Reaching 100 years old is a major milestone, but for some people, it gets even better. Edith Moeller Schragl and Mary Margaret Gaynord turned 102 and 106, respectively, this month.

Mrs. Moeller Schragl was born on the South Side on Aug. 9, 1906, the eldest of Cecelia (Wehrle) and John L. Russman Sr.'s 10 children. Four of her siblings are living.

Edith Moeller Schragl, left, and Margaret Gaynord

In 1931, she married Nicholas W. Moeller and they had eight children: Ralph, Audrey, Sylvia Sperber, Nancy Schlereth, Ronald, Kenneth, Gary and Patricia, all living in the Pittsburgh area. A longtime resident of Carrick and Baldwin Borough, she was widowed at age 60, remarried seven years later to Alexander J. Schragl and was widowed again at age 76.

For many years, Mrs. Moeller Schragl was the pianist for a group of women who called themselves The Kitchen Band.

Until she was 99, this self-taught musician entertained at many senior citizen and nursing homes by playing the piano, accordion or one of several stringed instruments.

In March 2001, she was featured in Pitt magazine after she was a subject of an aging study by University of Pittsburgh researchers. Her children attribute her longevity to her love of music and her sense of humor. On Halloween, her favorite holiday, she often put together creative costumes.

When she was in her late 70s, she wore a majorette's dress, white marching boots and hat that her youngest daughter had worn in high school. Mrs. Moeller Schragl lives with two of her daughters in Collier and has 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Gaynord was born on Aug. 15, 1902, one of Frank and Julia Burns' six children. In 1927, she married Martin Gaynord in St. Agnes Church in Oakland and they had three children: Martin (deceased), Audrey Mellon of Greenfield and Margie La Gamba of Reserve.

Many years ago, she operated a comptometer, a predecessor of the adding machine, at Kaufmann's department store, Downtown. During World War II, when her husband went to work for Dravo Corp. to support the war effort, she took his job in an ink factory. When he died in 1970, she went to live with her daughter in Greenfield, becoming a regular at St. Rosalia's Masses and bingo games. She traveled to many countries with the Daughters of Erin.

Mrs. Gaynord has 16 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren still talk about going to Pirates games with this true baseball fan.

Now at the Vincentian de Marillac Nursing Home in Stanton Heights, Mrs. Gaynord goes to Mass daily, prays the Rosary and joins in festivities at the home. Six years ago, when she hit the century mark, she told Vincentian staffers:

"Now that I'm 100, no one's going to tell me what to do."

At age 106, she's still calling the shots.