On Monday, July 13, Helen Gage celebrated her 100th birthday with a wonderful lunch in the private dining room of Glen Arden surrounded by her family, including her two dedicated daughters and her youngest great granddaughter who is just 2 years old.
Helen was the oldest of five children; she is the only surviving member. In her early years of childhood, she grew up on a farm outside of Newburgh with no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Her father drove her to school in a horse drawn buggy. Helen’s nickname in high school was “Brick” as her bright red hair gave away her Irish heritage!
Helen can attribute her long life to many things—her love of dancing; the enjoyment she gets from a Manhattan, a draft beer, turkey dinners, and pizza; her true love of coffee ice cream; and, her favorite sayings that truly reflect her personality—“A busy mind is a happy mind” and “You made my day!” Helen can light up a room with her radiant smile and has the most distinctive and infectious laugh which is known far and wide across both Orange Lake and Glen Arden. She is the matriarch of her family and always put family first. She remains connected with her family through email and FaceTime.
Helen did have two notable celebrity encounters. She met Red Skeleton while on a trip to California; because of her red hair, “Brick” got invited to tour his movie set with him. She also met Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter while on a fly fishing trip to the Catskills with her husband. She and her husband did get an opportunity to sit and talk with the Carters.
ABOUT GLEN ARDEN
Glen Arden, the Hudson Valley’s premier Continuing Care Retirement Community, offers seniors 62 and older the perfect combination – independence with the assurance of quality health care, if it’s ever needed. Located in beautiful and historic Goshen, N.Y., Glen Arden offers housing choices for an active lifestyle and support services to help residents live comfortably and independently.