TAMPA – Honorees Amanda Page and Lizzie Adkins marked their 100th birthday milestone with their Progress Village family.
What we know:
The senior center, located on Progress Boulevard in Tampa, is for seniors ages 50 and up. Progress Village offers a variety of activities, events, and resources for its seniors.
Today, leaders of this organization hosted a centenarian celebration for two of its members.
To honor seniors Amanda Page and Lizzie Adkins, the center organized birthday festivities. These included musical performances by Progress Village’s choir and instrumentalist. There was also a presentation highlighting the lives of each woman. The celebration concluded with the singing of Happy Birthday for the 100th time in each of their lives.
The backstory:
As some can imagine, Amanda Page and Lizzie Adkins have experienced a lot in their lifetime.
Both women were born in Mississippi in 1925.
Lizzie graduated from a Georgia high school. Later in life, she married Fred Adkins in 1950, and they were together until he died in 1988.
Lizzie was president of the Usher Board at First Baptist Church of Progress Village.
Amanda’s father was a corporal in World War 1 and served in France. Amanda moved to Memphis after graduating from high school. There she met her husband, Sutton E. Page.
Amanda then went on to Cortez W. Peters Business College in Chicago. She later landed a job with the U.S. Treasury Department as a clerk typist, typing over 800 checks daily. After she retired in 1988, she moved to Tampa, and has been here ever since.
Big picture view:
During her birthday celebration, Amanda was able to reflect on her life; what she thinks of all the changes in this world and what keeps her going.
Amanda explains, “I think about all the technology, the computers and everything else that has happened up until this time, because when I came along there was nothing much. Everything was done manually and now everything is electric.”
Amanda also offered wisdom to her peers. Amanda said, “First put God ahead of your life and always look to him. Always acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. Another thing is to love yourself and, if you love yourself, you will take care of yourself. If you love others, that love will come back to you.”
The Source: This information came from interviews done at Progress Village by Fox 13 staff.