Helping Marie Rahill, seated at right, celebrate her 106th birthday are family members, from left, seated: daughters Katie Ayers of Beaumont and Audrey Lyons of Noxen. Standing are great-great-granddaughters Willa Meyers, 11 and Winter Meyers, 15; granddaughter Karen Riker of Tunkhannock; daughter-in-law and son Patricia and Daniel Klein of Evans Falls; and great-granddaughter Crystal Meyers of Tunkhannock.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Five generations of Marie Rahill’s family gathered at The Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday afternoon to help The Meadows’ oldest resident celebrate her 106th birthday.
Marie wore a pink straw hat for the occasion and held a baby doll that her great-great-granddaughters, 11-year-old Willa Meyers and her 15-year-old sister, Winter Meyers, from Tunkhannock, had brought her.
The gift of a doll was Willa’s idea, and it proved to be a hit.
Staff at The Meadows served cake and ice cream to several dozen residents, and an accordionist entertained, playing and singing such songs as “Tennessee Waltz,” “Blue Skirt Waltz,” “God Bless America,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
“She always liked music and dancing,” granddaughter Karen Riker of Tunkhannock said, noting her grandmother especially enjoyed polkas and square dancing.
In recent years, she has enjoyed watching videos of her great-great-granddaughters in dance competitions, Winter Meyers said.
And there was a time, decades ago, when the family matriarch often had a camera in her hands, taking pictures of special events, Riker said.
Family members who attended the celebration at the Meadows included her daughters Katie Ayers of Beaumont and Audrey Lyons of Noxen, son Daniel “I’m her favorite” Klein and daughter-in-law Patricia Klein of Evans Falls; granddaughter Karen Riker of Tunkhannock, great-granddaughter Crystal Meyers of Tunkhannock and Crystal Meyers’ daughters, Willa and Winter.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.