Eleanor Galant Celebrates her 99th At Orchard View Community Ed

 

99 Years.  It's a long time.  Imagine what one life has seen in that time?  99 years ago whas the end of production of the Ford Model T.  The "Horseless Carriage" had changed the way we travel.  A fun fact about the Model T?  Customers could have any color they wanted, as long as it was black.  The cost and durability of the paint was the reason according to Henry Ford.  99 years ago was also the time that Eleanore Galant made her entry into the world, and her friends at Orchard View Community Ed wanted to honor her birthday with a little visit.

Could Eleanor have been helping supply parts for one of those Model T's?  She worked her entire life, and that the advice she's got for the younger crowd.  Work hard, be honest and live clean.  She's also quick to boast about her job being "right out there with the men".  In the earlier years, it wasn't so common for women to have roles outside the home let alone a 'mans job" but as time went by and wars bega, men were gone and it was up to the women to jump into their roles and take care of business.  A life long fan of polka music from her heritage, there's also still quite a spark in her eye about knowing how to have a good time.  

The group honoring Eleanore has invited us out before.  Orchard View Community Education and the Muskegon County Senior Millage work in tandem to help provide activities for our senior community like this bingo game and luncheon.  The seniors all pitch in and bring a dish to pass while the space and staff are assisted by some funding from the Senior Millage.  The importance of this is that it helps relieve the isolation and also helps focus on the proper nutrition of the seniors.  Their lunch is a group effort, but they are also sent home with a meal for the evenig or the next day.  On the occasion of the birthday, the buffet included a wide variety of everything from wings and salads to deserts and a special cake of course, and the to go meals were good old all American hamburgers!  Congregate meals are so important for our older population to connect, check on one another and to prevent linlieness and depression.  The group at Orchard View is vibrant, fun and as we've visited over the years, they keep coming back.  They must be doing something right.

Activities like the bingo game and lunch at Orchard View supported by the Muskegon Counnty Senior Millage are so very representative of what our community is all about.  It's a remarkable group.  It's a remarkable program and it's also our duty to help support the activities that the Senior Millage supports.  These are our parents and grand parents.  We kind of owe it to them.

Stick around until the end of the video.  Watch the smooth moves of the host of the show as the final wish for a Happy BD is given to a lady with an incredible spirit, incredible story and remarkable journey to look back on.