Elva Fry celebrates 100th birthday
North Fort Myers resident Elva Fry celebrated her 100th birthday not once, but twice, with many family members, neighbors and friends.
Daughter Shirley Carnley hosted the two celebrations, one on her mother’s actual birthday and another last weekend, with two big cakes.
Chocolate is her mother’s passion, and many guests brought sweets, along with flowers and cards that are all over the house.
The weekend party was a lot of fun, Carnley said.
“We had a huge group with tents and tables outside. My sister-in-law from Connecticut and her two sisters came into town for the birthday. We have four generations in the area – my mother, me, my daughter and grandson.
Fry’s granddaughter Barbara McClellan and fiance Joe Harm made most of the festive arrangements, said Carnley.
“We had a good old time, talking about her life.”
Several Red Hat friends dropped by as Fry was active in that organization.
Fry loves flowers, so those gifts were extra special. “She used to mow three acres of the family land and loved to work in the yard,” Carnley said.
Fry grew up in Harrisburg, PA and moved to Florida in 1955. Her husband Paul was in the restaurant business. “We all helped, including my mother, and we all learned to eat at off times,” said Carnley.
Other friends who wished her well on her birthday included those she knows from Hope Hospice, including Pastor Chuck Peale.