One of Topsfield’s beloved, long-time residents, Adra Luella Miller, turned 100 on March 6, 2024. A native of West Springfield, the town’s newest centenarian was born to Carl and Esther (Carrington) Miller during the second year of the Coolidge administration and the first year Macy’s hosted its Thanksgiving Day parade.

Adra moved to Topsfield nearly 75 years ago. On any Sunday, you can find her seated beside her companion, Colleen Gibson, in the pews of Trinity Church Topsfield. The pair are residents of Little Brook Village, where they remain active and entertain a steady stream of friends.

Adra was raised by Adra L. Day (1875-1952), her great-aunt and namesake. A pioneer in the baby shoe industry, Day founded the Ideal Baby Shoe Co. of Danvers. In 1902, she launched a line of footwear that featured soft soles, revolutionizing the industry. (Readers interested in learning more can visit the Danvers Historical Society’s Tapley Memorial Hall in July when an exhibit featuring Ideal Baby Shoe designs will be on display (https://www.danvershistory.org/).)

Adra Miller worked in every department of the Ideal factory and, when she turned 16, handled all of her great-aunt’s correspondence. With that rich, on-the-job training, she launched “Adra’s Baby Gift Shop” just before Christmas 1948 on Humphrey Street in Marblehead. The store operated for several years, offering children’s clothing, books, and toys.

After the death of her great-aunt, Adra trained as a comptometer operator for Jordan Marsh and later became a machinist for Burr Industries in Danvers. Her favorite job, however, was being around the Proctor School kids, helping prepare and serve meals in the school’s kitchen. It was a job she held until the tender age of 82.

On March 3, a full house at Trinity Church’s 9 a.m. Sunday service celebrated Adra’s milestone birthday with a special blessing from the Rev. Jennifer Estes Vath, the presentation of a proclamation from the Massachusetts House by Representatives Kristin E. Kassner and Sally Kerans, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition sponsored by Congressman Seth Moulton. Breakfast after the service was filled with good food, family, and friends.

Adra was feted again at Little Brook Village on March 6, the afternoon of her 100th birthday. She officially joined about 2,000 centenarians in Massachusetts and some 90,000 nationwide, one of the country’s fastest-growing demographic groups.