105 candles: Big birthday, big celebration
In her 105 years, Agatha Breuer remembers things being a lot cheaper. “I remember when gas was a quarter and a dozen eggs were $0.07,” said Agatha. (Photo by Caitlin Bittner)
By Caitlin Bittner
These days, people are living longer than ever before, but what’s the secret? Agatha Breuer celebrated her 105th birthday on July 24, so it’s safe to say she’s in on it.
“It was a tremendous party,” exclaimed Agatha, a smile stretching across her face. When asked what her favorite part of the event was, she said, “Oh, just being there and seeing everybody.”
For 105, she said she still loves music, dancing, going to church and playing cards. “I play dirty clubs,” she stated, noting that euchre is another favorite.
As for her taste in music, Agatha loves country and polka. In fact, every year for 35 years, Agatha has made a special trip to Huckleberry’s Restaurant to see the Toe Tappers, one of her favorite local groups. These trips were first made special because she spent them with her late-husband, Fred.
Fred and Agatha were married on Nov. 15, 1932, and were together for 72 years. As a November wedding, it’s easy to imagine it was starting to get chilly outside, but this was a memorable cold. Snow and ice attended the wedding as uninvited guests, and the morning after the wedding, temperatures dropped below -20 degrees.
As a couple, Fred and Agatha loved to go dancing. “We did the two-step, polkas and the waltz,” said Agatha, who remembered that their favorite song to dance to was “Ashes of Love.”
For most of her life, Agatha was a homemaker in the Bloomington area, who enjoyed quilting. “I can’t count how many I’ve made,” Agatha said, who also used to use flour sacks to make clothes for her older daughters.
Agatha’s family has grown considerably over the years. From nine children to 61 grandchildren to 121 great-grandchildren to 39 great-great-grandchildren, the family just keeps expanding, leaving a startling 30-something years between the youngest and oldest great grand children.
Currently, Agatha lives at the Prairie Maison Nursing Home in Prairie du Chien.
