Roger White presents Rumford Community Home resident Myrtle Milledge with a personalized New England Patriots jersey sent by the NFL team’s owner and president. The number represents her age as of Dec. 26, 2021. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
RUMFORD — Myrtle Milledge, known locally as the “world’s oldest Patriots fan,” was surprised Wednesday morning with a personalized New England Patriots jersey sent from team officials in recognition of her 106th birthday Dec. 26, 2021.
With family in attendance at the Rumford Community Home, Roger White of Rumford presented her with the jersey printed with her last name and age.
White organized Patriot Super Bowl parades in Rumford in 2017 and 2019, with Milledge as the grand marshal for the latter.
In December, a couple weeks before her birthday, he contacted “a guy I know that has a great connection with the Patriots” and asked if he could possibly get the Pats to send the oldest living Patriot fan a birthday card.
On Monday, the birthday card arrived at White’s residence, along with the jersey .
“It blew me away,” White said. “I never expected them to do that. It just shows you how classy an organization they are. Even if they just threw a card in there, she would have been happy.”
When he asked her if she liked the gift, she said loudly, “Yeah.”
“Next year, they’ll have to get you another one!” he told her.
The typed letter from the Patriots wished Milledge well on her milestone birthday and was signed by team owner Robert K. Kraft and team President Jonathan A. Kraft with the handwritten words, “We are all Patriots.”
Myrtle Milledge, 106, and known locally as the “world’s oldest Patriots fan,” was the grand marshal of New England Patriots Super Bowl parade in Rumford in May 2019. Rumford Falls Times file photo
White has insisted since 2019 that Milledge is the world’s oldest Patriots’ fan. While he doesn’t have proof of that, he counters with, “Until you can prove me wrong, she’s it!”
Her sons John and Robert Milledge, daughter in-law Jolene and granddaughter Lynn LeClair all attended the presentation.
They said for many years she always watched the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox.
As a legal resident of Mexico, she has been that town’s Boston Post Cane holder since she turned 100.
Following the presentation, LeClair said, “I just wanted to make sure Roger White gets a big thank you from the Milledge family for his efforts in making this happen. Wouldn’t have happened without him!”
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