'A humble, selfless servant'
<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Art Fanto, celebrating his 100th birthday, watches as Mikala MacTavish, administrative partner at Generations Assisted Living in Rathdrum, helps another resident, Gail Biggerstaff, to her seat Tuesday as a birthday celebration for Fanto begins.</p>
RATHDRUM - Whenever Art Fanto was reminded that he turned 100 on Tuesday, he would quickly fire back a question with a smile.
"What?" he'd say.
Fanto, who lives at Generations Assisted Living in Rathdrum, enjoyed wide-ranging jobs, but his caring and hard-working personality and faith in God tied them all together.
"He's a humble, selfless servant," said Krystie Robbins, Fanto's daughter, who lives in Coeur d'Alene. "He's always been a helper who has taken care of people."
Fanto took in those in need and raised money for them in Durango, Colo., where he grew up.
"He followed in his mom's footsteps of being a community chest," Robbins said.
While in Durango, Fanto worked for a railroad and a gold mine.
"He brought supplies on mule pack to the mine," Robbins said.
He was also a photographer and managed a drug store, where he and Eleanor, his wife of 57 years, fell in love.
In 1942 he moved to San Diego to work at the Convair plant that built military airplanes.
"He tried to go into the service, but couldn't because he had a flat foot," Robbins said.
Fanto moved to Hemet, Calif., in 1947 and worked at a lumber yard. He later operated an 80-acre ranch where Robbins grew up. He started raising turkeys in 1957 and continued to do so until retiring in 1970.
"He looked for anything he could do to make money," Robbins said.
In addition to Robbins, Art and Eleanor raised two nephews.
"They're like my brothers," Robbins said.
When asked what's the secret to reaching 100, Fanto said, "It just happens."