PLATTSBURGH — John Noel, who turned 106 last October, said there's no exact formula for living a long, healthy life.

"It just happens. It's just one of those things," he said.

Noel is one of six centenarians who live at Meadowbrook Healthcare.

They and their relatives attribute many things to their longevity.

While Noel doesn't have any specific advice on how to live as long as he has, he can still recall many memories from his full life.

"I worked on IBM machines and for a wholesale liquor company for 25 years," he said.

When he was in his 30s, Noel was drafted and served in the U.S. Army.

"I was pretty old for that, so they said. I was one of the older ones."

Millionaire MEMORIES

He recalled a remarkable experience he had while on his way back from a cross-country road trip.

"I went to California. It was (with) two other guys, and we went across the country. It was a fair. They used to have these world fairs," he explained. "And on the way back ... we stayed with millionaires."

Noel said the group discovered a problem with the front wheel of his car.

"They sent a car to pick us up, and they came with a Cadillac," he said. "That was an experience that you don't forget."

When the Olympics first came to Lake Placid in 1932, Noel was there.

"I liked everything about them," he said.

Leaving legacy

"Hard work did it," Linda Miller said of her 100-year-old mother-in-law, Jennie Miller.

Jennie stayed busy in her younger years taking care of her nine children and working at the former Woolworth's five-and-dime store in Plattsburgh, her son Richard Miller said.

"It was very important to go to church," Richard said of his mother's strong religious views. "She always had a rosary. Always."

Jennie has left quite a legacy with 29 grandchildren, 72 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren.

More than 100 friends and relatives attended her 100th birthday celebration in July.

HARD WORKER

Gerald Burns, who turned 100 in October, also said it's important to stay busy.

"Choose whatever you want to do and stay with it," he said.

Burns began working on a farm when he was 16. For 34 years, he worked at Georgia Pacific, and he continued working at a gas station for an additional 20 years after he retired.

He also worked at the Diamond Match Company and performed maintenance operations on trucks, he said.

"I always admired him for his willingness to work," said Danny Demaries, assistant director of activities at Meadowbrook, who knows Burns well. "He was not lazy. He always impressed me with his working record."

Now that he's no longer working, Burns has time to enjoy a couple hobbies. He likes to play cribbage and sing, he said.

"I keep busy."

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK

Dr. Marion Biesemeyer, who will turn 101 on Feb. 22, said keeping a good attitude can lengthen one's life.

"Think positive," she said.

Biesemeyer earned her degree in Germany, where she grew up during World War II. She practiced as a pediatrician in Paris when she was 27 and later moved to Keene Valley, where she lived for 60 years with her husband and three children.

She taught Latin in AuSable Forks in the 1950s, and in the '60s and '70s, she taught French at Keene Central School.

In addition to being optimistic, she said, staying close to family keeps one strong.

"My parents, they were always important to me," Biesemeyer said.

When she was younger, she enjoyed walks in the woods and painting among many other hobbies, her daughter Anne Bailey said.

UPBEAT ATTITUDE

Florence Botten, 100, is well-known for being a good cook. Her homemade rolls and stew were always loved, Kimberly Parker-Clowney, activity director at Meadowbrook, said.

"Flo's always been very quiet," Parker-Clowney said. "She's always very nice and was never one to complain."

Hilda Gioiosa, who turns 102 on Feb. 23, liked to go bowling and knit when she was younger, her niece Linda Liberty-Guimond said.

Gioiosa's advice for younger generations? "Stay all together."

Keep laughing

Life is easier when you can see the humor in it, said Burns, who has a smile that's contagious. And he has led by example.

He paused to think for a moment before offering life advice to younger generations. A good diet and plenty of sleep are important, he said.

But so is "drinking within reason," he laughed. "That stuff is pretty strong, you know."