Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NILES — A Niles resident is celebrating a birthday milestone today.

Alma Mullins celebrated her 100th birthday today with much fanfare. According to Mullins, her family – which spans five generations – recently threw a surprise birthday party for her. Family from five different states gathered to celebrate her day.

“They said we’re going to my daughter’s 60th wedding anniversary,” she said. “There were over 50 people there. I was in shock for two weeks.”

Mullins was born Nov. 11, 1922, to Willy and Edna Wilson in Soddy, Tennessee. The eighth of ten children, Mullins married her first husband, Gordon, in 1939 and they moved to Niles in 1948 in search of work. She raised five children and has grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She retired from Simplicity Pattern Company after 25 years and was a member of the Cass County Ladies League.

“She has always been extremely active,” said Mullins’ daughter, Linda Baker. “You can take the girl from the farm but not the farm from the girl.”

Mullins attributes her long life to her loving family and said she enjoys baking for her grandchildren.

“I love baking chocolate pies for them,” she said. “I have one grandson who won’t come to dinner if we don’t have ‘granny’s chocolate pie’. Our family is just a big family of love. I’ve had a wonderful life.”

1922 Cost of Living

New House – $7,197

Average Income – $2,067 per year

New Car – $390

Average Rent – $16 per month

Tuition to Harvard University – $250.00 per year

Movie Ticket – 15¢ each

Gasoline – 11¢ per gallon

First-Class Postage Stamp – 2¢ each

Food

Granulated Sugar – $1/15 pounds

Vitamin D Milk – 52¢ per gallon

Ground Coffee – 15¢ per pound

Bacon – 17¢ per pound

Eggs – 12¢ per dozen

Fresh Ground Hamburger – 13¢ per pound

Fresh Baked Bread – 9¢ per loaf