Still Going Strong
JEFFERSON TWP — When Lucille “Lucy” Kelly Treccasse was born in 1905 Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States and the Russo-Japanese War had been recently concluded. Transportation was by horse and wagon, and the Wright brothers' third airplane had stayed aloft for just 39 minutes.
In her lifetime, Treccase has seen two world wars, the splitting and reunification of Germany and “The Macarena.”
Friends and relatives gathered Sunday at Concordia's Lund Care Center to wish her a happy 112th birthday.
Treccase said the party was a bit premature. She was actually born Oct. 18, 1905, in Foxburg, the third daughter and fifth child of James and Mayme Kelly.
“We moved to Butler, and I was in the first class at the new Butler High School on North Street,” she said.
She graduated from high school at the top of her class and was immediately hired as a secretary at the Bantam Co.
“I got a job right away. There was no automobiles in those days, just a cart for things,” she said. “I was the only one to get a job. They (her classmates) weren't friendly because I got the only job. I was a secretary. My boss was from Europe.”
While Treccase rates cars as the biggest advance in her lifetime, Bantam didn't share in the automotive success.
“They had a car called the Standard. It didn't go over very good. Then Detroit started. They were better made. We didn't know how to make them,” she said.
She stayed at Bantam, she said, “until I got married, then I quit.”
She married Dr. James Treccase, a doctor who served in the Army in both world wars rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
They no children, so it's been up to grandnieces and Shirley Winkler of Saxonburg to do the party planning.
Winkler said, “My mother (Oma Mast) and Lucy were at Outlook Point in Saxonburg together.
“My mother passed away at 100 and at about the same time, Lucy fell and fractured her hip. She came to Concordia for therapy and decided to stay.”
That was eight years ago. Treccase said, “It seems like forever. The food is lousy here. We had good food at home. I don't like the food here.”
Although she uses a wheelchair, she said her health was good.
“I feel all right. I lost some weight because I can't eat the food here,” she said.
“I've got cataracts in both eyes. They can't operate. Can you believe that? I'm mostly blind. I can't read or write,” she said.
That doesn't prevent her from participating in her three-times-a-week bingo games and her weekly find-a-word competition, said Jamie White, the activity director.
It also doesn't prevent Treccase from her favorite pastime: listening to KDKA radio and her favorite host, Marty Griffin.“KDKA is the only station I listen to,” said Treccase. “I listen to Marty Griffin every morning. My parents were one of the first people to have a radio.”On her 110th birthday, she was interviewed on KDKA, had a visit from Griffin himself and was presented with a wall plaque honoring her family as one of the first to listen when the station started broadcasting in 1920.A picture of her and Griffin taken during his visit occupies a place of honor in her apartment.Griffin was invited but neither Treccasse nor Winkler knew if he would be attending the ice cream and cake party Sunday at Lund's Porch Lounge.People who were coming included Treccasse's relatives, her grandniece, Karenjean McMillan of Las Vegas and McMillan's daughter Allison Lull and her husband, Greg, of Los Angeles; her great-nephew, Kenny Dehus of Fox Chapel and his sons, Kai and Rai; and another great-nephew, Kelly Dehus of Michigan.No doubt her kin will be asking for advice on how to live to be 112.She advised moderation.Treccasse said, “I never smoked, that's the main thing. All I drink is a little bit of beer, a half a bottle never hurt anybody.”
