Friday, March 1, 2013

Living 100 years anywhere is a celebration


Pacifica Tribune/Jean Bartlett, Correspondent, 2/26/13.  "Longtime Pacifican celebrates banner 100th year birthday."

You don't look a day over 80, Dorothea
""My birthday party was wonderful," she said of the event that was held at the Pacifica Community Center. "We had over 100 people, which included Mayor Len Stone and Supervisor Don Horsley.

"We decided if we sold our War bonds and pooled all our money together, we could buy a lot," Dorothea said. "We had bought a pre-cut, pre-numbered model home that we had to put together ourselves. We looked around and found the lot in Pacifica in 1948. We paid $960 for it and I have been here since." The area was known then as Edgemar. The family's post office was Sharp Park. There were four families, including the Simpsons, building on Monterey Road back then. They became lifelong friends.

"Pacific Manor was maybe a total of three or four streets. Up above us there were artichoke fields and right over the hill was a dairy farm. There was a pay phone at the corner, several blocks away. We were the first ones with a phone and anybody who needed to make a call came to our house." Schools were being built, and students were being moved around. .."  ...."We really had a wonderful life," Dorothea said, adding that her husband had a lot of charisma. "And while I don't get around like I used to, I keep my mind active."  Read article.  Note:  The photograph of Dorthea Haines Simpson in her home was also taken by Jean Bartlett.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The mayor can make this party but can not make a city council meeting.

Wonderful. I wonder if Mayor Len can make the vote for bankruptcy?

Anonymous said...

Does it make you feel better that Mooch Obama took the time to call up this elder and wish her a happy birthday?

Kathy Meeh said...

Good interview and 100 year celebration article by Jean Bartlett! Even the pictures are good. The article reminds me of some of the human interest articles that Jane Northrop occasionally writes.

Living to 100 is still rare. Answers says "1 in 3,300 people live to be 100 years old." In a population the size of Pacifica (37,000 - 39,000), maybe 11 or 12. (For world information see, Wikipedia Centenarian statistics.)

What was important about the 2/25/13 city council meeting (Anon 7:42 AM)? Answer clue: NOTHING.

President Obama and past presidents and their families all sent LETTERS produced by their official offices (no phone calls). But hopefully Anon 9:26 AM, you will receive one of these LETTERS too. Here's the article text:

"The LETTERS began arriving in Dorothea Haines Simpson's mailbox shortly before Feb. 14. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wrote, "Dear Dorothea, we wish you the very best on this momentous occasion. You have witnessed great milestones in our Nation's history and your life represents an important part of the American story..."

Dorothea also received greetings from former U.S. Presidents and their wives — George W. and Laura Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. She heard from all five San Mateo County Supervisors — Don Horsley, Dave Pine, Carole Groom, Adrienne Tissier and Warren Slocum, along with personal notes from U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Governor Jerry Brown, Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, and former Congressman Pete McCloskey and his wife Helen. She also heard from someone she has "always been especially a fan of" — Congresswoman Jackie Speier. "I am honored and humbled to congratulate you on this momentous occasion," Rep. Speier's LETTER begins."

Anonymous said...

926 wrote, not called. i think mrs. haines enjoyed it which is all that matters.

Anonymous said...

Mooch Obama took us off the fiscal cliff today.

Anonymous said...

12:00, you're wrong as usual. Congress is accountable for this one.

Anonymous said...

Mooch Obama.....................
had to be a post by an idiot Tea Party member.
Everything they know they hear on FOX.

Anonymous said...

The tea party has done far less damage then the mooch Obama.

Kathy Meeh said...

"The tea party has done far less damage.." Anonymous 3:27 PM

No your "tea party" is serving-up obstruction and idiocy. And even on this celebration of a local centenarian, here you are tone deaf.


Anonymous said...

maybe if we had a president with experience we would not be in this mess. He can't even tolerate answering questions from the White Press Corp and had to back off of all of his doom and gloom talk, since sequestration was his idea and he signed it, and admit little to no harm will be felt by the majority of americans. But, Mooch goes to aspen and obama goes to florida gay country with Love. Who does that? The two spent enough taxpayers money on their separate vacations to fund 341 fed employees. And don't forget poor "just shoot off a shotgun" VP Biden complaining about not being able to fly a jet to and from delaware. What is going on? You democrats need your heads examined. SMH.