Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Today is Eric H. Fagerstrom's 100th birthday. He was born Oct. 9, 1905, in Karlskona, Sweden, to parents Hjalmar and Laura Fagerstrom. He emigrated to Chicago in 1923 and began to work for Paragon Tool and Die Casting Co.
He married Frieda Johanson in August 1935. They had no children.
During the war, Eric made molds for tools, some of which were required in order to produce the walkie-talkies for the Army Signal Corps. He also made parts for the Rolls Royce airplane engines.
After he retired from Paragon in 1972, he began to spend his winters in St. Petersburg and summers in the north woods of St. Germain, Wis. Frieda died Oct. 2, 1982.
He married Nadine Kennison on April 5, 1984. Since then, they have continued to summer in Wisconsin and are members of both the Sayner (Wisconsin) Country Club as well as the Bardmoor Country Club. Eric is an avid bridge, poker and pinochle player.
He has three stepchildren and two nieces.
Silas Simmons will celebrate his 110th birthday on Oct. 14. He was born in 1895 in Philadelphia to Eugene and Amy (Goldsburg) Simmons and grew up in a time when some streets of Philadelphia were unpaved and street "improvement" was accomplished by means of ashes dropped from a horse-drawn wagon.
He married Mamie Smith in Philadelphia. They were married for 28 years and had five children.
He then married Rebecca Jones in New Jersey. They were married 40 years.
He worked with munitions during World Wars I and II in Pennsylvania. He retired from Rosenbaum Department Store, Plainfield, N.J., in 1970.
Mr. Simmons has four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
He played baseball with the Blue Ribbons in his younger days. He's proud of his connection with the Negro Baseball League. He remains a fan of baseball and recently was seen at a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game wearing his Negro Baseball League cap, a gift from a friend and fellow baseball fan. He watches most of the games he can't attend on television. He is also a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and, because he follows them on both television and in the newspaper, not only knows the statistics on the most recent of their games but also is anxious to discuss them.
He has belonged to St. Augustine's Episcopal Church since moving to St. Petersburg in 1971.
Anyone who knows Mr. Simmons, when asked for a list of his personal characteristics, would likely list kindness first. He notices and cares for those around him. If he happens to notice someone more frail than he going outside to catch the bus or a taxi, he will likely be the one to stay with them until he knows they are safe. He finds joy in all things. He enjoys the people around him, good food, good music and is quick to laugh, as he is quick to share the joy he has managed to accumulate throughout his lifetime.
We think that living 100 years is worth our taking notice. If you or a family member is about to celebrate a 100th birthday or more, please let us know. Include the following information: the person's full name, date of birth, place of birth, parents' names (including mother's maiden name) if known, name of spouse (if applicable), marriage date, names of children and number of grandchildren (if applicable), length of time the person has lived in this area and a phone number in case we have questions. Also, please include a photo that doesn't need to be returned. We'll publish the information as close to the birthday as possible. Send the information to 100-year Birthdays, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121 or fax to (727) 893-8675.