Laverne Brown celebrated her 95th birthday on September 11, surrounded by more than 100 family members and friends at her home in Arab. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) was preparing a special gift for her from President Donald Trump.
Aderholt said Brown was more than a constituent; she has been a friend and loyal supporter for years.
“Laverne is truly a special person. She has always supported me, and I’ve always made an effort to stay in touch with her,” Aderholt told 1819 News. “Whenever I can, I stop by her house to visit. At 95 years old, she remains remarkable—she doesn’t look her age, and she certainly doesn’t act it. She still gets out in the yard and even uses the weedeater.”
It was during one of their lunch meetings, just before her birthday, that Brown made a remarkable birthday request. Being a big fan of Trump, Brown told Aderholt, who had a planned meeting in the Oval Office for the Space Command announcement, to invite the president to her upcoming birthday party.
“He [Aderholt] said, ‘I’m going to Washington.’ I said, ‘OK, you and him get in the helicopter and come down and be at my 95th birthday,” Brown said.
Trump was unable to attend, but he did send along a birthday gift.
“I told the president, ‘Mr. President, there is a constituent in my district named Laverne Brown who is turning 95. She’s a big fan of yours and wanted me to pass along an invitation to her birthday party,” Aderholt said. “He smiled and said, ‘Here, take one of the pens I keep on my desk and tell her happy birthday for me.’”
Brown said she keeps the pen in a safe place and doesn’t plan to write with it.
“It’s got the president’s signature on it and ‘White House’... I got a keepsake. I’m proud of it,” she said.
Aderholt also had a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol to mark Brown’s birthday.
“I know she appreciated it, but I suspect she enjoyed the pen from the President even more — and I certainly understand why,” he said. “I truly appreciate him doing that for her.”
At 95, Brown credits her longevity to hard work and never staying still.
“God has blessed me to live this long,” she said. “My daddy farmed, and we worked on the farm. I worked hard all my life. You can’t stop going. You got to keep busy."
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