Serendipity Resident To Turn 103; Says Key Is Keeping Active

CLEARWATER, FL -- The Clearwater manufactured housing community of Serendipity has come a long way since welcoming its first home in 1970. No one knows this better than 102-year-old resident Margaret Krauser, affectionately known as Margie to her friends.

In 1972 her father bought one of the early homes at Serendipity and, in April 1977, he handed it over to his daughter. She has called the community home ever since.

Back then, she recalled, U.S. 19 was a two-lane dirt road and Serendipity was divided into two phases overseen by two separate homeowners assocation boards. Among the board restrictions, said Krauser, residents weren’t allowed to have washing machines and dryers in their homes.

Krauser said she's always been active in the community. She and her late husband ran the pinochle club, and she’d often find herself in the kitchen cooking food for community events.

Today, she still attends all parties, visits the pool daily for her hour-long swim, plays dominoes, cards and bingo. Although she doesn’t have a favorite activity, she said she keeps busy and loves seeing her friends in the community.

“I’m happy here,” she said.

She stressed the importance of being active in a community. A recent study by myMHcommunity.com showed that seniors living in their communities spend on average an extra hour each week socializing compared to those living in single-family housing.

Krauser's active lifestyle supports the results of a 2015 study from Natural Medicine Journal which reported that the health benefits of increased socialization are significant and may be related to fighting inflammation.

Krauser will celebrate her 103rd birthday on June 28 at a barbecue and dancing with 20 family members in attendance.

Serendipity is an age-qualified community in Clearwater that offers residents an active lifestyle with amenities ranging from a swimming pool, library, shuffleboard, bocce ball, billiards and a fitness center, as well as a number of organized activities and a variety of clubs.