Saline Resident Shirley Edwards Celebrates Her 100th Birthday with Family and Friends

Saline resident Shirley Edwards celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday, April 13, surrounded by family and friends who came to share their birthday wishes. The centenarian has been a longtime member of the Saline community and has a history with many organizations and businesses in the area.

Shirley and her husband, Paul, once owned a 160 acre farm on Saline Waterworks Road. Later, they purchased Archie’s Tavern (currently Dan’s Downtown Tavern) in Saline, running the bar together from 1971 to 1974. Shirley was also a volunteer at the Saline Hospital gift shop for many years. She also worked at Briarwood Mall in several retail establishments.

As a founding member of Christ Our King Lutheran Church in Saline, Shirley was active in bible studies and ministries for many years. On Sunday, April 6, congregation members signed birthday cards for Shirley. Pastor Joseph Polzin hand-delivered the cards to her on a recent visit, and reported back to the congregation the following Sunday.

“Today is Shirley Edwards, one of our founding members, birthday,” Polzin said. “It is her 100th birthday. I was able to bring all the cards you filled out last Sunday and bring them over to her on Friday, and she was very touched by that. We pray for a blessing for her this week.”

The family was not surprised that Shirley reached her century mark celebration.

“Every milestone we hit with her birthday, we would say ‘She’s going to live to one hundred,” said her granddaughter, Meghan Westbrook. “ I think family and faith are the secrets to her long life. She's always been so involved with church and so involved with family.”

Kevin Musson, one of Edward’s grandsons, agrees with his sister.

“She has been a foundation of this family for years, and has always kept us close together, whether that was Sunday dinners back in the day or just always being there,” he said. “I’m thinking of all the people who have lived with them over her lifespan, and how accepting she is. The Christian values that she’s taught all of us and our beliefs. She’s just been that pillar for us for years, and this is a great day to celebrate that.”

Shirley Edwards' family, including her two children, five grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren, came to the birthday party at the Edwards’ home.

“She’s just a sweetheart,” her son, Richard Edwards said. “She would do anything for anybody.”

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