A century and counting: Local woman celebrates 100th birthday
~~The Paris News~~
Photos by Klark Byrd
Article by Julia Furukawa
Perched comfortably in her wheelchair
with a sash reading “100 & Fabulous” draped across her chest,
Ozella Lilly waved as a train of more than 30 cars packed with friends
and family cruised by. She thanked each and every one of them, a smile
hidden behind her face mask.
Not
many people can say they’ve been around for a century, but Lilly is one
of the few, celebrating her 100th birthday on Wednesday.
“She is the sweetest lady that you will ever meet,” said Monica Oliver, activity director at Stillhouse Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, where Lilly lives. “She didn’t want gifts for her 100th birthday. She said ‘If you have extra money, just give it to someone who needs it.’”
“She is the sweetest lady that you will ever meet,” said Monica Oliver, activity director at Stillhouse Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, where Lilly lives. “She didn’t want gifts for her 100th birthday. She said ‘If you have extra money, just give it to someone who needs it.’”
Due
to Covid-19, Oliver and the Stillhouse team couldn’t welcome guests
into the residence for a normal celebration, but that didn’t stop
community members from getting together for a parade to show their
appreciation for Lilly. Oliver said she is loved inside and outside of
Stillhouse.
“She’s just as sweet as she can be and the other residents love her,” Oliver said.
Lilly
was born in Chattanooga, Oklahoma, and moved to Paris in 1951. She
raised three children with her husband, Luther. She soon joined the
Lamar Avenue Church of Christ and remains a staple in the community
there to this day. Dozens of friends she met through her faith showed up
to celebrate her, honking their horns and waving signs from their car
windows.
For Lilly, her church didn’t just give her friends, it provided her a connection with the Lord that she said is the reason she’s been able to live such a long and full life.
For Lilly, her church didn’t just give her friends, it provided her a connection with the Lord that she said is the reason she’s been able to live such a long and full life.
“I know I wouldn’t have reached this age if I didn’t have the Lord’s help,” Lilly said.
As
cars rolled past, one of Lilly’s nine grandchildren, Cindy Jenkins,
filmed off to the side. Jenkins said Lilly was the culinary expert of
the family, cooking up delicious meals for everyone and giving them
recipes they still use to this day. Her favorite: Lilly’s asparagus
casserole.
“With
her being (at Stillhouse), we definitely all miss her cooking,” Jenkins
said. “We all like to make her recipes on holidays.”
Looking
on at her grandmother surrounded by family, Jenkins said she cherishes
memories of spending time with Lilly during her childhood summers.
“Me
and one of my cousins used to come in the summers and spend a week with
her, and it was kind of like camp with our grandma,” she said. “So she
would take us around, and we’d go swimming and just hang out with her.
It was so nice.”
Jenkins was joined by her father, Ken Lilly, who also attested to her prowess in the kitchen, and thanked her for a childhood full of fun and freedom to roam and play with friends — as long as he was always home for dinner. Even though he couldn’t hug her or hold her hand like he normally would’ve, Ken made the trip from Dallas to be there with his mother on her landmark birthday.
Jenkins was joined by her father, Ken Lilly, who also attested to her prowess in the kitchen, and thanked her for a childhood full of fun and freedom to roam and play with friends — as long as he was always home for dinner. Even though he couldn’t hug her or hold her hand like he normally would’ve, Ken made the trip from Dallas to be there with his mother on her landmark birthday.
“I’m just here to wish her well and say ‘Keep up the good work, Mama. You’re doing good,’” Ken said, waving at Lilly.
Although
she didn’t have a cake adorned with 100 candles to make a wish, Lilly
said she does have one hope for this milestone of a birthday: to be
reunited with
her community.
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