ELLSWORTH — Ellen Addington was born in 1923, which means she has seen the world for 101 years. But one of her favorite spots to be is here in Northern Michigan at the Front Porch Cafe.
“Just a remarkable woman. I’ve known her since the ‘80s, and she really hasn’t changed that much, except she started using a cane and she has to have someone drive her to her meals here,” said Front Porch manager Jan Rasmussen.
Ellen has been going to the cafe every Thursday with a group of friends since the 1970s.
“Well, it’s just kind of a culmination of friendship, and when anybody has a birthday, we always get a cake for them and celebrate it. So especially at this table. And so we’ve written down the dates of all of the birthdays and so we always have a cake and some kind of a celebration,” said Ellen Addington.
Turning 101 comes with years of wisdom and stories.
“I learned that when you get to be 90, you better start caring, taking care of your body. If I knew I was gonna live as long, I would have taken better care of myself. Then when I turned 90 I started eating whole grains and had fruits, like John the Baptist, you know. I didn’t eat insects though,” Addington said.
Ellen did assure me that she’s certain her long lifespan is from having good genes. One of her ancestors even lived to be 116 years old.
“She’s just she’s just such a joy to be around. She’s got so many stories and we just love waiting on her and we just love taking care of her,” said Rasmussen.
The Front Porch Cafe staff and the community appreciate Ellen and her support of their nonprofit over many decades. And this time, they wanted to give back to her.
So now on Thursdays when Ellen comes in, she’ll enjoy free meals for a lifetime.
