She was about to turn 99, and Jeff Bartron felt that it was time for a surprise celebration of the remarkable life of his grandmother, Betty Bartron.

Betty is an enthusiastic gardener with a huge plot that she tends herself. She is an active member of the Bethlehem Garden Club.

She is also an accomplished knitter.

A dance enthusiast until a couple of years ago, Betty would join other dancers half her age on the dance floor every Tuesday night at the Allentown Area Swing Dance Society, which meets at the Fearless Fire Co. in Allentown.

When Betty walked into the Fearless Fire Co. Nov. 24, the crowd of about 90 relatives and friends surprised her with a spirited rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

Throughout the evening Betty made the rounds, chatting with relatives and friends. When a cha cha number was played, and Betty stepped out on the dance floor, other attendees who had come to celebrate the long and full life of an extraordinary woman were not the least bit surprised.