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Vibrant Violet Eisinger turns 100

By Staff | Oct 20, 2012

Daily she exercises, enjoys friends and family and is known as one of the most vibrant members of the Calusa Harbour retirement community.

Her name is Violet Eisinger, and she turned 100 on Oct. 16, born in 1912.

She’s had several parties to celebrate.

“We had a very big one at Calusa Harbour, and her family also had a separate party,” said Community Life Director Pam Mori of Calusa Harbour. “Her family rented a place on Captiva, with relatives coming in from all over the country. They also got to see the area and had a great time with her.

“Violet is extremely vibrant. She takes all the exercise classes and she runs circles around much younger people around her. I know it is cliche, but she really is inspirational. She’s an amazing woman.”

Many of the residents who recently helped her celebrate her milestone birthday are from Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.

“I like to walk and still take walks every morning, and take exercise classes every day except Saturday and Sunday,” Eisinger said. “On Saturdays, a group of us go out to lunch some place and, of course, I go to church on Sunday.”

She enjoyed seeing all of her three daughters for her birthday.

“I have three daughters, Helen, Lenore and Violet.”

That’s not where all the “Violets” in the family leave off. She has 10 grandchildren, 12 “greats” and two “great-greats.”

“One is Jacoby who is 3 and another is another Violet, she’s about a year and a half.”

She said she has always loved her life.

“We lived in different states. It seemed my husband always made the right move at the right time for us in our lives,” she said.

She was born in Brooklyn.

“I was raised there, after my parents went back to Norway. We had to go through Ellis Island, and they became citizens.”

Of growing up in Brooklyn, she said, “We called them neighborhoods at that time, everyone played with other kids, a real neighborhood.”

After a career and raising her family, she wound up in Florida.

“My sister lived in West Palm Beach, and I would come to visit her and really loved to love Florida.”

They came for season for about eight years, then moved to Clearwater Beach. Her husband unfortunately died, but she had a daughter in North Fort Myers, living at Foxmoor Village. She moved there.

“It was really nice living there,” she said.

She visited Calusa Harbour.

“I knew I was going there eventually; it’s a great place to live. The people are friendly, and there is always some type of activity going on.”

She is part of the First Presbyterian congregation, which helped her celebrate her 100th.

“They gave me great flowers, which I still have. They and the flowers are just beautiful. I have a lot of friends.”

The proof is in the more than 60 birthday cards she received.

She worked hard while raising a family.

“I worked for Sanitary Products in New York; I loved it. I actually worked until I was 6-months pregnant.”

After awhile she returned back to the work force, and worked at the legendary Macy’s Department Store at Christmas.

“In the morning when the doors opened it was a rush of people coming in. I like people, and I was dealing with people. I had never done that before; it was different then, you would help customers buy and get dressed.”

Of her family party, she said, “All three daughters came, all my relatives came from all over, from New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee and California. They all came; it was a great party.”

In her spare time she also likes to read.

“Right now I’m reading John Grisham and David Calgaccer. He’s new – the story is about the true blue – a policewoman who was framed for something she didn’t do.”

On life itself, she said, “I feel very fortunate. I’ve had a very good life and thank God for it every day.”