Eden Prairie woman marks 100 years with family celebration

Esther Sweazey of Eden Prairie celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on Nov. 2. She is a resident of The Waters of Eden Prairie senior living community at 431 Prairie Center Drive.

Her son Robert praised his mother’s longevity: “She’s going to live until the Vikings win the Super Bowl – so, maybe another 20 years or so.” The crowd groaned with laughter.

Esther was born in Gilmore, Iowa, on Aug. 26, 1924. She was raised on a farm but says she loved the city. “I always said I’d never marry a farmer,” she admits. She met her husband, Benjamin, at a dance. She recalls: “I asked him, ‘Do you dance?’ and he answered, ‘Would you like to?’” Dancing was one of the couple’s favorite activities. “We liked square dancing, ballroom dancing, and round dancing. We even tried clogging,” Esther says.

Benjamin began his career in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

“We had rules in our house,” son John remembers. “But Mom loved to laugh with us.

Benjamin decided to go to college on the G.I. Bill. Esther helped him with his assignments. “He used to say, ‘I got the degree, but she did the work,’” Esther says with a smile.

“If there’s one word to describe our mother, I’d say ‘smart,’” says daughter Dianne Carlson. Robert concurs: “She made us think. When we were writing essays, she’d always ask, ‘Is there a better way to say this?’”

Esther used her intelligence in other ways, too. “She went back to work in 1965, after we were old enough to be on our own,” Dianne explains. Esther became a mortgage banker for U.S. Bank, retiring in 1986. Several of her former colleagues attended the celebration.

When asked the secret to longevity, Esther answers simply: “Stay active.” Although she no longer travels, she loves the game of bridge and plays often. She also loves watching Minnesota sports. Her three children, three of her four grandchildren (one is deceased), and her three great-granddaughters keep her engaged.

“I never expected to live to 100 because not too many people make it,” Esther says. The dozens of people attending her milestone celebration are certainly glad she did.