The Superior Express -

Lucile Butts Ozmun celebrated her 100th birthday with two-days of celebration. One on Sunday afternoon, and one on the afternoon of her actual birthday, Monday, Nov. 16. Both were COVID-style "window visits" at Hilltop Lodge in Beloit.

Partiers had a tent, festooned with balloons, to stand and sit in as they visited with Lucile. Hilltop has a room arranged for "window visits." At Hilltop Lodge, a microphone set up on the inside and outside allows communication though a window separates the visitors.

Though some things were different from all of her other 99 birthdays, some things were the same. Party whistles and the singing of Happy Birthday brought a smile to the face of the honoree. Her son, Ralph Ozmun, and his wife Lulu, were the organizers of the two events.

Lucile was born during the world-wide Spanish Flu pandemic and observed her birthday during the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. During her life-time she lived through the Dirty Thirties, saw the rise and fall of Hitler during the World War II years, the beginning and end of the Cold War, and a man walk on the moon. She saw farming with horses and mules and farming with bemouth four-wheel drive tractors. Quite a span of changes during her 100 years – including a party through a glass window.

Several came from a distance to bring special greetings. Larry and Lisa Divel came from Abilene; Ken Thompson from Oklahoma; Ed and Linda Perdue from Albuquerque, N.M.; and Ralph and Lulu Ozmun from Tennessee. A special guest was June Abram Butts, Lucile's sister-in-law who is also a resident of Hilltop Lodge.