Felicidades and many happy returns to Elsie Sherburn who celebrated her 100th birthday last Friday at a lively celebration hosted by her daughter Linda and husband John Betz at the El Parque club house.
Neighbors, friends and nine family members who flew in from Quebec were on hand for the birthday shindig that was wrapped into the El Parque condo residents’ regular Friday happy hour gathering. The birthday girl and the crowd of well-wishers enjoyed cocktails, a lasagna dinner with a giant birthday cake for dessert, live musical entertainment and twilight dancing to golden oldies from the 50’s and 60’s spun by a DJ.
Party decorations included balloons, glitter and posters filled with hand-written messages from loved ones and scrapbook photos capturing special moments throughout Elsie’s long life. The display included personalized birthday greetings sent by Justin P.J. Trudeau, member of parliament for the riding of Papineau, Canadian Governor General David Lloyd Johnston, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Elsie was born in Toronto, Ontario September 20, 1913. She grew up in her mother’s native England before returning to Canada at age 15. She spent most of her adult life in Montreal, Quebec where she and her husband Ray raised three children.
Widowed in 1990 just three months before her 50th wedding anniversary, Elsie then moved back to Ontario. She lived with Linda and John for eight years before the couple decided to retire to Mexico. She opted to accompany them rather than stay and live out her days in a retirement home.
The spirited centenarian has happily adjusted to life at lakeside since settling here last summer. She has kept busy by joining two knitting clubs. She was recently honored at the Corazon del Anciano home in Jocotepec for the 15 shoulder shawls she made as gifts for elderly women residing there, all junior her age.
“I tell people back in Canada how much I appreciate the kindness of the Mexican people. They treat you like they’ve known you forever and can’t do enough for you. I haven’t learned Spanish yet, but I’m not going to worry about that,” she observes.