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Horse and buggy ride makes wish a reality

By Times Staff
Published February 28, 2005

Rosemarie and Voris McWhirter, Marion and Alton LaBrecque

Alice Malan Arcera of Palm Harbor recently expressed her heart's desire to members of the staff at Arden Courts Manor Care Assisted Living Facility, her home for the past five years. She told them that she would like to ride a horse again, just like she had when she was a kid.

So on Jan. 29, to celebrate Mrs. Arcera's 100th birthday, the staff made sure that her wish came true - at least partially. Her milestone day started with a limousine ride to Quantum Leap Farms (a therapeutic horse-riding farm in Odessa), and although horseback riding was not possible, the centenarian was treated to a leisurely horse and buggy ride. Reliving childhood memories of growing up on her family's farm in North Dakota, the 100-year-old called the experience "delightful."

Shortly after she was born on Jan. 27, 1905, in Cook County Hospital, Chicago, she moved with her family to a small farm outside Oaks, N.D., which was her home for the next 25 years. Her father was Ernest Malan, a wagon wheel maker and farmer, and her mother was Henriette. Both parents were originally from Italy but had spent many years in France before immigrating to Chicago. She had two younger sisters, Emma and Linda, both now deceased.

Not inclined to rush into marriage, she waited until the age of 33. On Nov. 19, 1938, she wed Rocco Arcera in Chicago and the couple had one daughter, Henrietta Stillwell, who still lives in Chicago. They were married 61 years when Mr. Arcera died in 1999.

Mrs. Arcera worked many years as a pediatric nurse and a nurse educator, retiring in 1970 as an industrial nurse at General Electric's Hot Point Plant in Chicago.

Showing her hearty farm girl strength, Mrs. Arcera continued to shovel snow well into her 90s before she moved to Florida.

Mrs. Arcera was an avid amateur photographer and artist and the first in her family to graduate from college. Always active in her church, she taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.

She has two living grandsons, Ted Stillwell of Palm Harbor, and Tom Stillwell, Chicago, and three great-grandchildren, Abigail and Timothy Stillwell, both of Palm Harbor, and Miranda Alice Stillwell, Chicago.

A woman who has based her life decisions on Christian principles, she maintains that her philosophy is to live a life that honors God.

Marion and Alton LaBrecque of Clearwater celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a brunch at Clearwater Beach Hotel hosted by their children and attended by many friends and out-of-state family. They were married Jan. 29, 1940, in Rumford, Maine.

They came here in 1986 from Randolph, Mass. He is a retired electrician and she is a homemaker. They have four daughters, Patricia McMorrow, Stuart; Carole Whynot, Falmouth, Mass.; Mary Ellen Hicks, Quinlan, Texas; and Bonnie Driscoll, Marstons Mills, Mass.; a son, Alton, Quinlan; 11 grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

They are members of Light of Christ Catholic Church, Clearwater, and active in various organizations at On Top of the World, including the 18th Hole Men's Golf League and the 9th Hole Ladies League, of which they are both past presidents, and the New York/New Jersey, Columbia Club and Entertainment Committee.

* * *

Rosemarie and Voris McWhirter of Clearwater celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary with a party for family and friends at Kally K's. They met at a beach when he was stationed with the Air Force at Fort Slocum in New Rochelle, N.Y., and were married Jan. 29, 1950, at St. Anthony's Church in Yonkers, New York.

They came here in 1998 from Bloomington, Ind., where he worked for Otis Elevator and retired from Indiana University as a building operator engineer. He is an Air Force veteran. She worked as a home health aide and was a volunteer for Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.

They have six children, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They are members of All Saints Catholic Church, Clearwater.

The Pinellas County Commission recently recognized the Heritage Village Conservation Committee for being chosen the Florida Association of Museums Volunteer of the Year. Representing the group earlier this month at the commission meeting was Betty Heath, the longest standing member of the committee.

On hand to accept the award in December at the annual FAM luncheon in Orlando, was the entire committee: Heath, Mabel Wilcox, Mona Rohrbough, Beth Kaiser, Jean Lowe, Jody Stanley and Anne Gerkin, along with Heritage Village staff members Jan Luth, museum director, and Alison Giesen, curator of collections.

The Conservation Committee of volunteering have for more than 27 years supported the operations of Heritage Village, a 21-acre living history museum in Largo sponsored by the Pinellas County Historical Society in cooperation with Pinellas government. In 1978, the committee organized the first Country Jubilee Festival, which has become the museum's primary annual fundraiser.

For information or anniversary form, call 727 445-4109. To submit an item to Good for You, write to Betsy Bolger-Paulet, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756, send fax to (727) 445-4119 or e-mail to paulet@sptimes.com

[Last modified February 28, 2005, 01:04:17]