DOWAGIAC — Timbers of Cass County employees stood around a desk Friday afternoon, a bouquet of lollipops in hand, waiting to surprise a resident who was celebrating an important milestone.

When the resident they were waiting for finally turned the corner and was visible by the desk, all the employees greeted her with a resounding “happy birthday.”

Timbers of Cass County resident Irene Drake celebrated her 100th birthday Friday. To celebrate, the Canadian native was surprised with cake, flowers and visits from family.

“This is fun. It’s very nice,” Drake said of the commotion surrounding her birthday.

Rose Long, a unit manager at the Timbers of Cass County, said Drake is the first resident she has seen turn 100 years old. Long said she is happy to see Drake reach the milestone number.

“A lot of people don’t see 100 years old, and a lot of people, if they do see it, they have mental disabilities, so that they don’t know they are turning 100,” Long said. “Irene knows she is turning 100. She knows what is going on around her. I think that speaks volumes. I don’t know if it was simple living or what she ate, but she’s a peach and this should be celebrated.”

Long said that Drake was one of her favorite patients, adding that she thinks Drake is kind and hard-working.

“She is a doll,” Long said of Drake. “[Drake’s] story is amazing. She came here through Ellis Island. The stories she tells are amazing. She’s just a wonderful person. I admire her, I really do. … She was born in March 1918, so she has seen a lot of things.”

Drake, who has been with the Timbers of Cass County since May 2017, said she was excited to turn 100 years old, though she did not see it as big a deal as those around her seemed to think it was.

“I’m from a big family, we have a birthday every month,” Drake said with a laugh. “After a while, you get used to it.”

Drake and her husband, who had also turned 100 years old before he died, operated a fruit farm in southwest Michigan for many years. Together, the two had two children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“Family is important,” she said. “They get you through the years.”

Drake’s son, Dale Drake, 70, visited her Friday to celebrate her birthday. He said that Drake has always shared the wisdom of her many years with him, and that he shares her value of family.

“It’s incredible that she is still here with us,” Dale said. “I mean, when you talk about 1918 when she was born, there were still horse drawn carriages. She has been through so much change, and it’s amazing to be here for her 100th birthday.”

With such a long life, Drake said that she can not pick any favorite memories, but that there has been one piece of advice that she believes stands the test of time.

“Work hard and make it count,” she said. “That’s what I have learned. That’s important.”