Anniversary, 101st birthday celebrated at nursing home

It was a celebration of various sorts for Marie and Lloyd Heiselbetz on Aug. 20 at Crystal Health and Rehab Center on Plantation Key. Eighty-three years ago to the day, the two high-school sweethearts exchanged wedding vows. Not only did they celebrate that anniversary, but Lloyd also celebrated his 101st birthday. Marie and Lloyd are originally from Beaumont, Texas. They’ve also spent time in Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola. The two came down to the Keys with their daughter, Janie Randle, in August 2018. Lloyd worked for the Union Oil Company of California while Marie was the perfect housewife and caretaker. Michael Davis, son-in-law, and Randle joined the celebration from outside the facility where they were able to see and sing to Marie and Lloyd inside.

Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is one of the many Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 4-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, hockey, mixed martial arts and golf. He also enjoys time with family and his new baby boy, Lucas, who arrived Oct. 4, 2022.