Home Press Releases Worsley resident receives over 400 birthday cards to mark her 100th Christmas eve
A WORSLEY centenarian received over 400 birthday cards following an appeal to mark her milestone year.
Edna Shenton, who reached 100 years of age on Christmas eve, has opened 449 birthday cards after staff at the care home where she lives issued the appeal.
Staff at Alderwood Care Home had hoped to receive 100 cards to mark each year of Edna’s life but they more than quadrupled their target.
Edna also enjoyed three birthday parties; one at Dancing with Dementia at Swinton Palais, in Manchester, one with her family and another with friends at Alderwood Care Home, which included an entertainer.
Edna was born on the now gone Little Lane, off Crab Lane, Higher Blackley, Manchester, on 24th December 1919.
She later moved to Cecil Road, Blackley, when she started attending Harperhey High School for Girls.
After school, she held a number of jobs, before settling on an office role at a shirt manufacturer. While working there, she met her future husband, Jack Shenton.
Jack was a friend of Edna’s brother, also called Jack, as they served in the army together. After a blind date, Jack used his leave to see Edna and they eventually married at St Andrews Church, Blackley, with the reception at the Golden Lion Pub on 19th November 1938.
Following the wedding, Jack was posted to India shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. It was six years before he returned to England.
After the War, Edna and Jack purchased her childhood home, on Cecil Road, and eventually had three children.
The following years, Edna sold their house to buy a fish and chip shop. They sold again and moved to Chorlton to look after Jack’s mother and then to Middleton, where Edna eventually worked for Post Office Telephones, managing the engineers.
Edna’s son, Frank Shenton, followed in his mother’s footsteps and joined the company the Monday after her retirement on the previous Friday.
He said: “Little did I know then that I would work there many years and, eventually, I too retire. I just hope I get to receive as long a pension from them as she has over the years.”
Edna moved into Alderwood Care Home in October 2014, where she is visited regularly by family and friends.
Emma Willoughby, home manager at Alderwood Care Home, said: “The response to our appeal to see if we could get 100 birthday cards for Edna was fantastic – with almost 450 received.
“The community where we live is amazing. They were bringing in cards and gifts for the last few weeks and so many lovely people just came in to visit.
“Thank you so much to everyone that sent a card to make Edna’s birthday so special.”