In a world of fleeting tweets and disappearing snaps, one North Dakota centenarian has mastered the art of turning daily moments into lifelong memories — one cursive letter at a time.
For Evie Riski, a spry 100-year-old whose bedtime ritual involves penning her day’s adventures into a diary, it’s a practice she’s upheld without fail for nearly 90 years. From farm chores to family milestones, her cedar chest brims with over 30,000 entries — and she’s not slowing down yet.
Riski’s journey began with a simple gift from her father: a diary to continue his tradition of chronicling life in their small hometown. Just a week before her 11th birthday, she scribbled her first entry about grandparents visiting and a cousin’s morning stroll. “Grandma’s were at our place. Clarence walked from Aunt Alma’s this morning,” she wrote in 1936, launching a habit that would outlast typewriters, televisions, and even text messages.
The five-year diary that Evie Riski’s father gave her 90 years ago. The top notation was her first entry. Photo by Michelle Locken
Through weddings, births, and the loss of her husband Donald in 2010, Riski’s diaries have been her steadfast companions. “I never write in print letters — it’s always in cursive,” Riski said, emphasizing her preference for the pretty script. Even hospital stays couldn’t disrupt her rhythm. “I wrote on scrap paper then and transferred it to the diary when I got home,” she said with a chuckle. “There was really no excuse for me not to write in it.”
Her dedication left an indelible mark on her family. Daughter Michelle Locken, 59, recalled childhood nights watching her mother scribble at the kitchen table. “Even with three kids born during a four-year period, she kept it up,” Locken said. Inspired, she began her own journal two decades ago, though she initially preferred bike rides to bedtime entries.
Today, when it’s all about pushing your thumbs to text, it’s nice to sit down and write and reflect in cursive,” Locken said. “It’s become a lost art.”
Beyond nostalgia, Riski’s volumes are a family oracle. Disputes over birthdays or blizzards? “All they have to do is look through her diaries,” Locken said.
Now thriving at the Good Samaritan Society — Prairie Rose, Riski charms neighbors with tales of bingo victories and coffee klatches, all dutifully logged. Administrator Anna Halvorson admires her zest: “Evie has found a way to memorialize her life, page by page,” Halvorson said.
Evie Riski stores her diaries in a cedar chest in her independent living apartment. Photo by Michelle Locken
Riski’s life mirrors North Dakota’s evolution — from horse-drawn chores to modern comforts. “I can tell you exactly when we got electricity,” she said. “It was 1944. I sure did enjoy that.” Her advice? Marry at 29. “Live your life and have some fun first,” she said. “Of course, nobody ever listens.”
This year, her 100th birthday doubled as a celebration with great-granddaughter Mila, who was born the same day. While Mila hasn’t yet embraced journaling, Riski remains optimistic. Studies, after all, promote journaling’s perks, from easing stress to preserving perspective.
“It doesn’t take much time every day, and it’s just a wonderful habit to get into,” Riski said. “Ninety years is a long time, but I’m happy that I did it.”
Watch below for a fun look at one of the oldest diaries found in history.
Source: Washington Post
