Tacoma woman celebrates 105th birthday with a motorcycle


Wilma Rosenow sure knows how to celebrate her birthday in style, the News-Tribune newspaper reports.

Rosenow, who recently turned 105 years old, lives at an assisted living community in Tacoma, Washington, and to mark her birthday, she was surprised during her party with a visit from a Harley Davidson motorcycle, which rode into her party as she was dining with friends and family.

According to the newspaper, Rosenow’s connection with motorcycles started when her community went on a trip years ago, and staff member Jaquelyn Kleiner noticed Rosenow chatting with motorcyclists at a rest stop. Later, Kleiner surprised Rosenow with a trip on a Harley for her 101st birthday in 2008.

Wilma Rosenow was born in 1907 in Washington state, and was one of 12 children born to German immigrants. She married a Tacoma firefighter, and they started a family. Today, she has two children, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

But when one resident turns 105 and gets surprised by a motorcycle in her dining room, it’s also a treat for her friends.

"It’s always a surprise for us too," 90 year-old fellow resident Doris Bostrom told the news source. "I think one of these times she’ll probably try a helicopter – that’s about the only thing left."