AUBURN — Ernestine Sleeper, one of the longest living-people in the Twin Cities, celebrated her 106th birthday Sunday at Clover Health Care living center, where she currently resides.
Five generations of Sleeper’s family came out to see the birthday girl, and her grandson, Chip Boyd, said it was his first time seeing many of them in a long while.
“Everyone’s spread out around different towns,” he said.
Sleeper was ecstatic about having so much family present at the same time. She is a happy and relatively healthy woman who is still able to get around using a walker.
According to Boyd, Sleeper was driving until 98 and worked at the family greenhouse until 101. “At 91, she helped me shingle my roof, climbing up the ladder too!” he said.
Family and friends from all over the area came out to the party, and Sleeper wore a smile the entire time. She was presented with snapshots of her life to kick the celebration off, followed by catching up with all of the people who came to see her.
Sleeper hasn’t had an easy life, either. Her husband suffered from Parkinson’s disease, so she was taking care of him for a long time. She also worked at a shoe factory. Some days she couldn’t get a ride and walked from Norway to Mechanic Falls, all to support herself and her family.
Sleeper has lived at Clover Manor for two years, but this was her third birthday party there. Her family is very happy with how the retirement center worked out.
“You hear horror stories about these kinds of places, but this has been great,” Boyd said. “I have no complaints. They’ve treated her real nice.”
Three of Sleeper’s family members work at Clover Manor, and the whole Clover community pitched in to put together her birthday party. Shelley Sawer, the unit leader where Sleeper lives, headed the planning.
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