Friends, family and staff at Mrs. Bush's Personal Care Homes in Kunkletown gathered Friday to honor Marguerite "Peg" Heydt for her 100th birthday, which officially was Sept. 17.

The party was organized by activities director Carrie Shafer, who said she throws a party for each of the residents who reach 100. Marguerite is the third resident this year, and there will be more next year."We have a ton of 99-year-olds," Shafer said.Shafer arranged for a singing duo to perform at the party. Kat and Tom sang songs from the '40s and '50s, did some swing dancing and a little tap. Then a big cake with sunflowers and three candles on it was wheeled out and the group of about 40 well-wishers sang "Happy Birthday" to her. The candles were a breeze for Marguerite to blow out.Marguerite said she was surprised to find out Shafer was going to throw a party for her. Usually she goes out to dinner with her sons, daughters-in-law and other family members, but from the smile on her face and twinkle in her eye, a party was sweet, too.Her son Richard Heydt, of Johnson City, Tennessee, said they started celebrating her birthday a couple of months ago. On July 10, he and his brother, William Heydt, wives, family and Marguerite went out to Memorial Park in Palmerton and released 100 helium-filled balloons containing a card inside with a request.The family asked anyone who found the card to email or send a card to Marguerite wishing her a happy birthday.Richard knows she received several cards, but not sure how many are from the balloon notes. One came from 214 miles away in New Jersey, another from Northampton, and one a little closer in Berlinsville.Marguerite lived in Palmerton her whole life, except for a short time in Aquashicola. She started working at the age of 16 at Regent Meat Market and everyone knew her as Peg.When her sons were young, she stayed home with them. When they were older, she went back to work there, but Richard said she told them, "I have to be home when the boys get home from football, because I want them to have a good meal."Over the years, she went from cleaning as a teenager to processing invoices as an adult. Eventually, she retired from there at the age of 62, he said.Richard credits his mother's longevity to how she lived her life."She never drove a car. She walked everywhere she had to go," he said. "She was still walking everywhere up to about two years ago when she moved into Mrs. Bush's."Richard said when Marguerite was 96, he'd call her and ask her what she was doing. She'd respond, "I've been raking the leaves, but I only work for 30 minutes a day."He thinks her gardening, keeping busy and the healthy food from the garden also added to her long life.Marguerite doesn't think there's a secret to living a century or more, or that she did anything special."There is no secret," she said. "You just go along with the flow."