At Salem’s first Elderfest, Gene Derfler shares life lessons after 100th birthday

When Gene Derfler told the audience that he starts most mornings with 30 minutes on the treadmill and a climb up seven flights of stairs, he was met with gasps and applause from the audience. 

“I try to stay active because I know if you don’t keep moving, pretty soon you can’t move,” he said, to solemn nods from listeners at Salem’s inaugural Elderfest, held in the Loucks Auditorium.

Derfler had turned 100 years old…