Local Man Celebrates 100th Birthday at Pickle Park

Friends gathered at the Pickle Park nightclub in Fridley one afternoon last week to celebrate a former coworker's 100th birthday.

And it's only been two years since Eddie worked with them at Bob's Produce Ranch down the road.

Is the key to his longevity eating yogurt?

"I haven't had a yogurt [in a while]," Eddie said, gesturing to the drinks on the table in front of him. "Beer and brandy."

Working at Bob's for many years after a first career laying cement may be part of his secret. Eddie started working there in April 1978 and was still working almost 30 hours per week when declining eyesight forced him to quit in November 2000, according to Bob's co-owner Mike Schroer.

Eddie did different things at Bob's, Schroer said—first maintenance and delivery driving, then he moved inside the store for jobs like cutting fruit and putting out the bananas.

"He made salsa for us until he was 97," Schroer said.

Eddie lost one simple pleasure of his very late retirement just before turning 100. Even though he could no longer drive, he liked to go out to his car just to sit—until recently, when someone stole the car from his garage.

That was still on his mind last week, but it wasn't stopping Eddie from celebrating the big 1-0-0. The gathering with folks from Bob's came a couple days after another party across town at another favorite Fridley spot: the Shortstop.

At Pickle Park, the party was just getting started, with more people expected—"customers or people that we know," Schroer said. "They all know him. They'll come and see him."