Elgin woman turns 100, gets cupcake and presents from police

Elgin resident Mabel Tasnadi celebrated her 100th birthday Wednesday by blowing candles on a cupcake presented to her by Police Chief Jeff Swoboda.

Tasnadi was a patient at Presence St. Joseph Hospital, where Swoboda and other members of the police department sang "Happy Birthday" and gave her presents including a T-shirt and coffee mug.

Tasnadi was all smiles. She gave a brief speech during which she mentioned working at the Elgin National Watch Co. as a young woman.

Cherie Aschenbrenner, crime prevention specialist for the department, organized the brief gathering. Aschenbrenner said she met Tasnadi - whom she called "very savvy" - via phone last year ago after the woman called with questions about solicitations. "I told her I was going to put her birthday on my calendar," Aschenbrenner said.

Police officers did a similar thing last year when they showed up at the home of an Elgin man who turned 100.

"We make the time to do this because the community is our extended family," Swoboda said.