Mercy Hospice hosted an English tea for Mrs. Lorna Carlton’s
102nd birthday on January 12.
Mrs. Carlton, staff and residents of Guest Home Estates, and friends
from First United Methodist Church of Fort Scott enjoyed Typhoo English tea, butterfly cakes, scones, tea sandwiches, and cream berry trifle to the singing of Elvis impersonator.
From an article written about Mrs. Carlton from fellow First United Methodist Church Member Jan Hedges:
Mrs. Carlton’s parents were born and raised in England. Lorna was born in Atchison, Kansas, on January 14, 1916. She came to Fort Scott for her senior year of high school to get courses in typing, shorthand, and music. Mrs. Carlton completed her senior year and
one semester of junior college.
She especially appreciated learning how to read and write
music from her music teacher Dr. Nichols.
Lorna worked at Western Insurance for 17 years.
Later in life, Lorna played the piano in the
Senior Swingers Band for 19 years. The band played in different homes, the community center, Memorial Hall, and Buck Run Community Center. She still plays the piano with gusto
for her fellow Guest Home Estates residents.
Lorna married Homer Mix in 1938 and had two children, Cristine and Curtis. She later married Huburt (Bud) Carlton in 1981.
Mrs. Carlton has outlived both of her husbands and
children. She has three grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Friends Jackie and Allen Warren and the staff of Guest Home Estates care for her now.
Lorna’s room is decorated with several of her daughter’s paintings, plants, and flowers. She loves flowers and misses working in her flowerbeds. She was in a quilting group at the Bronson
Methodist Church where they used stitches she calls “dainty.” Since she is left-handed, she was responsible to quilt the corners.
Mrs. Carlton has played the piano, taught Sunday School, and
cooked and baked for many church functions at the Bronson United Methodist Church and the First United Methodist Church of Fort Scott over the years.
Lorna’s love of life still radiates from her smile after 102 years. At her birthday tea, she insisted on dancing to “A Fool Such as I” by Elvis Presley.
Lorna’s advice on being 102, “keep smiling every
day.”
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott is an acute care hospital with 46 licensed beds, offering comprehensive medical, surgical,
OB/GYN, pediatric, home care and hospice services. Inpatient care is provided with 24/7 physician coverage. In 2017,
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott received The Leapfrog Group’s prestigious A rating. Mercy Clinic Fort Scott is located on
hospital grounds as well as Mercy rural health clinics in Arma and Pleasanton.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves
millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more
than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in
Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and