A 100th birthday celebration is always a special occasion no matter when or where it occurs, but when Dorothy Wellinghorst reaches the centenarian mark on February 7 at Reformed Church Home, it will be especially poignant.
A resident of the home since 2011, Dorothy has lived the last several years of her life in a place that she worked hard to see succeed.
In fact, Dorothy was a board member at Reformed Church Home for several years and was a donor to the campaign to raise funds to bring the Home from its previous location in Irvington, N.J., to Old Bridge in 1998. Fitting that the home reaches the 20 year milestone this year at the same time Dorothy reaches her 100-year feat.
Great-nephew and niece Joe and Judy Musa of Middletown, N.J., have witnessed Dorothy’s quality of life remain as high as possible while at RCH, and commented about the consistency and longevity of the staff that has cared for their great-aunt through the years. “We are so grateful to the nurses and aides at Reformed Church Home, and know that she has lived a longer and happier life than we ever thought possible because of the great care she has received.”
A high school and secretarial school graduate, Dorothy became a career woman well before it was in vogue. She first worked as a Draftsman for Bell Telephone Labs starting in 1935 at the age of 17, then held various secretarial positions over the years, with her last recorded job as a senior dictaphone operator with the New York Stock Exchange.
The Wellinghorst clan can be traced back to the 1700s when they lived in a German village, with Dorothy’s immediate ancestors entering the United States through Ellis Island in the 1880s. They settled in Jersey City, where Dorothy was born and where she lived until moving to RCH. She never married, and said that the love of her life, whom she affectionately called “Wayno,” died in World War II during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Through the years, Dorothy was a faithful member of the Old Bergen Church in Jersey City and the N.J. State Federation of Women’s Clubs. Through these endeavors, she learned of the mission of the Reformed Church Home and pledged her support. According to Kate Shepard, Executive Director of the Home, “Dorothy was very dedicated as a Board of Trustees member, taking the bus from Jersey City to Old Bridge to attend meetings. We have been blessed to care for her and congratulate her and her family on her 100th birthday.”
Reformed Church Home is the area’s leading not-for-profit senior living community, and has consistently achieved a 5-star rating for quality of care as determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Home provides a continuum of services including assisted living, rehabilitation, and skilled long term nursing care. For more information, contact 732-607-9230 or visit www.reformedchurchhome.com.
