By Lindsay Peyton

The staff at Daystar Retirement Village realized they had a unique situation on their hands, one they believed was worth celebrating.

The senior center, located at 2615 SW Barton St. in West Seattle, is home to five centenarians -- Isabelle Mills, Ethel Taylor, Dorothea Huff and Dora Kinsch, each 101 years old, and Betty Novotny, who is 103.

Daystar hosted a special luncheon for the women on Thursday, May 18 – and honored each with a signed letter from Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

“You have enriched many lives over the years, and your experiences are part of the very rich tapestry of our state and nation, “ Inslee wrote. “Your recollections of a rich and full life are truly priceless treasures . . . I hope you realize the significance of the legacy you have been building over these many years.”

All five women gathered before the luncheon to share memories, after each visited the on-site beauty salon to prepare for the big day.

Novotny, who is originally from Chicago, worked as a treasurer for a small company. She has two children and eight grandchildren and enjoys oil painting, especially scenes of the mountains and portraits.

She said television was the biggest change in her lifetime. “It really opened the world to us,” she said.

And Novotny still enjoys watching the daily news broadcast. “I like to keep up with everything in the nation right now, whether it’s about problems or not,” she said.

Taylor and Mills are both originally from Minnesota – and Huff and Kinsch hail from Kansas.

Kinsch said she used to love to go bowling but now she prefers watching baseball games and is a self-proclaimed Mariners fan. Her hobbies include crossword puzzles, reading, sewing and crocheting.

Taylor came to Seattle following her sisters’ footsteps. “My two younger siblings came here first, and they wrote to us to say Boeing was hiring,” she said. “We came here one-by-one.”

Taylor said arriving in Seattle and landing a job at Boeing was fortunate – and she is astounded at the way the city has grown over the years.

“The growth of Seattle has been huge,” she said. “When I came here, there weren’t even freeways.”

Mills grew up on a farm and became a teacher. She taught a number of grade levels in a one-room schoolhouse and has always loved to dance.

“I went dancing every week,” she said.

Huff also grew up on a farm and became a teacher. “I had four children, which I think kept me wonderfully busy,” she said.

She said having a healthy lifestyle is the secret to a long life. “I ate very carefully,” she said. “And I don’t drink and don’t smoke.”

Mills said that dancing and playing music on the organ are what have kept her young.

Taylor walks every day and her advice for those who would like to reach 100 years old is simply, “Keep busy.”

Kinsch recommends having a little fun. “Eat what you want,” she said.

And Novotny’s secret to longevity came with a laugh. “Just keep breathing,” she said.

The women will be joined by two more centenarians at Daystar in 2018 -- June Blakney and Mary Mann.

The center hopes to make this an annual celebration – and in the future to invite other 100-year old Seattle residents to join them for lunch.

For more information about Daystar Retirement Village, visit www.daystarseattle.com.