By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

As Edith Johnson Klinkman celebrated her 100th birthday May 31, she shared her significant day with 60 family members and friends and no doubt some wonderful memories with them.

Oh what memories this centurion has! She was born before women could vote. She attended school in a one-room school house, rode to school in a horse drawn carriage, graduated in the Roaring 20s, attended the Chicago World’s Fair, and can remember when gasoline was less than a quarter per gallon.

“She used to drive until four years ago,” said Edith’s niece Kim McDowell, Edith’s caregiver.

Edith, born in the house in which she again lives, barely has a wrinkle, has a thick head of salt and pepper colored hair, all her own teeth, all her own body parts, twinkling in her eyes and the biggest smile ever!

“Aunt Edith took care of me when I was growing up, so my parents both could work, and now it’s my turn to take care of her,” Kim said. Kim inherited the family homestead and lives there with her family- husband, Tom, children, Keeley, 15, Farrah, 11, Hannah 7 and Mathias, 3- including several cats and dogs. They built an addition onto the house so Edith can be both a part of the family, but have privacy when she wants it.

As Edith and Kim talked about Edith’s life, Kim showed a photo of Edith during her youth in a bathing suit, just as one of Kim’s daughters ran into the room, dressed in a swimsuit with a built-in water-safety vest, to get permission to swim in the pool. Swim suits have changed quite a bit since then.

Edith had long hair, until her dad bobbed her hair for graduation. Kim said Edith told her Edith’s sisters wouldn’t talk to her for a long time for getting her hair bobbed. Of course, during the 20s the bob was “the look”. (see graduation photo)

For graduation, she made her own dress. The class selected colors, motto, flower, etc., just as today’s graduating classes do. However, then the girls selected an official dress that each girl was to wear. Edith made her own. If you can, notice the pin-tucking in her dress in the photo.

“I did a lot of crocheting,” she said, adding that she did a lot of work with her hands, including canning. The family still cans vegetables and fruit today.

She gave Kim her graduation ring. It has an onyx stone with a filigree sterling silver band. She graduated in 1927. Kim also inherited another aunt’s class ring. Her aunt Theresa graduated in 1917 from Chesterton High School. Kim made that her class ring by adding the engraving on the band of her own graduation year, 1991. That ring has what looks like a garnet stone.

“She loved to dance and went to a lot of dances,” Kim said. However, Edith said she never went to a speak-easy. “We didn’t drink,” Edith said firmly.

She has never been afraid to stand up for what she believes, Kim said. Edith was involved in a protest at Chesterton High School. A teacher was fired for planning for the class to have a dance. The students were told they could only have a buffet dinner. “Aunt Edith stood up with all the other students to get the teacher reassigned,” Kim said. Edith just smiled about that memory.

Before going to CHS, she went to Jackson School, back when it was located at CR 350E and 1050N.

“That school was hit by a tornado twice,” said Edith, adding that it was a wooden, one room school house. She also attended Carter school in Jackson Twp. She later went to CHS because there were more learning opportunities there, she said.

Edith’s dad got the first bus service going for the school children. It was a horse drawn carriage.

One time not long ago, she was asked if she would like to go for a carriage ride. Kim said Edith replied, “My horse and buggy days are over, I prefer driving in a car.”

“I attended Gary Business College and took the trolley to Gary to get there,” Edith recalled, adding that she walked along the railroad tracks from her house to get to the trolley.

She worked for a short time for the YMCA in Gary, but cut short a business career to become caretaker for her sister Theresa, who got a tumor on her back.

“Aunt Edith spent most of her life taking care of others,” Kim said. Edith didn’t get married until she was in her 30s because both she and Al Klinkman each had been taking care of their respective families. They married in Valparaiso. They had no children of their own.

Edith is the only living sibling of her four brothers and three sisters. Her mother, Christabelle was a descendant of the Payne family and her father, Franklin is a descendant of both the Tratebus and Thomas families.

“When you talk about family trees, ours is more like a wreath,” Kim said.

Posted 6/2/2008