Five centenarians celebrate birthdays

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A birthday party was held for five people, all more than 100 yeas old. Pictured here, in the front row, Hattie Schenck, 103, with her son. In the second row, Harriet Drake, 101, and her son, next to Nancy Martin, 102. Behind them, from left are West Orange Town Historian Joseph Fagan, Carrie Deed, director of recreation, Mayor Susan McCartney, Golde Bondy, licensed nursing home administrator, and Gian Paul Falla, director of admissions at Stratford.

The Stratford Manor Rehabilitation and Care Center hosted a birthday for five centenarians on July 26.

The facility located on Northfield Avenue in West Orange held a birthday celebration that paid homage to residents with a combined total of over 500 years of longevity.

West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney presented each of the five centenarians with certificates recognizing their birthdays as fellow residents, family members, and staff honored them with applause in a packed room.

Music and dancing added to the festive occasion highlighted by the cutting of a birthday cake. The oldest of the group was Hattie Schenck, born Oct. 22, 1919; followed by Nancy Martin born July 27, 1921; Carolyn Beverly born June 25, 1922; Harriet Drake born July 23, 1922; and Marie Jerome Pierre, born Feb. 7, 1923.

It was estimated by the Population Division of the United Nations that nearly 90,000 centenarians were living in the United States in 2021.

Current year data is not available but at least five of them now live in West Orange. Population statistics also indicate that the nation’s population is growing older with more people living to age 100 in recent decades. Greater awareness of healthy living habits is credited with the trend towards living longer.

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