A Texas man whose memories of Weston stretch back more than 70 years returned Sept. 12 to celebrate his 100th birthday with family and friends.

Elmer Brull of Pearland, Texas, marked the milestone at Weston Red Barn Farm. He turned 100 on Sept. 21.

About 80 guests were invited, including family and friends from across the country. The celebration featured dinner and live polka music.

Brull first visited Weston in the 1950s, when what is now Holladay Distillery operated as McCormick Distilling Co. His family returned more recently and enjoyed the community enough to select it for the celebration.

“This is a cute little town,” Brull said. “All the shops are cool downtown.”

It was the family’s second year holding an event at the farm, according to operations manager Angela Buckle.

“They’re more like friends of the farm at this rate,” Buckle said. “I think that’s the magic of being a customer with us — you’re just kind of part of the family here.”

Brull was born Sept. 21, 1926, in Hays, Kansas, one of 14 children in a farming family. He left high school to serve in the U.S. Merchant Marine during the closing months of World War II.

He worked as a chief cook aboard a merchant ship and spent eight months at sea without leaving the vessel, including several months near Okinawa, Japan.

Brull was later drafted into the Army during the Korean War and served with the 45th Infantry Division. He initially worked with heavy mortars before his commanders learned of his cooking experience and reassigned him to prepare meals for troops.

After his military service, Brull returned to Texas, where he worked as a welder and operated two automotive repair shops. His military experiences were later recorded through the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.

In 2016, Hays High School presented Brull with the diploma he left behind to serve his country. It was dated 1946, the year he would have graduated.

Brull remains active and continues to garden with help from family and caregivers. He has four children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, with another on the way.

Asked his secret to reaching 100, Brull said he did not have one.

“Just great living,” he said.

His advice to younger generations was equally direct: “Work hard and stay out of trouble.”