Newhaven Court at Clearview senior to turn 100 on July 28

BUTLER, Pa. - July 21, 2015 - PRLog -- Whether he used wood, cardboard or paper, Harry V. Kidd has spent the better part of a century creating, building and giving.

      The Newhaven Court at Clearview resident who will turn 100 years old on July 28 invested $1 to purchase a jigsaw during the Great Depression. That was a significant amount of money during that era, especially for a teenager. Kidd used the jigsaw to cut cartoon figures out of scrap wood which he painted and sold door-to-door so that his mother could buy food.

     Those wooden figures represented the start of a long and productive career for the lifelong Butler resident born on July 28, 1915.

     “Harry is such a special person,” said Kathy Roudybush, Activities Director at Newhaven Court at Clearview, located at 100 Newhaven Lane in Butler. “He has been part of our community for more than a decade, and he’s made such a wonderful contribution with all of the crafts he has produced for the residents’ enjoyment.”

     Harry moved into Newhaven Court at Clearview with his wife, Anna, in 2004. Anna died two years later, ending 65 years of marriage.

     “Harry was born at his family’s home on Summit Street in Butler 100 years ago,” Roudybush said. “He’s been true to the Butler area for a lifetime.” Kidd served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Army of Occupation soon after V-E Day.

     After his service, Kidd worked 31 years for Armco, a steel mill in Butler. Upon his retirement, he remained busy as a member of the Butler Historical Society. Among his volunteer projects included the restoration of Cooper Cabin, an original country homestead built in 1810.

     Since moving to Newhaven Court at Clearview, Kidd has made crafts and decorations filled with candy for South Butler Meals on Wheels, Nixon Preschool and various nursing homes. He spends hours each day creating and decorating items for the holidays at a work table in his apartment. Kidd also sets up displays for holidays in the Newhaven Court at Clearview.

     He and Anna had two children, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

     “We want to wish Harry a happy 100^th birthday as he enters the centenarian club,” Newhaven Court at Clearview Executive Director Gary Renwick said. “He is such a special and giving person.”