Greenhouse family member grows to 100

As a young boy, Eric P. Schaefer remembers growing up in the Holy Angels neighborhood of Aurora and walking the two to three miles to get to St. Paul grade school on the East Side. He considers the advent of the airplane the best invention of his lifetime.

"When I was a kid, we would look to the sky to see an airplane," he said.

Schaefer turns 100 on Nov. 17.

"It's just another birthday," Schaefer said.

Schaefer recalled as a father with two sons selling the family baby grand piano in the late 1940s to buy a 7-inch television set. One of his favorite pastimes was bowling. He was the first inductee into the Aurora Bowling Hall of Fame.

To honor his birthday, Schaefer Greenhouse in Montgomery is inviting customers to join them Nov. 7 for birthday cake, in-store specials and a free drawing for a $100 Schaefer gift card. Customers can send him birthday wishes by stopping in and signing a birthday card.

Schaefer's father, Frank C. Schaefer, founded the family-owned business in 1927 after working for an Aurora judge who liked to grow orchids as a hobby. Schaefer said he began working for his father's business after graduating from West Aurora High.

"You always want to do what you do better," he said.

Just as his dad, Schaefer passed his "work hard" ethic on to his two sons, John E. and Jim P. Schaefer.

"He taught us what hard work is," John Schaefer said. "We were always learning. Now, we're giving advice to the next generation," he said.

The sons said their dad always hosted memorable Christmas Eve parties. "The family was growing up and there were more and more kids packing the house. A few times my dad thought there wasn't enough room in the house — we made room," Jim Schaefer said.

The elder Schaefer, who stops in the greenhouse a couple times a week to walk for his exercise, ran the greenhouse business with his two brothers, Frank W. and Ed, until the 1970s.

"He has a wonderful sense of humor," said Cindy Ray, who has worked for the Schaefer family for 30 years. She is the gift shop buyer and does all of the gift shop displays, including decorating the festively themed Christmas trees.

Today, a fourth generation is involved in the success of operating the 200,000 square feet of greenhouse and retail space. Schaefer Greenhouse is known for quality perennials, annuals, floral arrangements and gift shop. For the holidays, people from around the area come to see the 60,000 poinsettia plants in the greenhouse.

"It's important to like what you are doing (for work)," the elder Schaefer said. "If you don't like it, quit and do something you do like."