Latah County
IDGenWeb
With a sprightly chuckle, Mrs. Happie Wilson, 102 years old yesterday, declared
that "It's kind of fun!" being a celebrity. And a celebrity she is, with two
birthday parties in her honor – one with her family and one at the Paradise
Villa convalescent center.
Mrs. Wilson celebrated yesterday at her son's home, the Lloyd Wilson ranch at Genesee. Before she left for her party, about 50 of the residents at the nursing home got together for a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday." Mrs. Wilson said.
A "Genesee country" resident for many years, Mrs. Wilson moved to Paradise Villa in 1968. She came to the area originally in 1900, when she left Bradford County, Pa., for Uniontown. She was born March 1, 1870, at Masontown, Pa., a town named for her family. She was married in the fall of 1903 to Milton S. Wilson. They purchased a farm near Genesee in 1911, which is now owned by their son, Lloyd.
After Wilson's death in 1935, Mrs. Wilson moved into the town of Genesee. Two separate falls in 1960 required her to move to a Lewiston nursing home, where she lived prior to coming to Moscow in 1968.
Mrs. Wilson, Latah County's oldest resident, isn't the only long-lived member of her family. A niece, Mrs. Elizabeth Rohr of Pennsylvania, will be 98 in June, and Frank Mason, an uncle, lived to be 104.
Mrs. Wilson had another son, Frank, who died about two years ago. She also has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Transcribed by Norma Hass, from Idahonian clipping dated Thursday, March 2, 1972
Happy Wilson, who lived many years at Genesee, was honored yesterday with a birthday cake and party noting her 104th birthday, which was March 1. Her spirits are good, despite her failing vision and hearing. Mrs. Wilson's son, Lloyd, is a Geneses [sic] area rancher. LPN Esther Chase prepared to cut the birthday cake at Paradise Villa Convalescent Center.
Transcribed by Jill Leonard Nock, from clipping dated Tuesday, March 5, 1974
Happy Wilson, who makes her home at Paradise Villa,
has claimed the unofficial title of Latah County's oldest resident. Although her
hearing and sight aren't what they used to be, Happy lives up to her name and
maintains her interest in food, clothing, and visitors. She has one living son,
Lloyd Wilson, Genesee area rancher, four grandchildren and a number of
great-grandchildren. Another son, Frank, died several years ago.
Transcribed by Jill Leonard Nock, from clipping dated March 1, 1975
Latah County IDGenWeb Copyright
Design by Templates in Time
This page was last updated 09/23/2023