![Elsie Cassidy (center, in wheelchair) cuts the cake during a celebration for her 105 birthday.](https://www.mcknights.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2021/12/Screen-Shot-2021-12-08-at-5.43.11-PM-300x275.jpg)
This time the milestone birthday came with a gift from the party celebrant herself: sage advice.
Staff members at a New York nursing home recently celebrated a century-plus of life for one of their favorite residents.
Elsie Cassidy, born Nov. 18, 1916, recently observed her 105th birthday at the Hamlet Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Nesconset, NY, with a party attended by family and staff.
Cassidy, who was born in the Bronx, was the oldest of four children and worked as a manicurist as an adult. She was married for more than 55 years to her husband, Walter, until his death in 2004.
In 2016, she moved into a NY assisted living facility before transferring to Hamlet three years ago. There she spends most of her time “relaxing, watching television and participating in programs and activities,” according to the staff.
“The community is thrilled to be a part of her monumental 105th birthday celebration,” Hamlet staff members said of Cassidy in a statement. “Elsie, her family and the Hamlet team [were] all extremely excited to celebrate her special birthday.”
During the celebration, staffers asked the honoree the secret to a long life.
“Having no children and no stress,” she replied simply.
Thanks for the advice, Elsie, and happy birthday!