Centenarian is honored

BARBARA DIAMOND

About 80 friends, admirers and family members paid homage at a garden

party Saturday to Aline Merrill.

The party was in honor of the centenarian’s 100 birthday Monday.

“I have had a good life,” Merrill said.

A reception at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church was held

after the 8 a.m. mass on her birth date. Merrill has been a faithful

communicant of the church since she moved to Laguna Beach from Omaha,

Nebraska, in 1938. Her home was chosen for its proximity to the

church.

The concrete path from Merrill’s backyard to Temple Terrace makes

for easier wheelchair access to the church for Merrill and her

full-time caretakers Ana and Tony Mascunana.

The path from the front door of the house to the backyard is dirt

-- an indication of what’s important in Merrill’s life.

“I think Aline [pronounced A-leen] holds the record for masses

attended,” said Lionel Mytinger, who has known Merrill for 40 years.

Also attending the garden party were church pastor, the Rev. Eamon

O’Gorman; visiting priest Michael Kearny, who comes to Laguna for a

month every summer from Donnegal, Ireland; and the Rev. Thomas

McIntyre, Laguna’s Father Mac.

“I met her five years ago, the first day I came here,” said

O’Gorman, who also speaks with a soft Irish lilt in his voice.

“Monsignor Urell [pastor before O’Gorman] brought me over and

introduced me.”

Merrill attended church services Saturday night and was among the

first to ride up in the newly-installed elevator.

“We used to haul her up the stairs,” said Steve Fairbanks,

next-door neighbor for 15 years. “Aline would say, ‘You’re making too

much of it [birthday],’ but she was really pumped up the last few

days. She is a neat old lady.”

O’Gorman said the elevator would be named in Merrill’s honor.

“It’s a good idea,” O’Gorman said.

Merrill receives communion daily, the host brought to her by

devout church-goers. .

“I give her Holy Communion on Sundays,” Jane Dineen said. “I have

only known her about seven years, but I became a friend. I bring her

roses from my garden.

“I am a flight attendant, so I know how to serve people.”

Dineen said the church, which just reopened after months of

renovation, still has the small-town feel she loves.

“It is just beautiful, and the detail is fabulous,” Dineen said.

Sally Woods called special attention to the restored canvas behind

the altar. Arts Commissioner Mike Tauber cleaned it and added his own

work to it to lengthen the canvas to the floor.

Woods and her husband, Charles, have lived in Laguna for 45 years.

They had their first child at South Coast Medical Center and were

among the first patients of the late Dr. William “Bill” White, who

opened the Laguna Beach OB/GYN at Three Arch Bay and Coast Highway in

1961.

Party guests, Anne and Jim Donahue, Diane Kiesselback and Hermine

and Martin J. Miller also met Merrill through the church.

“I have known her at least 40 years,” Martin Miller said.

Daughter Teresa, 23, chimed in: “I have known her since I was

born.”

Glenda Trimble, a native of Laguna, also has known Merrill since

her birth.

“My mother worked at Livewire Cleaners during World War II.”

Trimble said.

Merrill said her husband, John, and her father opened Livewire in

1938.

Helene Ayres had a double introduction.

“St. Catherine’s has been my home parish since I was seven,” Ayres

said. “Aline has been in the church forever, but I also knew most of

the business people in town because my foster mother worked for

Livewire Cleaners.”

Mary Jo Mancuso also had a double entre to Merrill. As well as

being parishioners of St. Catherine’s , the Mancuso family owned the

still-lamented Giovanni’s that was forced out of business almost 20

years ago from what is now called the Food Court near the corner of

Broadway and South Coast Highway

“I have known Aline since we moved here and opened [Giovanni’s] in

1969,” Mancuso said.

Her twin daughters, Susan Bartsch and Stephanie Andrews, and their

children also attended the birthday celebration.

Bartsch brings her children, Tristan, 11, Caitlin, 9 and Kyle, 7,

from their Texas home to Laguna for a month every year.

Andrews lives closer -- in Laguna Audubon. Her children, Ashley

and older sister, Jami attend Laguna Beach schools.

Seated in a wheel chair, shaded by a mature pepper tree, Merrill

greeted the guests. She wore a jaunty hat created to look like a cake

with brightly colored velvet candles on top.

“Somebody just put it on my head,” Merrill said.

Nearby -- also in a wheelchair -- sat an old friend, Harriet

Lambers, a resident of Laguna since 1947. She owned Hughes Toy Shop.

Asked how old she was, Lambers drawled: “Olllllld.”

Some of the guests were friends who had sort of lost contact.

“I am so glad to see you,” Merrill told Pat Kaleta. “I love to see

people I haven’t seen in a long time. Such memories.”

Kaleta was among the three women at the party who met Merrill at

the bridge table.

“We met playing bridge, probably at the [Laguna Beach] Woman’s

Club,” said Juliet Brebner.

Sally Woods said Aline was a great bridge player.

“She taught me a lot,” Woods said.

Former Laguna Beach residents who came to town for the party:

Marilyn and Dr. Edward Scott, Joan and Bruce Bushman, whose family

belonged to St. Catherine’s parish for 50 years, and Joe Shea.

Special party guests included Merrill’s niece, Marylynn Kaiser,

who came from Oklahoma City for the party and her daughter, Valorie

Doyle, who traveled from Chicago.

The Mascunanas, who have cared for Merrill for nine years, catered

the party, as they do every year.

But it isn’t every year that someone turns 100, and we wish Mrs.

Merrill many happy returns of the day.

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652; hand-deliver to Suite 222 in the

Lumberyard, 384 Forest Ave.; call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949)

494-8979.