“Centenarians are the new middle age!” joked Rev. David Kegler during a party thrown to celebrate five women who celebrated birthdays over 100 years old this year, including a 104-year-old.
The party at Simpson House, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) that sits right across from Fairmount Park, was held Monday — National Centenarian Day — and honored residents Vivian Lanier, Catherine Roberta Edwards, Edwina Hild, Helena Allen, and Mary Brown, for not only living long enough to mark 100 or more birthdays, but for being such beloved members of their Philly and Simpson House communities for decades.
“Because we’re a CCRC, a lot of our residents age in place. Some of the ladies actually moved in for independent living, then went to personal care, then went to our skilled community. Continuing care is key,” explained Director of Resident Services Maureen Dixon. “We get to know them when they’re younger and sprier and moving around. We know what they’re like, we know what they love and what they’re passionate about. We get to know the families. Edwina has been here for 22 years!”
Kegler counts himself as part of that community, too, since he grew up visiting his grandmother at Simpson House long before he became the community’s chaplain.
“It’s just so much fun learning. All you have to do is sit for five minutes and one of these centenarians is gonna say something so wise, beautiful, lovely, righteous, gorgeous, that I have to praise God,” he said.
“Everybody thinks they know who’s gonna be there at the end. They think they know. You never know,” he added. “It’s gonna be somebody who may not even be your family by blood. But they’re gonna be someone who loves you.”
The importance of faith and family
For 100-year-old Mary Brown, that support network and her faith are part of what she believes has contributed to her longevity.
“Kindness, and my faith, has helped me a lot. I’m a true believer and I do have faith. I’m thankful for each day. You have to be positive. I had very serious illnesses, but I got through it. I’m a breast cancer survivor, I had brain surgery, I had a stroke,” she said. “I’m a survivor.”
Brown also notes her daily routine includes “a lot of phone calls,” cryptograms, and watercolor painting. “That keeps my mental thing going. I love the puzzles,” she said.
Born in 1925 in Union, South Carolina, Brown has devoted her life to family, church, community and friends. She was an active volunteer with the Walnut Hill Community Association and a member of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church choir for over 50 years. She worked in the Veterans Administration and retired after 30 years of service, in 1986.
Today, she still does her own income taxes and paints watercolor birthday cards for friends, many of whom are in their 90s. She is thinking of expanding into watercolor greeting cards. She also loves cooking, and while not preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners anymore, still does a little cooking herself in her room, particularly breakfast foods like pancakes.
She learned to drive at age 40 and helped care for her husband and mother, who died at the age of 106.
“A lot of old people get pushed aside and get taken for granted,” Brown said, wearing a sparkly tiara gifted to her during her March birthday party. “We are so fortunate, my fellow centenarians, to have a place where staff think enough about us to put on this show. I got so popular since I turned 100!”
Brown’s great niece, Linda Earland, described growing up with her aunt and watching her battle cancer as “inspiring.”
“I think it’s so important for family members to give back to the older generation. Because there’s such a wealth of knowledge and they’re able to share some of their wisdom, not only living life, but also spiritually, as well,” Earland said. “She’s very strong in her faith and very encouraging to all my kids and for us to pursue higher education. Despite her challenges of being in a wheelchair, she’s always so inspiring to all of us.”
‘She sings along’
When Bertha Bellamy and Mary Harrison visit their Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister — Simpson House centenarian, teacher, caterer and World War II welder Catherine Roberta Edwards — they “play all her favorite church spirituals.”
“She still remembers our sorority songs and our hymn, and she sings along,” Bellamy said.
“She was very active when she first got here in 2007,” added Harrison. “She was an ambassador here, she was always helping people, she could go out, she could shop. We had to look for her! To see her transition from that to now and still be happy, joyful? It’s a blessing. At 102!”
Some of the life lessons the two have learned from their friend “Kitty from the city” are her 4 L’s — Look, Listen, Learn and Love — and “to never give up, that we can always do things.”
“She never gave us the opportunity to say ‘we can’t,’” Harrison said. “She said we can always find a way to get it done.”
The post Philly centenarians share lessons, and memories, at Simpson House celebration appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY.
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