Apr 24, 2017 5 min read Central Brooklyn

Meet Brooklyn’s 8 Centenarians

CNR’s “Centenarian Extravaganza” honoring (front, l-r) Julia Georges, Etienne Amable, Isabella Green, Beulah Bullock, Mariana Gonzalez, and Patty Collins

100-year birthday celebrations don’t come around too often, so the “Centenarian Extravaganza” hosted by the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation last Friday was extra special.

CNR celebrated the 100+ birthdays of eight of its residents on April 21. Staff, family, and friends gathered to honor the centenarians with birthday cake, sparkling cider, music, balloons, flowers, and guest speakers.

Council Member Robert Cornegy mingling with partygoers

Located at 520 Prospect Place (at Classon Avenue) in Crown Heights, CNR is a 320-bed, five-star, long-term care facility that has served Crown Heights and Prospect Heights for more than 40 years. It was the first nursing home in New York City to adopt the “neighborhood” concept, giving residents greater independence in their daily lives.

CNR Recreation Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Veronica Kaninska singing Ave Maria

New York State Senator Jessie E. Hamilton III (District 20) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams sent representatives from their offices to present the eight honorees with special citations, while NYC City Council Member, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. (District 36) addressed partygoers, telling anecdotes about his family as well as discussing timely issues.

Council Member Cornegy speaking at CNR’s “Centenarian Extravaganza”

“When I think about the centenarians that are here, I think about a hundred years, and how much history and how much knowledge and information they have,” he said. “And I unfortunately think about a time in this country when it wasn’t so great for people of color.”

“We’re [currently] listening to a lot of rhetoric around anti-immigrant sentiment, and anti-black, and anti-Hispanic, and it seems almost like a throwback to a time in life that I don’t have as much familiarity with as some people in this room have,” Cornegy added. “I want you to know that as your elected official, I’m fighting to make sure we don’t go back to a time that was very difficult in this country for people of color.”

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke speaking at CNR’s “Centenarian Extravaganza”

New York State Congresswoman, Yvette Clarke (9th District), also spoke at the event, stating, “We are here to celebrate eight people of distinction and considerable experience who have been pillars of this community since before I was even born.”

“I want to let you know that I have a special place in my heart for centenarians,” Clarke continued. “My own grandmother lived to be 103-years-old,” she revealed.

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke standing with the centenarians

Friday’s eight honorees included:

Esther Hobson (101)
Born April 23, 1916, Hobson attended PS 54, JHS 35, and Girls High School in Brooklyn. She and her husband raised eight sons who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as four daughters. Hobson worked in the dietary department at Kings County Hospital, then went on to work as a clerk for the NYC Department of Social Services. She still sings gospel at CNR and visits her fellow residents and reads the bible to them.
(Ms. Hobson was feeling under the weather and did not attend the event on Friday.)

Beulah Bullock (103)
Bullock was born one of 14 children in North Carolina on February 3, 1914. She loves fashion and designed dresses, men’s suits, hats, and purses until she was 95-years-old. Affectionately known to the community as Ms. B or Madam Bullock, she hosted annual fundraising fashion shows, donating all proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club in Harlem where she lived for 60 years.

Patty Collins (103)
Collins was born on July 26, 1913 in North Carolina. She moved to Bed-Stuy at the age of 17 to become an independent woman, working as a domestic employee for many years. She and her husband raised their three children in Crown Heights, where Collins won awards for her flower and vegetable gardens.

Gertrude Jenkins (101)
Born October 28, 1915, Jenkins moved to Brooklyn from the south. She worked as a housekeeper and was a member of several community and church organizations. Jenkins donated to many churches because, as she says, “I like to give and share.” Her secret to a long life is to “drink just a little bit of whiskey.”
(Ms. Jenkins was also feeling under the weather Friday and did not attend the event.)

“Centenarian Extravaganza” honorees (l-r) Etienne Amabel, Isabella Green, Beulah Bullock, Mariana Gonzalez

Isabella Green (101)
Born on September 2, 1915 in North Carolina, Green moved to Brooklyn in 1938 where she raised five sons and volunteered regularly for her church and community. Green was known for being the best cook on her block and currently enjoys the pet visits at CNR.

Etienne Amable (101)
The only gentleman in the group of honorees, Amable was born in St. Lucia on December 30, 1915. He came to NYC in 1964 where he worked at Bellevue Hospital for 35 years. He has 19 children and lives at CNR with his wife of 30 years. He says his secret to a long life is having a “strong sense of humor.”

Julia Georges (100)
Georges was born on January 9, 1917 in Haiti. She owned a hat shop in Haiti until she moved to the U.S. in 1975 and worked as a babysitter. With “Thank you” being her favorite phrase, her advice for a long life is being “grateful for every little thing you have.”

Mariana Gonzalez (100)
The youngest in the group of honorees, Gonzalez doesn’t technically turn 100 until June 3. Originally from Ecuador, she enjoys Spanish music, dancing, attending CNR’s Spanish club, and helping her peers at CNR.

All eight honorees have led long, rich lives in New York City. In wrapping up her speech, Congresswoman Clarke stated, “This is one of the things that I treasure doing—letting the people of my community know how much they are valued by our nation.”