Mother’s Day celebration for her 100th birthday
Frances “Frankie” Caviness Layland has traveled the world, written a book and raised three children but on Tuesday she’ll do something she’s never done before. In fact, she’ll do something that very few people ever do. She will celebrate her 100th birthday.
“The whole world has changed but I don’t feel any older,” said the centenarian.
To mark this special occasion her family and church, Chico Seventh-day Adventist, will be hosting a drive-by celebration today from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the church, 1877 Hooker Oak Avenue. The church is across the street from Layland’s home and was built on property she and her husband, the late Dr. Calvin Layland, donated to the Seventh-day Adventists.
“Nana is a legend. People are coming from all over the country
to celebrate her. Throughout the day we expect 100 to 200 people including the Chico Fire Department, will drive through to wish her happy birthday,” said Nikki Farris, Layland’s granddaughter.
Born in Indianola, Iowa
on May 11, 1921, Layland married her husband, Dr. Calvin Layland in 1940. The couple raised their children in Chico where Dr. Layland founded the Mangrove Medical Group. According to his obituary in the EnterpriseRecord, Layland served in the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, and then moved to Chico. He was in private practice until retiring in 1980. He died in 1998.
Folks around town may know Dr. Layland from the statue of him sitting on a bench in front of the CARD Center on Vallombrosa Avenue.
“People love to sit on the bench next to him and to decorate him up with hats and silly things. At Christmas someone almost always puts a Santa hat on his statue,” said Farris.
The Laylands traveled
all over the continental US, Alaska, South America, Panama and around the world for fun and as missionaries often serving in conflict areas of Africa, Asia, Russia, Israel, Taiwan and Thailand.
Layland wrote journals documenting all their travels and experiences and published an autobiographical book, “Frankie’s Story,” based on her life.
Layland said it was the people she met traveling that had the “most profound influence” on her life. Ferris said that her grandparents were so dedicated to the people they met and served while traveling that they helped “nearly 20” young people from all over the world attend school in their home countries or here in the United States.
“There are so many people who call her ‘Nana.’ She and my grandfather helped put so many individuals through school and made them part of our family that we have ‘family’ to this day all over the world,” said Ferris.
Layland loved to snow and water ski, bike, hike, golf and play tennis. Up until just a few years ago she was a member of In Motion Fitness where she regularly worked out.
She is also a “pillar” in her church where she served as a greeter for Sabbath services
for many, many years, said Ferris.
“Up until recently she would spend her Saturday afternoons visiting the ‘elderly’ and shut in’s — never even thinking that she was the elderly,” said Ferris.
Layland attributes her longevity to “living the way I did. I ate certain things, did certain things and had
a very healthy lifestyle — no smoking, no alcohol and, we didn’t miss it at all. We just got along in life beautifully.”
Layland’s eldest child, daughter Kathleen Baker, said of her mother, “She has a strong faith and feels like she knows where she came from, why she is here and where she is going. She has a lot of peace.”