MUHLENBERG TWP., Pa. — There are birthdays, and then there’s turning 100.
“Well, I guess I reached 100,” Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson said.
Robert Hutchinson, or Hutch, made it Wednesday. When asked if he had a secret to reaching the milestone, Hutch said he didn’t.
“No, I don’t have any secret on that. I just, it’s a wonder that I’ve made it this far,” Hutch said.
Hutch has packed plenty into those 100 years.
“Well, I got on tramp steamers, and I went all over the world, and it was a wonderful experience for me,” Hutch said.
Wednesday, family and friends filled his Muhlenberg Township home.
“We’re celebrating the 100th birthday of Robert Hutchinson, Jr. My father-in-law, he’s a real treasure in our family,” said his son-in-law, Mike Reinert.
Across Berks County, Hutch has company. The Area Agency on Aging also celebrated 23 centenarians.
“Optimists and pessimists die the same way. It depends on how they live,” said Arthur Fischman, who is 100 years old.
As for Hutch, after a century of traveling, family and faith, he’s thankful.
“Thank God for Jesus because somebody upstairs has been good to me and let me live the life I wanted to live,” Hutch said.