Not many people get to celebrate their 100th birthday, so when Springside resident Anna Sommers approached this milestone, her neighbors and friends at the facility, as well as the staff, sprang into action.
Sommers marked the special birthday on September 30th ,which was declared “Anna Sommers Day†at Springside. A special dinner was planned and an enormous gift basket assembled. Since it isn’t a birthday without a cake, a large one with plenty to share with friends and family was ordered.
In an interview several days before her milestone birthday, Sommers said she was born on a farm in Rose, where her 93-year-old brother, William, still lives. At the time of her birth, the farm didn’t have either electricity or indoor plumbing. She recalled in 1928, at the age of 19, boarding a trolley that would take her to business college in Rochester. “The trolley went from Rochester to Syracuse and stopped in Clyde, which was about four and a half miles from the farm,†she said.
After her graduation, she went on to hold several secretarial positions in Rochester that included working at Walgreens, the former Sibley’s Department store, and the Rush Henrietta Central School District. She and her husband, Frank, had three boys, that in turn would have their own families. Today, the family includes nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and even two great-great-grandchildren.
In recent weeks, several family members have stopped at Springside to visit Sommers. “It’s hard to get a big family together today,†she said. “I’m very grateful they have come when they could. It’s always fun to see them.â€Â
Sommers seems to be taking her milestone birthday in stride. “You know there are 100,000 centenarians living in the United States?†she asks. “So, I say I’m just one of 100,000.†She later said, “I just have lived through the good times and the bad times and never dwelled on the bad times. Recently, I’ve been thinking I should be writing my life history.â€Â
More memories were created the weekend before her birthday when family members, some from faraway, gathered at Springside for a party.
Then several days later, Sommers celebrated with her Springside family enjoying her special dinner of choice; Hoffman hotdogs. Joining her at Springside for the celebration was her son, Glenn, of Palermo.
Oswego Healthcare system includes the Oswego Hospital, The Manor at Seneca Hill, a skilled nursing facility; Springside at Seneca Hill, a retirement living community; an urgent care center in Fulton, as well as health services centers in Mexico, Parish and now Phoenix. For more information, call (315) 349-5500 or visit oswegohealth.org.
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