Happy 100th!

Family celebration for centenarian

Marge Clifton welcomed 100 years of life surrounded by loved ones with a lobster tail lunch and an ice cream birthday cake.

The birthday girl has been a resident of Tamarac ever since she moved from Riverton, New Jersey, in the 1970s with her late husband, Daniel Clifton.

They had been together for over 50 years, with many generations following. The couple had 3 children, Lois, Dan, and Stephen, and now have a total of five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. The youngest of the family is only a few weeks old.

“Gram is an awesome grandmother to us three girls, she’s been a wonderful mother to our mom, Lois, and she adores the great-grandkids and has been a huge part of all of our lives,” said Laurie Dix, one of Clifton’s granddaughters. “We’re so blessed to have her, never imagining we’d be celebrating her 100th birthday.”

Clifton is now residing at an assisted living facility called Harbor Chase in Tamarac. Dix said she has been dealing with effects of Alzheimer’s disease for several years. She still loves to look at pictures of the family, even if she sometimes has difficulty registering the connection with the younger generations.

“Even now when she is so forgetful, she always manages to remember what a wonderful life she has been blessed with and remembers how wonderful her kids have been, how precious her grandkids are and how blessed she is to have shared lots with her greatgrandkids,” Dix said.

The centennial birthday girl happily celebrated with her family and the staff at Harbor Chase, treated to a meal of lobster tails, salad, carrots, and cornbread, as well as an apricot dessert.

“We love her so much,” said Dix. “It was a beautiful day for all.”

junreyes@sun-sentinel. com