(From "The Telegraph" Alton, Ill.)

Fr. John Ostdiek, a retired Franciscan priest, celebrated his 100th birthday on Aug. 26, 2022, with the residents and staff at Evergreen Place in Alton.

Ostdiek is a former professor of biological sciences at Quincy University. He has also conducted environmental research on the Mississippi Rover and served as an auxiliary chaplain at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D. C.

Laura Orban, the director of Evergreen Place, led the singing of "Happy Birthday" in his honor, followed by appetizers, birthday cake, wine and beverages.

Ostdiek entered the Franciscan minor seminary in 1936 for four years of high school and two years of college study. After the novitiate, he earned a bachelor's in philosophy from Our Lady of Angels Seminary. He spent four years studying theology at St. Joseph Seminary in Teutopolis and was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1949.

He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in education from Quincy College and later studied at the Catholic University in Washington, D. C. where he earned both a master's degree and a doctorate degree in biology. During his years at Catholic University, he worked part-time as an auxiliary chaplain at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

After completing his doctorate, Ostdiek began a long teaching career at Quincy University, rising through the ranks to full professor. He also served in several administrative positions at the University. In 1980, he took a year-long sabbatical and then resumed teaching at Mundelein College in Chicago.

In addition to his work, Ostdiek was a senior Olympics bowler until his early 90s, earning 36 medals over the years. He also wrote the "Whispers in Life" column that ran in the Catholic Times.

Fr. John Ostdiek is shown as he celebrated his 100th birthday on August 26 at Evergreen Place in Alton, Illinois.

(Editor's Note: Father John passed along the following interesting facts.)

Since the initial Franciscans Friars came from Germany in 1858, some 3,000 Friars have been in the province headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., only five have reached the age of 100. Father John, who is a native of Nuckolls County, near St. Stephen south of Lawrence follows the 4th Franciscan that reached the 100th birthday mark. That happened to be Father Irenaeus Kimminau, also a native of the same general area in Nebraska near Lawrence.