It’s a celebration a century in the making. Historic Roswell Place is marking Doris LaFrenier’s 100th birthday this week.
A spokesperson for the senior living assisted and memory care community told 11Alive they’d planned a party for the milestone.
They also shared details about LaFrenier, who was born June 15, 1921, in Alexandria, Louisiana.
While working on a local military base shortly before World War II, LaFrenier met her husband, Bill Sapp Jr. They had three children — Bill, Scott and Judy — after moving to Dalton, Sapp’s hometown. LaFrenier was widowed twice before marrying again in 1977. Paul LaFrenier, Doris LaFrenier’s third husband, died in 2001. Doris LaFrenier then moved to be closer to her sons in Marietta.
Never far from her Louisiana roots, Doris LaFrenier picked up Creole cooking from her mother.
“People still talk about her shrimp gumbo to this day,” Historic Roswell Place told 11Alive.
Other metro Atlantans have celebrated turning 100 this year.
Frances Thrasher celebrated becoming a centenarian at A.G. Rhodes Atlanta. She’s been a resident of the senior care facility for six years.
“Ms. Thrasher called it a ‘blessing’ to see 100 years old,” the center said in a press release.
Frank Stovall, an Atlanta tennis player who didn’t have any competition for the longest time, celebrated the big 1-0-0 on February 25.
His birthday was declared “Frank Stovall Day,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“I must be the luckiest guy in the world,” he’s often said.
Statistics show that turning 100 is becoming more common. Data from Statista show more than 573,000 people worldwide were 100 or older in 2020. The highest absolute number of centenarians in the world belongs to the U.S. The nation has 97,000 centenarians living here.
