November 22, 2009

By Bethany Woo, Tri-City Herald staff writer

RICHLAND -- For 97-year-old Herschel Crose of Richland, the secret to staying young is how you live, what you eat and most importantly, reading.

Once a week Crose visits Badger Elementary School in Richland to spend a half-hour reading with a boy 89 years his junior.

"It's fun to meet Herschel and fun to read with him," said Riley Johansen, Crose's 8-year-old reading partner at Badger. "(Reading) is very fun and it makes you smarter."

Crose launched a program eight years ago to connect community reading volunteers with kids needing extra reading time.

"I belong to Kiwanis and think it's important for younger people to learn how to read, so I have organized a group in Kiwanis that reads with different elementary schools in Richland," he said. "I've been reading ever since then and will continue as long as I'm able."

Crose's program, Volunteer Reading, has five volunteers at Badger Mountain Elementary, three at Lewis and Clark Elementary School and four at Marcus Whitman Elementary School.

Badger Mountain Principal Gail Ledbetter is a fan of Crose's ongoing pursuit of educating her students.

"A lot of times, as people age, they don't have that connection with kids anymore, and he's choosing to stay connected. And he sees what great citizens our kids are and for a person that old to say, 'I believe in kids,' that's pretty cool," she said.

Crose, born in Colorado on Oct. 18, 1912, moved to Richland in 1944 and worked in the 100 areas at Hanford.

About 10 years ago, he began volunteering at Eastgate Elementary School in Kennewick. Two years later, he joined the Kiwanis Club of Richland and began seeking volunteers interested in reading to children in Richland schools.

"After about one week, I could see the value in this," he said. "Then I got to thinking, if there's a problem here, there's got to be problems in Richland schools."

The Badger REACH program, which works with about 30 students, coordinates with Crose's program, pairing volunteers with students who either need more reading time or someone to connect with for 30 minutes each week.

Staci Kump, chairwoman of the REACH program, said Crose has been working with Badger for five years. "He not only comes and helps, but he's a big help in recruiting more readers. It's been very helpful having him," she said.

Crose said his sessions consist of taking the student to a little desk in the hall where the student will read from a book the teacher has picked out.

"If the student has problems pronunciating or with timing, I will help them along," he said. "Reading is probably one of the most important studies -- if you can't read, you can't do anything."

Ledbetter appreciates his attitude: "It really makes a big difference to those kids who are paired with a reading tutor. They really look forward to that reading session each week. It has a great impact on our kids, not just with helping them with their reading skills, but also with that one-on-one connection that a kid can make to another caring and concerned adult in their life," she said.

Crose impresses many with his agility, sharp wit and cheerful personality.

Aside from volunteering at schools, Crose, a widower since 2003, volunteers four hours each Friday at CREHST museum, giving tours about life in Richland in the early '40s, and is an active member at Southside Church in Richland. He walks a mile every morning before breakfast and frequently refers to The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren for inspiration.

"He inspires us because of his age, attitude, memory; he's just very loving and giving," said Kelly Glaser, a secretary at Badger Mountain. "He's a wonderful person for the kids to emulate."

His daughter Judy Snowhite, 69, of Richland, said her father jokes that his short-term goal is to reach the age of 100 and that he will set his long-term goal after reaching that one.

Volunteering is another secret to Crose's staying young.

"It's a very rewarding effort," he said. "I recommend everyone who has time to spare, volunteer their time. These young kids will be our leaders one day. One of the objectives of Kiwanis is to see the needs of the children are taken care of. This is an ideal place for this to take place."