Eileen Maier Bryd Celebrates 100th birthday

Born January 25, 1923, in the home which her dad built on Alki Beach, West Seattle. Her father helped build Smith Tower in Seattle.  His initials are carved into the top of the steeple.  Eileen was born by a midwife named Mrs. Britt, who lived a few houses down. 

There was a snow blizzard and snow 3 feet high when her mother went into labor.  Mrs. Pritt was boiling hot water; she saw a letter at the door and ran upstairs to her mom.  The letter said, "On this day a child is born that will never die."  Grandma had lost 1 child, a baby girl years ago, only 1 week old and was afraid to have another. Mrs. Pritt ran down the stairs and looked outside but saw no footprints. 

After the Smith Tower was done, her dad got very ill because of drier climate change. They went back to Alberta, Canada, grew up and married Art Ellerson in 1940, and was only 17.  They lived on a farm outside of Rimbey, Alberta.  She has 2 girls and 3 boys all in Canada.  She then married Dee Byrd in 1976.  They worked picking fruit and eventually started working at the fruit stands picking and sorting fruit for 35 years until she was 83. 

From Wenatchee, Monitor, Leavenworth and Peshastin. She was a hard worker, sometimes working 9 hours a day.  She now resides at Epledalen in Cashmere, WA.  She has an apartment and her brother-in-law Delibert lived there too. Since May 4, 2021, she is grandma to 13 and great grandma to 25 and great -great grandma to 2, plus one more on the way. She had a birthday party with her one daughter and husband, her youngest son and partner, and niece, from Renton, Washington, her brother’s daughter, and all the people who live at Epledalen. She is happy and carefree to everyone and a blessing.  That's the secret to living 100 years.