Edna Weiss celebrates turning 101 years old. She was married to Bernard “Pete” Weiss for 60 years. Together, they raised three children. She has seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Grace Hartz celebrates turning 98 years old. She is pictured with her family and Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer.
To reach 100 years of age is no small feat, and that is why three centenarians and a near-centenarian were feted at a special event at the Lawrence Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center.
The four women, who range in age from 98 to 105, were each honored with a special proclamation from Lawrence Township Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer at the center, which was formerly known as the St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center.
Nationwide, there were approximately 101,000 centenarians in 2024 in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. They account for .03% of the population in this country.
At 105 years old, Rose Kahn is the oldest of the four honorees.
Kahn graduated from Trenton High School and attended Rider Business School, which later became Rider University. She moved to Princeton after marrying Benjamin Kahn. They were married for 61 years and raised four children.
Kahn has six grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
After her four children were grown, Kahn worked as a licensed real estate agent for a Princeton real estate broker. She said that what she enjoyed most was matching her clients with the right house.
“The wisdom and experience of older adults is an invaluable gift,” Farmer said. “Your positive attitude, resilience and perseverance is an example of this gift, best exemplified by your simple but powerful saying, ‘We will find a way’ whenever you faced a challenging situation.”
Joan Taglairino is the second oldest resident, at 102 years old.
Taglairino was married for 63 years and raised two children. She has four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. They have all benefited from her love, guidance and wisdom through the years, Farmer said.
Taglairino has lived in Lawrence Township for more than 70 years. She enjoyed a long and industrious career working for General Motors Co. for more than 30 years.
She enjoyed many activities, such as going to the casino and spending time with her family.
Edna Weiss is 101 years old.
Weiss was married to Bernard “Pete” Weiss for 60 years. Together, they raised three children. She has seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
As a child, Weiss picked and sold gladiolas on a farm. Over the years, she worked for several companies such as Winner Manufacturing Co., Circle F Manufacturing Co., Dunkin Donuts, Italian People’s Bakery and McCaffrey’s Food Markets.
Weiss enjoyed swimming, dancing, playing bingo in Atlantic City and going to cookouts with her family. She enjoyed listening to big-band and country-western music, but most especially to Frank Sinatra. He was her favorite singer.
“Your rich experience from a life well-lived has allowed you to share simple but valuable words of wisdom with friends and family, such as ‘Laugh and be happy’ and ‘Don’t worry,'” Farmer said.
At 98 years old, Grace Hartz is the youngest of the group. She has lived at the Lawrence Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center for 21 years.
She was married to Warren Hartz Jr. for 60 years. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. Together, they raised two children.
Once her children were grown, Hartz went to work for the State of New Jersey in the Department of Disability. She also worked for D&W Drafting and Blueprint Co. in Trenton, among other companies.
“It appears your life experiences made you a determined and able person, as I am told you were the vice president of the Resident Council (at the former St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center) for 10 years,” Farmer said.
Hartz has been a faithful member of Central Baptist Church in Ewing Township for 53 years. She values the power of prayer in her life and draws strength and inspiration from listening to her audio Bible for several hours each day, Farmer said.
The special event was intended to acknowledge the incredible milestones of all four of the residents, said Debbie Conroy, the campus director of Life Enrichment.
“Their young age signifies a remarkable achievement that many do not get to experience,” she said. “They have all lived fully productive lives and have achieved so much experience and invaluable wisdom.”
