and place of birth. If the senior is not born in Montana, provide the story of how he or she got to Montana.

•What is the secret to his or her longevity?

•What does the senior consider the most amazing event of his or her life?

•Provide a favorite quote and any other information of interest.

•Note whether he or she will attend the lunch.

Send the information to blamoure@mt.gov or mail the information to LaMoure’s attention at P.O. Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604.

Although the Flathead has several citizens 100 or older, the list from the 2009 conferences included no one from here. The oldest man on the list was Walter Breuning of Great Falls, who was listed as 112.

Three 105-year-old Montanans made the list last year: Chris Lund and Margaret Grennon of Glasgow and Gladys Morrison of Missoula.

In 2008, Blanche Seccombe of Lakeview Care Center in Bigfork, 106 at the time, was the second oldest listed and the oldest person to attend the luncheon. 

Seccombe, now 108, was featured in the Inter Lake just prior to her 104th birthday when she lived in a house next door to her daughter Evelyn Dahlin. At that time, she cooked her own breakfast, usually her favorite longevity food — bacon.

She still loves hand-beading and reading what she called “trash” novels by authors like Danielle Steel. Dahlin said her mother continues to make bead pictures but has had to move up a few sizes from the tiny seed beads she stitched at 104.

According to LaMoure, demographic projections foresee many more centenarians joining Seccombe in Montana in future years.

“It’s estimated by 2025 we’ll have over 3,000,” he said.

LaMoure said this represents one of the largest forecasts of all the states. He speculates that the beautiful environment attracts more and more people to retire to Montana.

Because of those projections, this year’s conference, “Aging Smart in Big Sky Country,” focuses on the coming senior tsunami of baby boomers.

“We’ve got some wonderful presenters discussing what’s happening in aging,” he said.

A tentative agenda for the first day of all three conferences has sessions on fraud, mortgages and reverse mortgages, health care and health care fraud and more.

LaMoure said that the state tries to keep the cost low to make the conference affordable. In 2009, the state initiated the three conferences around Montana instead of just one event in Helena.

“We ended up getting 550 people attending the conferences and they loved it,” LaMoure said.

Earlier senior conferences with a single location attracted about 175 people. For more information about the conference or the centenarian search, contact LaMoure, at (406) 444-7782 or check the Web site www.aging.mt.gov and click the conference button.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.