Warren resident shares memories on her 100th birthday

WARREN — Anita Cozzens had to think about it for a moment, but she’s pretty sure the first president she ever voted for was Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940s.

She also remembers her childhood in Clay, Kentucky, where she was born in 1924.

Cozzens talked about her lifelong experiences when she gathered with family and friends at the Arbor Inn to celebrate her 100th birthday Sept. 16.

The birthday party at the assisted living facility gave the centenarian the chance to reminisce with the people closest to her, including her daughter Colleen Mullins and grandsons Scott Mullins and Michael Mullins, as well as her fellow residents and staff.

“It’s incredible,” Michael said of her milestone birthday. “That’s the only word I can use.”

Wearing a crown, sash and three corsages, Cozzens even had her hair done for the special occasion.

“Oh, mom, you look absolutely beautiful. You look gorgeous,” Colleen said when she arrived for the festivities. “You look like a queen.”

“This is so nice. It’s great for them to do this,” Cozzens said. “I’m so excited I can’t even talk.”

Together, the family talked about Cozzens’ childhood in Kentucky. One memory that stands out is riding in the family’s Model T car. Other moments shaped her upbringing.

“They were the first people in the area to have indoor plumbing,” Colleen said. “They were a novelty.”

Before that, Cozzens washed her hair in a rain barrel with rainwater and lye soap.

Like many Kentuckians, her father worked in the coal mines. But at one point he moved the family to Michigan to find work in the automobile industry.

“He said he didn’t want to die in the coal mines,” Cozzens said.

During World War II, Cozzens worked as a flight attendant. There were many times in which military service members were on her flights. She had another connection with the GIs of the war: Cozzens had a brief stint as a pin-up model. To pay homage to her mom, Colleen wore her airplane wings pin from Capital Airlines at the birthday party. Cozzens enjoyed “everything” about working in the airline industry.

“(We served) mostly sandwiches. Of course, we did coffee,” she said. “It was fun. You meet so many wonderful people.”

The centenarian made her home in Warren for more than 50 years. For 30 of those years, she worked as a secretary at the GM Tech Center in Warren. Upon her retirement, she received a gold watch. She also was a very active parishioner at St. Dorothy’s Catholic Church in Warren.

“She raised me as a single mom. She had to be strong and tough,” Colleen said, adding the best advice her mother ever gave her was: “Don’t give up. Things will get better. That’s the main thing and it’s true.”

Cozzens used that strength and toughness through the loss of her husband and son.

Over time, Wellness Director Shannon Boczkowski has gotten to know Cozzens very well.

“She’s a very loving and caring person,” Boczkowski said. “She’s a beautiful person inside and out. She takes care of her roommate. She loves her daughter and her grandkids.”

Grandson Scott agreed.

“She’s classy and generous and spirited,” he said. “That’s what I’d say about her.”

Cozzens also has a reputation for being a die-hard sports fan. If there’s a football, baseball, basketball or hockey game on television, she’ll cheer on her favorite teams.

“I like all sports, any sport,” she said. “I love baseball, my Tigers.”

Along with athletics, Cozzens will listen to “any kind of music” and recalled the days when Rock Hudson, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope left their mark in Hollywood.

“They were the real deal,” she said.

One of her well-wishers was Warren Mayor Lori Stone, who visited The Arbor Inn last Monday to present Cozzens with a proclamation.

“Anita has been a beacon of love and commitment, raising two wonderful children and delighting in the company of her two cherished grandchildren,” the proclamation states. “Anita’s remarkable contributions during World War II, transporting troops with unwavering courage and precision, stand as a testament to her bravery and commitment to our nation.”

Cozzens appreciated the kind words.

“I think Warren is a wonderful place,” the birthday girl told Stone.