Happy 100th Birthday, Mrs. Smith!

Claire Smith’s family will be gathering on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the biggest of all milestone birthdays: She’s turning 100.

Smith has been a Verona resident since 1955, when she and her husband bought their first–and only–house on Linden Avenue. She worked for Prudential and Chrill Services, and was a Girl Scout leader. Both she and her husband were very active parishioners at Our Lady of the Lake church, and Smith served in the Rosary Society and Catholic Daughters. She also volunteered for 20 years at the Willing Hearts thrift shop in Caldwell.

“Nothing surprises her,” says her daughter Marian Lemke. “She takes everything day by day in stride. She loves seeing her three children, six grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren grow up and flourish. She can’t believe she is 100!”