On Friday, July 21, Calhoun County Senior Services released its 2023 booklet with the profiles of new members of the Centenarians of Calhoun County storytelling project at the Marshall United Methodist Church. At the reception, 12 centenarians attended, along with 125 additional family members, friends, elected officials and members of the public.

The storytelling project was first launched in 2021 and has continued to honor the centenarians of Calhoun County by sharing their life stories along with professional portraits taken by Blufish Marketing of Marshall. This year, Senior Services staff interviewed 14 newly identified Calhoun County residents, age 99 or older. The booklet features the life stories of a total of 28 centenarians. The effort has identified thirty-three people who will turn 100 in 2023 or who have already reached this milestone. Live is fragile for people who have reached this advanced age. Those who passed away prior to July of this year were included in a memorial section of the display and booklet.

Manager Helen Guzzo says, “This project has touched us in so many ways. The history of Calhoun County is found in the stories of our older adults, we encourage family and friends to talk with the older adults in their lives to learn about history and to preserve memories. We are so thankful to the fourteen new centenarians and their families who were willing to share their life’s story with us. It is an honor to celebrate their lives. Many centenarians worked for the historical employers in Calhoun County: RW Snyder, Albion Malleable, and the Kellogg Company. Nearly all the men and even some of the women served during World War II. We celebrate the lives of these remarkable and ordinary people who have reached this extraordinary milestone.”

Robert Holt, age 105 from Albion, was in attendance with several family members, and was celebrated as the oldest living man in Calhoun County. Although she was unable to attend, Frances Dahmer, age 105, of Battle Creek has the distinction of being the oldest living woman in Calhoun County.

Later this year, the photo display will be at the Calhoun County Fair from August 13-19 and the Senior Health & Safety Fair on Thursday, October 12 at the Tekonsha Fire Station from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The goal of this project is to celebrate aging and all the contributions that our older adults have made to their communities. Calhoun County wants to promote a healthy view of aging and encourage everyone to seek out the older adults in their lives and ask about the life they have lived.

269-781-0846, hguzzo@calhouncountymi.gov