Jean Knowlton observed her 100th birthday quietly. Aug. 1, found her greeting friends and family in her room at the Residential Care (RCC) in Beloit. Cards arrived, people came and went - and there were cupcakes! Cupcakes with "100" written in frosting.
Knowlton was born on Aug. 1, 1923, to Ted and Bessie Snyder Menhusen on the family's farm, just a quarter of a mile south of Jewell. She grew up on that farm and attended Jewell Public Schools. She graduated from Jewell High School with the Class of 1941. She and classmate, Marjorie Divel Hartzel, who is also 100 years old, are the oldest living graduates of the school.
She lived nearly her entire life in the Jewell community. First on her parent's farm, then after her 1943 marriage to Albert Knowlton, on the Knowlton farm just north of Jewell. Her house, on Jewell's Broadway Street, was designed by Albert in 1982. It was her home until she moved to RCC.
Albert and Jean Knowlton had two daughters, Ann (Stan Colson) and Nancy (Jerry Anderson). They had been married 59 years when he died in 2002. From that marriage came many descendants!
Today Jean has six grandchildren, 18 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren. Jean is always happy having her family around and she had several of them visiting on her 100th birthday!
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