HO_041819

18 | April 18, 2019 | the homer horizon life & arts
homerhorizon.com
Centenarians celebrated on 2019’s 100th day at Marian Village
Alex Ivanisevic
Assistant Editor
The 100th day of the
year called for a special
celebration of resident
centenarians at Marian
Village in Homer Glen.
The Catholic senior living
center, which is part of
the Franciscan Communities,
honored its residents
who have already turned
100 years old or will turn
100 this year with a luncheon
in one of the village’s
dining centers on
April 10, 2019’s 100th
day. This party was coordinated
by Elizabeth Pienta,
the village’s director of
pastoral care and mission
integration.
Invitations were sent to
about nine of the approximately
200 total residents
at Marian Village for the
luncheon. The special
lunch, which was in the
Harvest Room, followed
Marian Village’s monthly
birthday bash.
“We have that birthday
celebration one time per
month to celebrate who has
a birthday in that month,
but this is a bit more special,”
said Margaret Rogers,
Marian Village director
of sales and marketing.
Unlike the monthly
birthday bash, this is the
first time the village held
a birthday luncheon for
those who are over 100 or
will soon be turning 100
years old.
Of the nine residents
who were celebrated, five
were able to make it to
the luncheon: Rose Bujak,
who will be 101 in December;
Audrey Johnson, who
will turn 100 in September;
Ann Lundstrom, who
will turn 100 this month;
Rose Sweeney, who will
turn 100 in June; and Cecelia
Wcislo, who will turn
103 in November.
The ladies were treated
with a meatloaf lunch and a
special banana split dessert
served to them at a table
decorated with streamers,
and golden numbers 1-0-0
were brightly displayed.
The Harvest Room is a
part of the newly renovated
portion of Marian Village
which was unveiled in
mid-March. While sitting
at lunch, the residents commented
on the new dining
areas and how nicely they
enhanced their experiences.
Wcislo, who is the oldest
in the group, sat at the head
of the table and said she has
enjoyed the six years she
has lived at the village and
thought the renovations
were very nice.
Several members of
the Marian Village staff
stopped by the Harvest
Room to wish the group a
happy birthday during their
celebration. Just as the village
wellness nurse Mary
Ellen Ricker arrived to say
hello, Lundstrom jokingly
said, “She’s why we’ve
lived to be 100.”
Lundstrom, who is originally
from St. Joseph, Missouri,
has lived at Marian
Village for 12 years and
said living there has been
“absolutely wonderful.”
She will turn 100 on
Thursday, April 25, and
said her advice for living
a healthy life is to exercise
and “socializing is very
important.” She turned to
Pienta during the lunch
and said, “It’s very nice of
[Marian Village] to think of
us this way.”
“It is something to be
celebrated,” Pienta said.
RIGHT: Marian Village
centenarians Ann
Lundstrom (left) and Rose
Bujak were just a couple
of the residents treated to
a special luncheon in the
Harvest Room at Marian
Village on the 100th day of
the year.
Marian Village residents (left to right) Audrey Johnson, Rose Bujak, Ann Lundstrom, Rose Sweeney and Cecelia
Wcislo were honored as centenarians with a luncheon April 10, the 100th day of the year, at the Homer Glen senior
living center. Photos by Alex Ivanisevic/22nd Century Media