Friends and Neighbors: Martha Mossberg

Tomorrow, Friday Aug. 4, Martha Mossberg turns 100, though for 90 years the family celebrated on Aug. 11, as she believed that was her birthday.

She needed her birth certificate to take a cruise to Alaska, and the document set right the date of her birth, August 4, 1917.

Martha was born in Kimball and has lived in this community all but about a year and a half of her life, when she and her husband, Paul, moved to Cheyenne, Wyo.

She said she is grateful that she has been able to call the community of Kimball her home for nearly 100 years. "I have had such a good life, in such a nice quiet place."

Growing up two and a half miles from town, she said, "We lived by the creek and swam all the time. When we were kids we played a lot more than kids do now." Martha added, that if you wanted to get somewhere, you walked.

Martha attended country school, she added there was probably 10 or 12 kids in the school at that time. Once she was ready to attend Kimball County High School, she made her way to school with a horse and buggy.

After graduating high school, in 1937, Martha worked for Mrs. W. S. Rodman, she was their "Hired Girl". She remembers that they were the nicest people and they even gave her a room to stay. Martha worked for Mrs. Rodman until she married in Feb. of 1940.

Martha has three children, Kenneth, Marshall and Elsie, seven grandchildren, and 10 great grand children.

She was a hard working woman who milked cows for 37 years, and her children recall that doing so gave her, "one hell of a grip."

When reminiscing about old times, Kenneth remembers how good she could swing a spatula, but not in a good way, he added.

Martha golfed, played catcher in fast pitch softball and bowled. She was even seen bowling at 85 years of age.

She said she has had many adventures throughout her century of life, including a family trip to Sweden to meet Paul's family. And not many people can say they have been driving a car for 82 years, but Martha can and she was dead set on it.

"I wasn't going to drive any horses," she said.

If you see this lovely, full of life, lady please wish her a happy 100 birthday.

From all of us at the Observer, Happy Birthday Martha, and here is to many more to come!