HADLEY — Hadley’s famed asparagus, often referred to as Hadley Grass, and traditional Polish music, are being credited by Stanley Fil for helping him reach his 100th birthday.
“The polka music keeps me going,” Fil said Friday as he was feted at the Hadley Senior Center, along with other seniors celebrating June birthdays, a few days before his milestone birthday on Tuesday.
A gluten-free diet also helped, he added. “I don’t want to get sick,” Fil said.
Fil repeated his comments on his longevity Sunday at the Young Men’s Club, where a much larger birthday party was held in his honor.
“You people ask, what is your secret?” Fil said, quickly responding, “Hadley asparagus, polka dancing and listening to polka music.”
Fil entered the party in a vintage car to the theme from “Rocky,” and then got out of the car to the cheers of a loving crowd. In a clear voice and standing, Fil said, “I’m so happy that you came today to celebrate with me.”
Several guests at his party came from across the country, including granddaughter Laura Vachula, who traveled from Alaska, while others arrived from Florida, California, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado and New Hampshire.
Fil was born in his family’s home on West Street and then grew up farming asparagus, tobacco and other crops with his father on 22 acres on Meadow Street.
“The point is to keep moving,” Fil said.
Before moving to his home on East Street, where he has lived most of his life, Fil served stateside in the U.S. Army for 3½ years during World War II, including at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and has been a member of Hadley’s American Legion Post 271 for 76 years.
In 1952, he married Anna Osciak, a Hatfield native. They had met at a polka dance in Northampton and remained married for more than 55 years until her death in 2008.
“She was a grand old woman and gave me five kids — two boys and three girls,” Fil said.
Fil worked for 32 years for the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Leeds, making sure medication, furniture and other items made it from the warehouse to the appropriate departments. He also was a parts manager at the Blyda Ford dealership in Northampton for eight years.
At the birthday ice cream social, put together by program coordinator Violet Suska, Fil was twice serenaded by musician Sara Snyder with “Sto lat,” the Polish happy birthday song that, translated into English, means “100 years, 100 years, may they live!” Fil said in some ways turning 100 is no longer a big deal, pointing out the variety of store-bought 100th birthday cards he received.
He also was presented a birthday card from the Select Board and a citation from the state House of Representatives in recognition, and Snyder performed more sing-along songs, such as “Ain’t We Got Fun,” written in Fil’s birth year, and patriotic tunes such as “You’re a Grand Old Flag/ Yankee Doodle” and “America the Beautiful.”
On Sunday, a family reunion was followed by Fil’s birthday party, with the crowd singing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”
Cindy Abraham, one of Fil’s nieces, spoke before his entrance, and she said that once he arrived there would be “four hours of eating, drinking and socializing.”
“We’re very happy he was not born in 1920, because we would not be gathered like we are, because of the pandemic,” said Kathy Fil, one of Fil’s daughters.
Amelia Matuszko, one of Stanley Fil’s two surviving siblings, was at the party as well.
“Nice to see people that I haven’t seen in a while,” Matuszko said, who expressed happiness at her brother’s accomplishment.
Fil described the number of people attending his party as “wonderful” and “exciting.” “I’m glad that they’re here,” he said.
After asking rhetorically those in attendance if he should live to 105, a suggestion that brought cheers, Fil said it’s his birthday wish to live another five years.
“Enjoy the rest of the party and hopefully I’ll see you back in a few years for another party,” Fil said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com. Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.
