Siblings Dennis Quesenberry and Judy Luecke wish their mom, Mesquite resident Ethelene Burgi, a very happy 98 Birthday. Photo by Teri Nehrenz
Mesquite resident, Ethelene Burgi, celebrated her Ninety-eighth birthday with family and friends at Highland Estates Hotel on Friday, Oct. 25.
Burgi says her secret to a long and productive life is to keep active and moving; she walks every day. At 98, Burgi says she keeps active and sociable, isn’t on any medications and enjoys the occasional rum and coke.
“Mom has always been athletic and held the High Jump and Broad Jump records at Louisiana Tech University for about 30 years,” said son, Dennis Quesenberry. “Mom also enjoys ballroom dancing although she doesn’t do much of that anymore.”
Burgi says, “You can tell your friends you met a lady older than dirt.” She remembers in detail the day they bombed Pearl Harbor.
Her daughter, Judy Luecke, recounts the story she was just recently told. “Ethelene and her first husband, my father, Quesenberry, hadn’t been married too long; they lived in an attic apartment in Laguna Beach, CA. He and his buddies were working on a roofing project and mom was upstairs. The announcement came on the radio that Pearl Harbor had just been bombed. Mom stuck her head out the window and said, ‘I think you boys ought to stop what you’re doing and get in uniform; the Japanese just bombed Pearl Harbor.’” Luecke said, “My dad came in, took a shower, put on his uniform and mom didn’t see him for seven days, he came back and had to ship out right away.” “It’s stories like that, my mother tells, that I just love listening to; she’s lived through so much history.”
Happy Ninety-eighth Birthday Ethelene Burgi.
