Eleanor McQueen of Jaffrey celebrates her 100th birthday party on Sunday at the Jaffrey Civic Center. ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
Eleanor McQueen with family members who attended her 100th birthday celebration on Sunday. Left to right: Ray Polvani, her nephew, Patty McQueen, her daughter, Jan Tate, her niece, Claudia McQueen, her daughter, Jim Renshaw, her nephew, David McQueen, her son, Donna Lewis, her niece, and Jack Renshaw, her nephew. ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript 
Eleanor McQueen with her niece, Jan Tate. ASHLEY SAARI / Ledger-Transcript
Eleanor McQueen of Jaffrey celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday at the Jaffrey Civic Center, a place where she is well-known as a former board member and one of its incorporators.
McQueen is the current holder of the Boston Post Cane, which is traditionally presented to the town’s oldest living resident.
She has been a fixture in Jaffrey since 1970. She and her husband, Jim McQueen, moved to the area with their three children, Patty, Claudia and David, when the children were teenagers. The couple met while attending Columbia University, Jim for his engineering degree, and Eleanor for her nursing certificate.
Eleanor was a registered nurse who worked at Monadnock Community Hospital, and was active in the St. Patrick’s Church, the Jaffrey Civic Center, and volunteering for Democratic Party campaigns.
“We feel extraordinarily lucky to have her,” said her daughter Patty, during Sunday’s celebration. “She’s been such a big part of this town, doing it here was extra special.”
“Needless to say, she is my favorite aunt,” said her niece, Jan Tate. She said her family would visit the McQueen family from Illinois every year. “She was the center of it all, and always fabulous.”
For McQueen’s birthday, the room was decorated with some of her creative endeavors, including hand-sewn potholders and doilies. McQueen was also an avid flower arranger and calligrapher.
“She’s a tough girl, and she raised us to learn how to take care of ourselves. She’s been a great example of taking part in things around you and being part of your community,” said Patty.