Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News Norma Resterhouse celebrated her 100th birthday on Halloween at Freeman Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Kingsford.

KINGSFORD — Norma (Bowman) Resterhouse celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on Halloween at Freeman Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Kingsford.

Resterhouse has been at Freeman’s just over a year and keeps staff on her toes.

According to her daughter, Helen Kosobucki, Resterhouse was raised in Aurora, Wis., and moved to Milwaukee after high school. She married her husband, Albert, and had eight children. After 28 years of marriage, her husband passed away at age 51, leaving her a widow with three children still at home.

Resterhouse returned to the area when Kosobucki moved here in 1999.

Other members of the family include sons Larry, Greg, Robin and Rick and daughters Carol Astbury, Karen Strobel and Renee LaVigne. Resterhouse has 18 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

“I was taking care of kids. I wasn’t worried about hobbies,” she said. “I didn’t have to get after them that much.”

One hobby she did enjoy was bowling and she belonged to several bowling leagues. “I was good, too,” she said.

She worked at Eagle Knitting Mills in Milwaukee, packaging clothing. Kosobucki said her mother later took care of her children so she could work.

Resterhouse has several secrets to long life, including minding your own business, knowing you are as good as anyone else and using common sense.

“That’s how I got here — just common sense,” she said. “I just took it one day at a time.”

Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.