Pictured in an undated photo is Elizabeth “Tina” Alamo, a long-time Waverly, N.Y. resident who turned age 100 on April 23. Tina had a distinguished forty-plus year nursing career and initiated the “Elizabeth Alamo Scholarship Fund.” The scholarship fund is awarded to a graduating senior from Waverly High School who is pursuing a degree in the field of nursing and enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States. A 100th birthday reception in Tina’s honor is planned for Sunday, April 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. at St. James Church Hall, 503 Clark St., Waverly, N.Y. (Provided photo)
The 100-year-old birthday club is growing and according to the National Institute on Aging, that trend is expected to continue. Today, there are more 100 year olds than in any other time in history, largely attributed to advances in medicine as well as other factors.
By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of centenarians will grow 20 times what it is today. Based on statistics from the 2010 census, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 17.3 100-year-olds per 100,000 people.
Recently added to the prestigious centenarian list is Waverly, N.Y. resident, Elizabeth “Tina” Alamo, who was born April 23, 1915. During Tina’s hundred years, she has lived through decades of extraordinary history.
The year 1915 was a happening time period. In the automotive industry, Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Company reached a Model T milestone, having manufactured one million of the popular model. In politics, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected women’s right to vote in early 1915, and later that same year, 25,000 women took to the streets of New York City, continuing the decades-long fight for the right to vote.
While many of us communicate several times a day on our electronic devices, it was 100 years ago in New York that Alexander Graham Bell set the stage for things to come, expanding the reach of the telephone by calling his assistant, Thomas Watson in San Francisco. A fond memory for children, the beloved Raggedy Ann doll was patented in 1915.
The daughter of Italian immigrant parents, Tina Alamo, a life-long resident of Waverly, had nine siblings and graduated from Waverly High School. Tina chose nursing as a career, and graduated from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1937, one of about 20 graduates from the nursing school, which started in 1911. In addition to working as a Registered Nurse, Tina’s distinguished 40-plus year nursing career included working at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, N.Y. and 25 years at the Bath, N.Y. Veterans hospital.
Tina shared, “I helped start the program at St. James Hospital in Hornell.”
According to the St. James Mercy Hospital Foundation, the hospital was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, however detailed records about all those involved in the history of the early days of the nursing school is limited.
Tina’s love and dedication to the nursing profession prompted her to initiate the “Elizabeth Alamo Scholarship Fund” in 2008, in coordination with the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior of Waverly High School who is pursuing a degree in the field of nursing and enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States.
A long-time member of St. James Catholic Church in Waverly, N.Y., one of four churches that make up Blessed Trinity Parish, Tina never married, although she has close relatives nearby, and still lives by herself with the assistance of caregivers.
Tina has some advice for people who are interested in maintaining good health. She commented, “Don’t worry so much.” To her point, worrying about things in general is usually not good for your overall health.
When asked about her own health, Tina replied, “I’m very fortunate to have good health.”
In honor of Tina’s 100th birthday, a reception is being held at St. James Church Hall, located at 503 Clark St. in Waverly, N.Y. on Sunday, April 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.
