Happy birthday George! Independence Village hosts Tigers-themed party for 105th birthday

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misidentified Mary Phillips in a photo.

PETOSKEY — Between 80 and 100 people made their way into Independence Village on June 27 to help celebrate George Prediger for his 105th birthday.

A lifelong fan of the Detroit Tigers, Independence Village hosted a Tigers-themed party for Prediger.

The senior living community welcomed in friends and family to celebrate the milestone birthday, with Tigers-themed decorations and foods, and a live performance from the band "Double Play."

Todd Ackerman, the life enrichment lead at Independence Village, said Prediger was surprised so many people came to celebrate his birthday.

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"For all of us it was emotional," Ackerman said.

Prediger's birthday was also celebrated with Fran Halisky, an old friend who also turned 105 this year.

A resident wrote Prediger a poem, which was read aloud during the birthday party.

While the party has come and gone, the excitement isn't over just yet, with a few signed Tigers baseballs expected to come in the mail this week, along with more Tigers merchandise, Ackerman said.

Despite the team's less than impressive year, holding a record of 38 wins and 46 losses as of Monday, Prediger still watches nearly every televised game. Luckily, Prediger was able to cheer on the Tigers to four World Series victories, including 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984.

"It just felt good to go back to the days of when Tigers were winning," Ackerman said. "He's watched them since he was a little boy and hasn't given up on them."

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Independence Village hosts Tigers-themed party for 105th birthday