100
Happy Birthday Bea!
Beatrice Swartley Barr was born in Brooklyn, NY, on October 7, 1924. In 1924, the United States had 48 states and Calvin Coolidge was President. That year, Native Americans were granted citizenship, and the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held. Gas cost 13 cents per gallon and Wheaties cereal was born. In 1924, Jimmy Carter, Henry Mancini and Gloria Vanderbilt were born. And that year, the fourth of five daughters and a son was born to Alice and Harry Swartley. The Swartleys moved their young family to Chalfont, PA in 1929, and in spite of the Depression they opened Swartley’s Sweet Shoppe on the ground floor of their Main St. home. The stairway of the home divided the house down the middle, with space for the family on the right and the shop on the left. The ice cream fountain sat in the bay window, with a place to enjoy lunch in the back. A windmill sat in the back yard, a favorite for the children to climb. After hours, local teens danced to the nickelodeon (jukebox) until curfew. The home and shop were places of great joy, but also the place of deep sorrow when Bea’s younger brother Harry died while serving in WWII. Harry’s Hometown Hero banner hangs on Main Street in Chalfont across from what was once the Swartley home and Sweet Shoppe.
Growing up in the community gathering place instilled in Bea the heart of a party host. Bea loves to say, “We are party people!” That distinction does not just define Bea’s childhood family, but also the family she raised. The Barr home, in the neighborhood across from St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Chalfont, has been the place of gathering for decades- card parties, family barbeques, Christmas gatherings, Thanksgiving dinners, Tea Parties and most recently a four-generation sleep-over party. This past Saturday, the Barr-Swartley family gathered on a family farm in Sellersville to celebrate Bea’s 100th birthday. People came from around the world to celebrate the matriarch of the family.
No surprise, Bea’s “greatest joy” is family. After Eddie Barr served in the South Pacific during WWII, he married Bea, and together they raised a family of six daughters. (Eddie had grown up in a family of brothers but became a wonderful girl-dad.) Those daughters blessed Bea and Eddie with 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Bea’s favorite modern convenience is the washing machine and dryer. Imagine handwashing diapers, wringing them out with a crank wringer and hanging them in the yard to blow like ‘little flags.’ Bea said the diapers were stiff as a board coming off the clothesline. But, while Bea’s favorite convenience might be the washer-dryer, what Bea loves is Facebook. She stays connected to her family across the US and all the way to Zambia, Africa through Facebook. She checks daily, enjoying the snippets of stories and pictures that keep her up to date on all the family activities.
Bea served the borough of Chalfont for 30 years, first as the secretary to the mayor and finally as the first Borough Manager. The borough offices were in the Firehouse where O Wow Cow now stands in Chalfont. She remembers Main Street lined with trees, children roller skating down the sidewalk. Like many in her generation, Bea remembers where she was when the attack on Pearl Harbor was announced- she was sitting in the ice cream shop listening to the radio with friends. She was sewing a purple dress for a school party when she heard the news of Kennedy’s assassination. When the Twin Towers collapsed on 9-11, Bea worried for the safety of her daughter who had traveled to NY from her Florida home that day for a meeting. Bea remembers the prayer service held that night in her family’s home church, St. James Lutheran in Chalfont. Bea moved to Lenape Valley when St. James closed.
Bea’s favorite hymn is Silent Night. She joins many of us in embracing the finale of the Christmas Eve service, candles raised as the faithful sing the last strains of that beautiful carol. Bea remembers walking home from a mid-night Christmas Eve service at St. James as snow started to fall. The quiet “shhhhhhh” of the snow falling on her neighborhood created a lasting love of that season. Thus, if you were to visit Bea, you would find her home decorated for Christmas year-round. When the decorating is complete, her home is graced by 35 fully decorated trees, each with their own theme. A new tree has just taken shape- Bea’s “centennial” tree, decorated with ornaments to reflect a lifetime of a 100 years. Those trees are a constant reminder of a family that celebrates life and faith together.
Last Sunday, the Comments section of the Philadelphia Inquirer featured the stories of centenarians in our area. They shared the wisdom that has come through their collective 1424 years. 1. Travel is memorable and always worth it! 2. Move your body, ideally outside. 3. Eat vegetables! 4. Choose a partner wisely. 5. Gratitude makes daily life sing. 6. Joy is always available. 7. Forgiveness is paramount. 8. Family matters. 9. Ask elders for their stories. 10. Faith is central to life- Every centenarian interviewed talked about their faith even though none of the questions asked were about religion. They all concluded that the best life journey is one made with the God who created us.
Bea, I think you would agree. Happy 100th!
With love from your community of faith,
Lenape Valley
Beatrice Swartley Barr was born in Brooklyn, NY, on October 7, 1924. In 1924, the United States had 48 states and Calvin Coolidge was President. That year, Native Americans were granted citizenship, and the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held. Gas cost 13 cents per gallon and Wheaties cereal was born. In 1924, Jimmy Carter, Henry Mancini and Gloria Vanderbilt were born. And that year, the fourth of five daughters and a son was born to Alice and Harry Swartley. The Swartleys moved their young family to Chalfont, PA in 1929, and in spite of the Depression they opened Swartley’s Sweet Shoppe on the ground floor of their Main St. home. The stairway of the home divided the house down the middle, with space for the family on the right and the shop on the left. The ice cream fountain sat in the bay window, with a place to enjoy lunch in the back. A windmill sat in the back yard, a favorite for the children to climb. After hours, local teens danced to the nickelodeon (jukebox) until curfew. The home and shop were places of great joy, but also the place of deep sorrow when Bea’s younger brother Harry died while serving in WWII. Harry’s Hometown Hero banner hangs on Main Street in Chalfont across from what was once the Swartley home and Sweet Shoppe.
Growing up in the community gathering place instilled in Bea the heart of a party host. Bea loves to say, “We are party people!” That distinction does not just define Bea’s childhood family, but also the family she raised. The Barr home, in the neighborhood across from St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Chalfont, has been the place of gathering for decades- card parties, family barbeques, Christmas gatherings, Thanksgiving dinners, Tea Parties and most recently a four-generation sleep-over party. This past Saturday, the Barr-Swartley family gathered on a family farm in Sellersville to celebrate Bea’s 100th birthday. People came from around the world to celebrate the matriarch of the family.
No surprise, Bea’s “greatest joy” is family. After Eddie Barr served in the South Pacific during WWII, he married Bea, and together they raised a family of six daughters. (Eddie had grown up in a family of brothers but became a wonderful girl-dad.) Those daughters blessed Bea and Eddie with 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Bea’s favorite modern convenience is the washing machine and dryer. Imagine handwashing diapers, wringing them out with a crank wringer and hanging them in the yard to blow like ‘little flags.’ Bea said the diapers were stiff as a board coming off the clothesline. But, while Bea’s favorite convenience might be the washer-dryer, what Bea loves is Facebook. She stays connected to her family across the US and all the way to Zambia, Africa through Facebook. She checks daily, enjoying the snippets of stories and pictures that keep her up to date on all the family activities.
Bea served the borough of Chalfont for 30 years, first as the secretary to the mayor and finally as the first Borough Manager. The borough offices were in the Firehouse where O Wow Cow now stands in Chalfont. She remembers Main Street lined with trees, children roller skating down the sidewalk. Like many in her generation, Bea remembers where she was when the attack on Pearl Harbor was announced- she was sitting in the ice cream shop listening to the radio with friends. She was sewing a purple dress for a school party when she heard the news of Kennedy’s assassination. When the Twin Towers collapsed on 9-11, Bea worried for the safety of her daughter who had traveled to NY from her Florida home that day for a meeting. Bea remembers the prayer service held that night in her family’s home church, St. James Lutheran in Chalfont. Bea moved to Lenape Valley when St. James closed.
Bea’s favorite hymn is Silent Night. She joins many of us in embracing the finale of the Christmas Eve service, candles raised as the faithful sing the last strains of that beautiful carol. Bea remembers walking home from a mid-night Christmas Eve service at St. James as snow started to fall. The quiet “shhhhhhh” of the snow falling on her neighborhood created a lasting love of that season. Thus, if you were to visit Bea, you would find her home decorated for Christmas year-round. When the decorating is complete, her home is graced by 35 fully decorated trees, each with their own theme. A new tree has just taken shape- Bea’s “centennial” tree, decorated with ornaments to reflect a lifetime of a 100 years. Those trees are a constant reminder of a family that celebrates life and faith together.
Last Sunday, the Comments section of the Philadelphia Inquirer featured the stories of centenarians in our area. They shared the wisdom that has come through their collective 1424 years. 1. Travel is memorable and always worth it! 2. Move your body, ideally outside. 3. Eat vegetables! 4. Choose a partner wisely. 5. Gratitude makes daily life sing. 6. Joy is always available. 7. Forgiveness is paramount. 8. Family matters. 9. Ask elders for their stories. 10. Faith is central to life- Every centenarian interviewed talked about their faith even though none of the questions asked were about religion. They all concluded that the best life journey is one made with the God who created us.
Bea, I think you would agree. Happy 100th!
With love from your community of faith,
Lenape Valley
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