ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (August 22, 2024) — Living to 100 years old is a milestone as rare as it is incredible. Last week, Friendship Manor held a “Centennial Celebration” to honor thirteen residents who met — or exceeded — this milestone in 2024, making five percent of the Rock Island retirement community’s resident population centenarians.
“Five percent may not seem like a big number, but 100 sure is, and in that context, you start to understand that this is something pretty special,” Friendship Manor President and CEO Ted Pappas said.
For comparison’s sake, people 100 and older make up just 0.03 percent of the overall US population, according to the Pew Research Center. To have such a high percentage of centenarians in one population is pretty rare, retirement community or otherwise.
Aileen Day, one of the centenarians Friendship Manor honored last week, turned 105 on January 5 this year. She was born into a family of musicians in Rock Island in 1919. Day started playing piano at six years old and continued until several years ago, when arthritis no longer allowed it. She helped establish the Friendship Manor Resident Choir, which she still sings in today.
Day credits her longevity to her positive attitude, her drive to help others, and her lifelong passion for music.
“It is all in the rhythm and tune,” Day said. “Don’t dally your life away without music!”
For the Centennial Celebration, Day and her centenarian cohort shared a special lunch with Pappas and relished in a reception with family and friends later in the afternoon.
“It’s such an honor and privilege to know these centenarians from our Greatest Generation,” Pappas said. “Henry Diedrich, who’s 103, told me not only was he involved in the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was there when the photographer took that iconic photograph of a group of Marines hoisting up the American flag toward the end of the battle! I’m guessing Henry is one of the few if not the only one still alive from that day. Truly amazing.”
In addition to Day and Diedrich, Friendship Manor centenarians include Emma Foley and Margie Nagel — 100 this year; Dean Anderson, Thelma Egeberg, Barb Muffley and Mauritia Theus — 101; Julia Kinney, Mercedes Monson and Paul Sivill — 102; Henry Diedrich, Mildred Lenaghan and June Piff — 103.
