Quality of life in late adulthood is a function of physical, emotional, and intellectual health, and maintenance of functional ability is central to sustaining independent living. Generational differences in health behaviors and health care may result in differences in how functional ability changes with age. Twenty assessments of functional ability were collected as part of the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging from twins aged 50–88 at the first wave. Participants completed up to 9 assessments covering a 26-year period. Factor analysis was used to create 3 factors: flexibility, fine motor skills, and balance. Individuals born 1900–1924 (N=441) were compared with individuals born 1925–1948 (N=418). Latent growth curve modeling indicated accelerating changes with age for all 3 factors in both cohorts, but difficulties in motor function increased at a significantly slower pace in the later born cohort. Education was added to the LGCM as an indicator of socio-economic conditions: lower education (elementary school) vs. higher education. Sixty-nine percent of the earlier born cohort and 50% of the later born cohort had only elementary school education. Adding education to the LGCM had no impact on rates of change in the early born cohort. In the later born cohort, however, individuals with less education had the same aging trajectories as the earlier born cohort. That is, only later born individuals with higher educational achievement showed the slower rate of aging of functional abilities. Results demonstrate the SES distinction in the impact of health improvements over the 20th century.