In only 103 years, Hazel “Tony” Jaros has experienced much of what life has to offer.

From bartending as a teenager, to working on World War II Landing Ship, Tank (LST) craft in Seneca and raising three children, the Wednesday birthday girl has a lust for life which continues to this very day.

The former South Wilmington resident, where she lived for much of her life after her family relocated from Houston, Missouri, when she was a mere 14 years of age, she remains wide eyed with a thirst for adventure.

Even though the adventure is more on the side of visiting with family and friends – as she plans to travel for eight hours on Thursday with her daughter this week to Missouri to see family and friends for a few days – she recalled a life of plenty of comings and goings.

The mother of two daughters and a son – of which one daughter, Dorothy, recently passed away at the age of 76 due to cancer – will be traveling with her Evansville, Indiana-based daughter, 80-year-old Shirley Hofseth, to Missouri.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” she said of her life. And she plans on continuing the adventure noting she still feels great and, while the energy may not be as endless as before, she still has reasons for experiencing life.

“As long as I can get up and walk down this street I will,” she said.

A two-year resident at Westwood Riverside Senior Life Community, immediately west of Riverside Medical Center, her life remains full.

“They still call her Rosie the Riveter,” Hofseth offered with a wide grin as she nodded to her mother. Rosie the Riveter was the name used to represent the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, replacing the male workers who left the workforce to join the military.

Actually, Jaros said, the Seneca production plant was the only “prairie shipyard” involved in this production, meaning all the other sites were located near water ports for getting these crafts were needed in a quick fashion.

“I was one of the welders’ helpers. I would deliver the different welding rods needed to the welders,” she said, while also noting she would help clean the welding residue, known as slag, off of the finished welds.

And while her life has been filled with many adventures, Jaros prefers simple times as opposed to adventure.

She also made it clear that even though she turns 103, gifts are unneeded and unnecessary.

“They don’t need to get me anything. Just be here for me,” she said.

But she caught herself.

“I would like a margarita, maybe,” she admitted. Nothing special, she said. “Just a plain ol’ margarita.”

Many celebrations at Westwood

While Jaros’ journey through life had many twists and turns and she may be the eldest within the living center, there are others sporting birthdays which take them into the triple digits.

In fact, there were five others presents at Monday’s community room gathering who were age 100 or who would be reaching that figure within the coming weeks.

One was Ben Deck. The 100-year-old Deck is far from an unfamiliar face within the gathering spots in and around Riverside Medical Center.

Deck, who was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was actually a 19-year Riverside greeter. He was a common face to anyone and everyone who entered the hospital.

He served in that roll from 2001 until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.

He stressed he was not a volunteer. “I wasn’t going to work for nothing,” he said with a laugh.

Deck was a common community face before his Riverside tenure. He also worked numerous years in sales for the Kankakee Area Chamber of Commerce and had a long career in sales and management for the company known as Armour Foods, which later was known as Swift Foods and then Bunge Edible Oil.

Another notable centenarian

Miles Zehradnik, who actually will reach age 100 on Nov. 11, was the owner-operator pharmacist of Miles Drug Store, a downtown Momence business from 1972-82.

His wife, Elle, has already reached 100, but she was a little under the weather and could not attend Monday’s gathering.

The former Momence pharmacist, who came to Kankakee County after a long career in Oak Lawn, said his years in Momence were enjoyable as he was a part of the city’s fabric.

Others at the gathering were:

· Dorothy Hoekstra, 101. Hoekstra notes she is an excellent corn hole player as she plays daily at Westwood. The St. Anne resident’s mother lived to age 96, while her father lived until age 90.

· Gwendolyne Monferdini, 100, of Bourbonnais.

· Martha Billingsly, 99. Her 100th birthday will be later in May.