Antonio Verrelli
On June 4th Lucille Marie Taylor will celebrate something remarkably common and simultaneously rare – a birthday, but not just any birthday, a 100th!
Plans for this year’s celebration have already begun, with Taylor and her daughter, Sandra Dwelley, organizing a family reunion – and sure to be a large one, at that. “I have three sisters still living,” said Taylor, “three daughters, and 12 grandchildren living in places like Wyoming, Colorado, and … Florida,” she added, continuing to list grandchildren and states until she couldn’t.
“We’re so happy for mom,” Dwelley said. “She’s been blessed with a large family and very good health.”
Surprisingly, the 99-year and 12 month-old can still care for herself, including showering and other daily tasks, without much assistance. “She even keeps up with me around the house,” Dwelley said. While Taylor does take diabetes medication, she’s free to live her life mostly uninhibited and enjoy her many hobbies.
The average day for Taylor might include activities like a healthy breakfast of fruits and vegetables, followed by an afternoon of birdwatching, or a trip into town alongside her daughter, which might lead to a cozy evening in bed where the biggest problem is finding the right book to read.
A confirmed history buff, Taylor loves getting lost in a good biography or memoir, likely for the thrill one gets when thinking they know someone famous, like a president, and being shocked when they don’t. New on her reading list is a George Washington novel, which Taylor said taught her a lot. “After learning what he [Washington] did, he’s such a fascinating person,” Taylor added, much like the woman herself.
Speaking of days gone by, Taylor has an impressive history of her own, spanning several decades and cities. During the 1940s, she lived in Jackson, Michigan and worked at an automobile factory testing Fords. She married, had three children, and raised a family there for more than a decade. While Jackson was great, and was home, it lacked a certain geographical feature that Taylor simply can’t get enough of.
“The lake. I love the lake!” she said, with emphasis.
Taylor and her husband would eventually relocate to Muskegon, Michigan, where the city’s attractions and Lake Michigan’s white waves became daily treasures. “Muskegon is still my favorite place,” she said. “Everyone there swims, goes to parks and playgrounds … and they have museums.” They lived in Muskegon until, years later and then living alone, Taylor injured her hand and agreed to move in with Dwelley in Shingleton, Michigan.
Taylor credits her longevity to a healthy diet and supportive family, her wonderful late-husband of 58 years, and her two cats, Kush-Kush and Sheeba, who are simply too adorable.
On June 4th, she’ll officially be named to the exclusive club of Americans over 100 years old, which makes up only 0.03 percent of the population. Her advice to anyone looking to live a long life? “Moderation, and keep reading.”
