Resident at Orchard celebrates 100th birthday

Sara Richardson says getting married at 19 one of her life’s highlights

Sara Richardson, a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, celebrated her 100th birthday today with staff and fellow residents. She will celebrate again Saturday with her family.

MEDINA – Sara Richardson never thought she’d live to be 100, but today at Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, she observed her centennial birthday with a beautifully decorated cake.

“This is a milestone not many of us will see,” said activities director Jamie Murphy.

Richardson was born March 10. 1923 in Eldred, Pa., one of three children. She recalls her parents’ names were Oscar and Lily. She married Morris Richardson when she was 19. He went in the service and she went to work in a steno pool.

After the couple moved to Olean they were part of Richardson’s Grocery, a store owned by Morris’s family for many years.

Sara was also a seamstress, making most of their clothes, including daughter Moreen’s wedding gown.

After moving to East Aurora, she was church secretary at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Sara said she was always a hard worker and her family always drank milk. Like her father, she said they didn’t drink alcohol.

She still has a good appetite and likes to watch TV. She attends coffee hour at the nursing home and enjoys church services and music.  She looks forward to seeing the treat cart come around and to one-on-one visits with her family.

She came to Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in October 2022 to be near her daughters, Joan who lives in Holley, and Moreen in Tonawanda.

She will have another celebration with her family on Saturday.

When asked what she considered the most exciting thing in her 100 years, she replied, “Getting married.”