A century of life
Washington woman celebrates milestone birthday by bowling
Grace Friend was quite surprised when she arrived at the Alpine Bowling Alley Dec. for a night at the lanes.
The Washington resident turned 100 years old Dec. 19, and the following day members of her Friday Night Wheels League, friends and family held a surprise party for the new centenarian.
“This is a bunch of wonderful people,” Friend said as she sported a “Birthday Queen” sash. “It was a surprise.”
Person after person hugged Friend as she took in the celebration, saying she didn’t feel any older. One gentleman said “to 100 more” and that he wanted her autograph.
“These are all my boyfriends,” she said with a hearty laugh.
Friend’s picture flashed on the marquee outside, saying “Happy 100th birthday to one of our league bowlers, Grace!!”
Friend’s daughter, Gladys Paquet, admitted there was a little difficulty in pulling off the surprise.
“This is our yearly Christmas banquet,” Paquet said. “She thought she was coming down to the Christmas party. It was a little hard to keep it a secret. I let it out (Friday). I said, ‘I’m planning your birthday party,’ but she doesn’t hear everything,” she said.
Thankfully everything turned out just fine.
“Everybody was here, and we all yelled, surprise,” Paquet said.
Bowling has been a part of Friend’s life for more than 50 years. She is not only a member of the Wheels League, but also the Senior Citizen League. In her heyday, she sported some impressive numbers. She is a meritorious member of the Washington County Bowling Hall of Fame.
There is a certain characteristic about continuing to participate in the sport that Friend enjoys: “Being with people,” she said.
Friend still sports an impressive average of 94 for a woman who has reached the century mark. She uses a special 10-pound ball given to her by the owners of the bowling alley and sports the name “Mema.”
When Friend isn’t knocking down pins, she does enjoy watching television. One of her favorite shows is “Murder She Wrote,” starring Angela Lansbury.
While she may not have worked for a living, Friend was known to volunteer, including many years as a member of the Canton Township Volunteer Fire Company’s Auxiliary, running the kitchen during bingo. She also would cook food with her daughter when the firefighters were out on a call.
“When somebody needed me, I went,” Friend said.
She also is a long-time fan of the Steelers and the Pirates. She counts Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann and former pirate shortstop Jordy Mercer among her favorite athletes.
Friend currently lives in Washington with her son Ron in the apartment complex in which she has lived for about 25 years.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better mother,” Gladys Paquet said. “She supported all three of us kids (Ron, Gladys and John), always there for us.”
Friend’s grandson Ron played football and basketball at Trinity High School and football at Waynesburg University. She was a regular attendee at his sporting events.
“When her grandson was in sports, she went to every single game,” Paquet said. “She traveled all over with us.”
Traveling is something Friend has been able to do a lot in her life.
“My husband was in the Navy, and I used to go where he was,” she explained.
Friend said of all the places where her husband was stationed, they stayed the longest in Newport, R.I.
She said she met her husband while visiting Norfolk, Va.
“I was working in the bar, and he came in and sat down,” Friend recalled. “Before I left I said ‘Stay here, you’re taking me home.’ I got off work at 9:30 and he was standing there waiting for me.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Friend has been a widow for many years as her husband Ron died in 1981 at the age of 59 after the two were married for more than 30 years.
She joked that having “three bad kids” was a key to her living a long life.
Paquet said her mother always said the secret to her longevity was “smoking cigarettes and eating chocolate.”
“After each game she goes in and has a cigarette,” Paquet said of her mother.
But Friend’s serious answer to the question is a little different. She thanks God that she’s still able to knock down pins with those she loves.