Dorothy Van Landeghem turns 104!
A great birthday celebration occurred in this month for 104 year old Dot Van Landeghem!
January 12, 2012 marked the 104th birthday of Peter Becker Community resident, Dorothy Van Landeghem, and she celebrated all day. First, at a party at the retirement community with visits from friends and caregivers, then birthday cake with her children and their spouses, and finally out to dinner with her family.
Dorothy Dunlap was born in Oaks, Pennsylvania on January 12, 1908 to parents Oliver & Elizabeth Dunlap, the baby of the family of seven. She had four siblings: Percival, Preston, Lillian and Catherine. Her father worked for Dettra Flag Company in Oaks, and her mother was a housewife.
Dorothy met her husband, Conrad Van Landeghem, at Indian Head Park, along the Perkiomen in Oaks. Conrad was a PBX installer for the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania and built their first home before they wed. They married in 1928 in that home, when Dorothy was 20. They attended Greentree Church of the Brethren. They enjoyed raising their children and a lot of dancing (ballroom, square, and line) – sometimes they would go out dancing 4 or 5 nights a week. Dorothy noted that, “its great exercise, that’s what the doctor said, it’s why we were so healthy.” Dorothy and Conrad danced regularly for over 49 years, in fact, her whole family learned to love dancing. Conrad passed away on January 3, 1997 at the age of 93 after 68 eight years of marriage. Shortly after that, Dorothy, moved to the residential apartments at Peter Becker Community, where she still resides.
 Dorothy has four children: Helen Detwiler, Leonard Van Landeghem (deceased), Esther Siegle and Alice Nagle. Her children’s spouses are respectively: William Detwiler, Nancy Van Landeghem, Henry Siegle, and Bernard Nagle. Dorothy also has 13 grandchildren, 28 great grand children and 11 great-great grandchildren. Her daughters are pictured on the left. L-R - Helen, Esther & Alice.
Dorothy openly admits that she’s seen a lot of change in her life. She remembers the excitement of seeing her first automobile, “it didn’t even have a steering wheel, just a long shaft to steer it, which was in 1912” she noted. She attended the Quaker schools and graduated from the Oaks School. Her first job was “trimming stars” for the Dettra Flag Company. After that, she stayed home with her children. She also shared stories of a typical Christmas when she was a child. “My parents couldn’t afford a whole lot. They used to put a plate on the table with a few oranges and a few pieces of candy. We were grateful for it.”
At 104 years old, Dorothy can no longer dance and uses a wheel chair to get around most of the time. She easily recalls the farmhouse where she grew up, the home that she raised her family in and all the names and ages of her loved ones. That is, except when it comes to the exact number of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, she replied, “who can keep up?”
When asked about the secret to her longevity she said, “Exercise! We did a lot of dancing.”
All of us at Peter Becker Community
Wish Dot a very Happy Birthday!
1.12.12 CA
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