Seniors celebrate birthdays together

By BETSY BOLGER-PAULET

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2000

Six Safety Harbor senior citizens celebrated at a group birthday party Friday at First Presbyterian Church of Safety Harbor hosted by Safety Harbor Neighborly Senior Services.

Their ages ranged from 90 to 101. Each received flowers, and they shared a birthday cake.

Betty Meyer, the oldest, was born Dec. 8, 1898, in Boffenfa, Hungary, a small village near Budapest. She still sees, hears and walks like a youngster and has been visiting the Neighborly Senior Services Center virtually every day since July 24, 1987.

She knits and crochets for her church, the NSS Center and Granny's Attic fundraisers. She likes to fish in the small lake behind her home, eat at restaurants and play bingo and pinochle.

It took three parties to mark her birthday in 1998, when she turned 100. More than 100 relatives came from all over the country to help celebrate.

Alvina Zukowski, who turned 92 on Jan. 17, has been coming to the center since May 27, 1997. She likes to play her harmonica while riding the bus and likes to sing and play piano, especially old German songs. She also likes to play dominos and to keep up on current events.

Ralph Hummel, a newcomer at the Safety Harbor NSS center, was the only man older than 90 to be honored at the party. He joined the group Aug. 8 with his wife, Helen, and was a volunteer for more than 10 years for Neighborly Senior Services.

Phyllis Stewart celebrated her 92nd birthday July 26. She joins the seniors at the center twice a week when able, likes to participate in all holiday events and loves to dress for the occasion.

Hattie Hebb, the youngest of the group, turned 90 on Sept. 21. She joined the Safety Harbor NSS center in May 1999 and comes every day with her sister, Ann Sammons. She likes the meals served at the center. Geladine Dunn, who turned 91 on Jan. 24, has been coming to the center every day since Sept. 17, 1997. She loves sing-alongs and playing bingo.

Anniversary

The Rev. Pearl and the Rev. Ken Luff of Clearwater recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children, grandchildren and other family members and friends in Hickory, N.C. They were married Sept. 9, 1950, by the Rev. Irving H. Meier in Neptune, N.J.

He is originally from Everett, Mass., and she is from Staten Island, N.Y. She graduated from the Metropolitan Bible College in New York City, and he graduated from the New England Bible College, Framingham, Mass.

They pastored Assembly of God churches in New York, Maine and Rhode Island before coming to Florida in 1965. They moved to Clearwater after they retired from serving churches in DeLand, Venice, Fla., Naples, Fla., and Okeechobee. She was church organist, music director and Sunday school teacher. They also conducted a religious radio program.

They have five sons, Tom, Kennesaw, Ga., Jim, Daytona Beach, Bill, Hickory, N.C., Ken Jr., Venice, Fla., and Doug, Sarasota; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

- To submit an item to Good for You, write to Betsy Bolger-Paulet, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756, or call (727) 445-4176 Monday or Tuesday.

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