Community Corner

Downers Grove Facility Hosts Birthday Bash for Residents Over 90

Seniors at Oak Trace were treated to a 1940-themed party Sept. 7 to celebrate those 90 and older.

Oak Trace assisted living facility in Downers Grove held an extra special birthday bash earlier this month to celebrate its "senior-most" residents.

The party, held Sept. 7 in Oak Trace's Great Hall, honored the facility's 105 nonagenarian residents—all ages 90 and older.

The party's theme was inspired by the 1943 musical film Stage Door Canteen. Organizers said the era was special for many of the residents, who still remember listening to radio shows and dancing the jitterbug.


During the event, residents shared old photos of themselves as they enjoyed food and drinks with friends.

Among the nonagenarians:

  • Nell Schnulle, a 92-year-old who shows no signs of slowing down. She keeps herself busy with conversational Spanish classes, as well as brain and exercise classes. She has lived at Oak Trace for six years.
  • Bill and Magee Moore, who have been married more than 70 years. Bill, 96, remembers starting his job at American Airlines in the 1940s and watching the country struggle with the weight of impending war. Magee, 94, keeps busy playing bridge with her friends at Oak Trace, while Bill edits and reviews the community’s weekly newsletter. 
  • Jim Leichti, 90, who dedicated his life to working with the United States Navy in the 1940s. Stationed in Washington D.C., Jim worked at secret radiation laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has been an Oak Trace resident for 10 years, and currently sits on the finance and building and grounds committees.


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