AUBURN — Hope Weston, a resident at Schooner Estates, celebrated her 101st birthday on July 6 surrounded by family and friends at a special birthday gathering at the retirement community.

Weston was born in Manila, Philippines, to American-born Eugene Eveleth Wing from Augusta and Nellie Grace McBeth Wing from Fairfield. She attended American schools in Manila through high school.

She and her mother made several trips to the U.S. over the years to visit family and friends. Travel was by steam ship, as there was no opportunity for commercial air flights. The trips were lengthy with many ports-of-call, and her mother made sure she saw all the historic sites along the way. From early youth, she had a diverse education of the world, experiencing different cultures, cuisine, customs and languages, which she eagerly absorbed.

At age 17, she and her mother returned to New England to visit colleges. They eventually decided on the University of Maine in Orono where she met her future husband, Lowell Nathan Weston of Augusta. They married after graduation and returned to Manila for a large, lavish wedding on Dec. 25, 1937.

Leaving Manila, the newlyweds settled in Augusta. A few years later, their two sons were born, first Robert Nathan Weston, then James Lowell Weston. She has six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She wrote a memoir at age 80 so her family would know what it was like being born and raised in Manila. It was published in 1997 after three years of work.

She has designed and created quilted wall hangings. She is especially proud of her “Peace, War, Peace” depicting Manila in World War II and her “Chinese Man,” both on her dining room walls. She is self-taught in all the crafts she enjoys, which include watercolors, decoupage and creating artistic greeting cards.

She is an active member of the University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn Senior College, taking classes in both fall and spring semesters. She joins the trips to Ogunquit Summer Playhouse and participates in Schooner activities, both onsite and offsite, particularly the Maine State Theater in Brunswick.