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If you walked into Homestead of Eudora Tuesday afternoon you’d likely hear residents singing happy birthday, see giant “100” balloons, as well as one very large cake.
The birthday girl, Wilma Morgan, was humble about the whole ordeal, not wanting anyone to make a fuss about her – though you wouldn’t be able to tell since the crowd had her decked out in a birthday button and purple tiara.
But her children, Larry Morgan and Sandra Morgan Cockrum know she is a very deserving mom who has always seen the world with a glass half-full attitude.
Residents, family members and longtime friends of Wilma filled the dining room for cake, homemade ice cream and punch — and most importantly smiles and laughs.
“I think it’s an accomplishment, and my husband made it to 100, too,” Wilma said.
Her perspective on life – and good genes – have kept her young, Sandra said.
“She’s kind, she’s always patient,” Sandra said.
She’ll always give somebody a fair shot, Larry said. Her work ethic and healthy farming lifestyle has kept her going for 100 years, he said.
Born in 1924 and spending her early years during the Depression and World War II, Wilma grew up during a tough time and went through a lot of trials and tribulations with her husband by her side, they agreed.
She taught her kids how to be content with what they had, Sandra said. She’s carried those lessons on to her own kids.
“I would have never made it through the years of being a single mom without them. It was a very good lesson for me,” Sandra said.
Wilma married her husband, Erwin, in 1942, spending 80 years together. He died in November 2022.
Wilma grew up in Scranton, Kansas. Her father was a coal miner and farmer and worked at the Lansing prison.
Erwin’s family was the first settlers in Lawrence in 1854, and many still live in the area.
Erwin fell in love with Wilma in high school before he went into the military, serving three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
After the two got married, she remembers a honeymoon trip to the Ozarks. While her husband was in the war, she worked for Santa Fe in Topeka.
She recalled her first date with Erwin at a diner called Homer’s in Leavenworth that still exists today. Her kids took them back to the diner about five years ago to reminisce on the special memory.
Sandra and Larry grew up on a farm in north Lawrence. Wilma’s half-acre garden also took up a lot of her time, she said. Everything the family ate came from their own farm.
“The only thing she’d get at the grocery store was salt and pepper,” Larry said.
In her free time, she was a seamstress making everything in their home, from suits for her husband to all the kids’ clothes.
She was always canning, sewing and gardening or working out on the farm, Sandra said.
Dawn Hill, executive director of Homestead of Eudora, said Wilma is a selfless, amazing lady.
“She still takes care of people, you know, and puts other people first beside herself,” Hill said.
