Born in Marion, North Dakota, Esther Gehrs is celebrating her 104th birthday on November 7, 2016, in Naperville, her hometown for the last 30 years.
To honor her long life, last week a group of neighbors from Cress Creek Condos took her to dinner at Walker’s Charhouse in Naperville Plaza, a special tribute they held for Esther’s 102nd and 103rd birthdays, too.
The group of fun-loving women also invited Mayor Steve Chirico who arrived with a letter of birthday wishes to honor the 30-year Naperville resident and her most recent milestone.
After introductions, Esther and the mayor shared their experiences and pleasures with the results of the Cubs’ victory in the 2016 World Series.
“Did you stay up until the end?” asked the mayor.
“Of course, I did,” said Esther.
Married to a minister and living in Duluth, Minnesota, the parents of four children—Dorothy, Arthur, Carol and Robert—came to Naperville to be closer to her son, Bob, who served as a dean at Naperville North High School at the time, Esther explained.
Her husband died many years ago and today she shares her condo with her great-grandson.
She also boasts 13 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
All five generations were together recently, she said, noting she had attended a wedding in Duluth where she’d traveled by car, plane and train to get there.
PHOTO GALLERY / Esther’s 104th Birthday Celebration. Click any photo to enlarge.
[shareprints gallery_id=”66660″ gallery_type=”squares” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”small” image_padding=”2″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” comments=”false” sharing=”true”]Her friends are in awe of Esther’s energy. One by one, the buzz around the table included talk about her vibrant and independent spirit, her love for baking, her special plum dumplings and that she “still does most everything for herself.”
“The hardest thing is figuring out what day it is… and keeping all my appointments straight,” Esther added.
She was amused when her friends teased in unison, “Cats love Esther.”
She added that she used to collect dolls (“hundreds and hundreds, all sizes, girl dolls and boy dolls”) and enjoys shopping, especially at Good Will.
She’s pleased to possess some of her stepmother’s clothing, noting her mother died when she was six years old.
Esther never drove a car, but for many years her travels on a motorized scooter, with a big flying flag, provided transportation to and from her home to her son-in-law’s, the grocery store and drug store or where ever she needed to go. In 2007, 95-year-old Esther was featured in a Naperville Sun story on her little scooter.
“My children think driving my scooter is too dangerous now,” Esther said last week. “They don’t think it’s a good idea for me to use it anymore, so it’s parked in the garage.”
Esther attributes her good health and longevity to “eating everything and enjoying everything and being thankful for every day… and being thankful I can be with all my friends.”
The faithful woman attends Bethany Lutheran Church where she’s one of two women who always wears a hat, she noted.
Above / Friends found plenty for which to applaud during Esther Gehrs’ birthday dinner celebrating her first 104 years.
Esther’s friends told story after story of how she’s ready the go anytime she’s asked.
“If anyone mentions shopping, Esther gets her walker and says, ‘I’ll go get my purse and be right back.’” said her friend Sandi Mueller. “And she’s still a darn good cook… neighbors will verify this since she shares whatever she cooks.”
Walker’s dining room was warmed with something magical as Esther reminisced with her adoring friends.
When asked what she wanted for her 104th birthday, Esther was quick to reply.
“Having all of my friends around me… just like this… each one of them is real precious.”
