Fit for a King
Community helps Angels Camp man celebrate 104th birthday
When someone reaches the age of 104, a parade is in order, and that is exactly what occurred for King Mcpherson at Foothill Village Senior Living in Angels Camp on Wednesday.
Members of the retirement center, Angels-murphys Rotary Club, Mcpherson’s family and the community at large turned out Wednesday to celebrate his 104th birthday with a safe, socially distanced drive-by parade amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
At 1:30 p.m., a slew of classic cars, including three Model A’s, belonging to Mike Benapfl, of Murphys, and driven by volunteers from the Angels-murphys Rotary Club, led a procession up the hill and drove past Mcpherson, who sat in a lawn chair decked out in St. Patrick’s Day green near the entrance to Foothill Village.
The classic cars were followed by more friends in vehicles who waved and shouted out birthday greetings to Mcpherson, followed up by patrol cars from the Calaveras County Sheriff Office and the Angels Camp police and fire departments.
Mcpherson grinned ear to ear as live music by the Jim Bob Duo played in the background and members of Foothill Village rang miniature cowbells and blew party noisemakers.
Why so much love from the community? Sergeant-atarms King Mcpherson dedicated his whole life to helping out, as his record with
the Rotary Club is a testament to. He was recently honored for his perfect attendance over his 78 years in the club.
Tammy Beilstein, the 202021 president of the Angelsmurphys Rotary Club, said that Mcpherson still climbed the stairs at the Murphys Hotel to attend their meetings every Thursday prior to the COVID shutdown.
Beilstein said that her family was in the mortuary business and Mcpherson, a retired mortician, and she had a bond.
“He was like a grandfather to me,” she said, adding that he has been one of the most remarkable men in her life. “We are best friends.”
Beilstein said Mcpherson told her once that being in Rotary and meeting people that are “doers” kept him alive. She also remembered he once said, “Ice cream and black licorice.”
When questioned about the secret to his longevity, Mcpherson said he wasn’t sure, but his daughter Kathie Giove, of Shell Beach, piped up, “He doesn’t ever worry. One other time he was asked that question, he told the person it was because he ate ice cream every night.”
Stephanie Okolo, director of marketing at Foothill Village, said that Mcpherson was a “sweet part of the community” and they were lucky to have him there. She added that they gave him a big party when he turned 103-and-a-half, with a similar COVID safe set-up. His friends were masked and drove up to give him gifts.
Jim Bailey, another friend of Mcpherson’s from the club, said, “If I live to be 100, I want to be like him.”
As a member of Rotary, he’s got the helping part down, but he’d be off to a good start if he picked up a carton of ice cream on his way home.