The Wal-Mart worker

Oldest workers Wade
  • Name: Loren Wade
  • Age: 102

At 102 years old, Loren Wade is one of the oldest workers in the country.

For the past 30 years, he has worked at Wal-Mart's Winfield, Kansas store. Currently, he works 32 hours a week as an associate in the lawn and garden department, doing everything from stocking the shelves and running the cash register to helping customers pick out flowers for their garden.

"He's so good with customers," said store manager Tonya Villar. "They actually seek him out."

A former mail carrier, Wade gave retirement a try in the early 1980s but deemed it "pretty boring."

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He and his wife of 67 years live mostly off his Social Security benefits and his small Postal Service pension, but he says the paychecks from Wal-Mart "come in handy, too." "I can buy things that I couldn't buy off of Social Security, like ice cream and to go out to eat once in a while," he said.

But it's not all work. He and his wife have visited almost every state in the U.S. and he played the saxophone and other instruments in a local band for nearly 80 years.

Wade says he plans to work as long as he can. Although he admits: "These 50 pound bags of dog food are getting pretty heavy," he said.

First published October 1, 2014: 7:38 AM ET

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