80 anos – Homem mais velho com síndrome de Down

County News/Thom Caya Bert “Junior” Holbrook shows a look of surprise at his 80th birthday party Sunday. Holbrook may be the world’s oldest living man with Down Syndrome.

By RUTH ANN HAGER

News Editor

WASECA — Bert Holbrook celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday and might just end up holding a Guinness World Record as the oldest living person with Down Syndrome.

In 1929, one year after the birth of a son to Bert and Lillian Holbrook of Waseca, people with Down Syndrome lived to an average age of 9 years, according to experts. Institutions were the norm and medical care was minimal.

But Bert Holbrook, Jr. was raised by his parents at home and helped them in the family’s meat and grocery store where he “socialized with everyone,” said Pat Foley, his nurse at Elm North, an intermediate care facility where he lives today.

For the next 60 years, Holbrook was a familiar face in Waseca.

“He knew everyone and had the run of the town,” Foley said.

She knows him as Bert but in the community people knew him as Junior.

Even today, Foley said, people who see him out about town call out to him, “Hey, Junior; how’s it going?”

In his youth, Junior was mildly developmentally disabled, she said, but with aging comes dementia.

Now, he is considered severely disabled, has a hearing loss, and doesn’t like his hearing aids.

At Elm North, Junior lives with seven female residents.

“He’s the king,” said Foley, who has worked with him for 18 years.

Foley remembers Junior from her employment at Lake Shore Nursing Home, when his mother was a resident and her son visited every week.

When she died in 1984, Junior went to live at Elm Homes. His only sister, Marian, lived in Indiana and there was no family in town.

“He became part of my family,” Foley said. “He’s special; he’s my buddy.”

Junior spent many Thanksgivings and Christmases with the Foley family, which included two daughters who also worked at Elm Homes.

In 2004, after his health deteriorated, Junior became wheelchair bound and moved to Elm North.

As an Elm North resident, he attends the senior center or Jobs Plus two days a week and, given the choice, he often chooses work over leisure, Foley said. Once a week he spends the day with Melissa Stoltz, who is his “favorite.”

Stoltz said a week after her grandfather passed away, Junior came to Elm North and she connected with him immediately.

On Fridays, the two go out to eat, feed the ducks or shop together.

“He’s a trouble maker,” Stoltz said with a grin. “Now he’s my favorite.”

By 2005 the age expectancy of a person with Down Syndrome had risen to 55 years because of home care or smaller facilities and better medical treatment.

When Foley heard that Peter Davison, the oldest man with Down Syndrome, according to Guinness World Records, died in December 2007 at age 68, she began to think that Junior may hold a longevity record.

“Bert’s older than that,” she thought and she started trying to figure it out.

First she talked with his sister, now 90 years old and still in Indiana, and her family and got their consent.

Then Foley tried to fax an application to Guinness, but after four days of “continually hitting the send button,” she gave up and mailed it.

It was forgotten over the winter when Junior was very ill but after he recovered, Foley continued with the project.

“As far as we know, he has the record,” she said.

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Last week, Foley received a message from Guinness asking for more paperwork … a birth certificate, a letter from a doctor verifying Junior’s diagnosis, a cover letter and a consent by his guardian. She will also send photos and newspaper clippings from his 80th birthday party.

She thinks they may have an answer from Guinness in six to eight weeks.

“He’ll love the attention it brings because he is very social,” Foley said about Junior.

“He’s just a cool guy,” she said, and she’s happy for the positive attention Junior’s birthday may bring to him.

“Bert, are you a sweetheart?” she teases.

“Sometimes,” Junior replies.

Ruth Ann Hager is at 507- 837-5446 or rhager@wasecacountynews.com.