LUCERNE>>> This past weekend family, friends, and neighbors gathered at Dorothea Atteberry’s residence at the Kona Tayee Estates in Lucerne to wish her a surprise 105th birthday.
Dorothea was born and raised in Switzerland, living through World War 2 in a neutral country surrounded by others at war. She recalled a most harrowing night spent huddled around their dining table in the dark listening to a radio broadcast that was warning residents about Hitler possibly traveling through their country.
Atteberry’s granddaughter Hannelore Uchida, alongside her son (Dorothea’s great grandson) Ari Uchida, shared “They worried wondering what that meant.” Dorothea elaborated on the war stating, “Every once in awhile, it would get very close.” Hannelore mentioned how important it was to document her grandmother’s “rather interesting” life, managing to record her story in its entirety in order to pass it down for future generations to come.
Her son Tom shared “Mom left Switzerland in her mid 20s. She got a job as a translator for a gentleman that traveled abroad. When they got to New Jersey, she decided to stay in the states.” “Many people had come to the US for family, but grandma was a working woman, which was uncommon long ago,” Hannelore said, adding that this allowed her grandmother to obtain passage for working, making her transition to the United States much easier.
Tom shared how his parents met stating “She landed in Texas and rented a room. The house was my aunt and uncle’s home. My father was renting a room as well. One night my mom’s key jammed in the door lock. My dad happened to show up and helped her get the door open.”
Tom explained “From Texas we lived in Southern California for a few years. Then Idaho in (the) 60s during a major earthquake which formed Quake Lake.” After that the family moved to the Bay area and lived in several different cities. Tom said, “My dad being an electrical engineer, allowed us to travel a lot. They bought an empty lot, late 60s, in Kono Tayee Estates. Had the home built as a vacation home. Early 80s dad retired and they became full time residents and still live in the vacation home.” Dorothea noted, “I have been here forever it seems like” referring to the last 43 years she has lived at this home. Dorothea said, “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, I have never wanted to leave.”
Having accomplished something roughly only 0.025 percent of people in the United States have done, which according to the New England Centurion Study “Out of a US population of approximately 336,997,624, in 2021, there were 89,739 centenarians (age 100+) or a prevalence of 0.027%.”, Dorothea has just two secrets to share – “Yogurt and dark chocolate.” At least that’s what she would have said some years ago. Now she says “I don’t know.” She continued “But really, yogurt is very healthy, I have very strong bones.” Overall, Dorothea considers herself a very lucky woman who had “a big surprise today” and was grateful to be surrounded by family and friends on such a special birthday.
