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Eight elders over age 100 gather for birthday celebration in Chicago

November 23, 2015
A nursing home near Chicago held a joint birthday party for eight elders over age 100. (Korea Times Chicago)

A nursing home near Chicago held a joint birthday party for eight elders over age 100. (Korea Times Chicago)

By The Korea Times Chicago staff

A nursing home near Chicago was perhaps host to the oldest birthday party around last Friday when it invited eight Korean elders 100 years and older for a joint celebration.

Niles Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is comprised of 280 seniors, 140 of them Korean.

The elders celebrating Friday were: Kim Eul-sook, 105; Kang Chang-il, 104; Lee Cha-dong, 103; Ahn Soon-bok, 102; Hong Mong-sil, 100; Hwangbo Ki-yeol, 100; Kim Sook-ryang, 100; and Lee Ae-kyung, 100.

The eight elders, all female, spent the day watching performances by both their families and by the students of the Mayfair Music School, who sang the popular Korean trot song “What About My Age?”

“I thank God for giving us the chance to have such a happy time and am thankful to everyone who celebrated with us,” Kang said.

“The grandmothers we celebrated today are all kind women who continue to share neighborly love,” said Cho Hyun-sook, of the center’s Korean department. “Because we think that living over 100 years is a huge blessing, we opened this joint birthday party in the month of giving thanks.”