[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ELSIE BOYD

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                           HON. JUDY BIGGERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 18, 2003

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, in 1903, the first airplane took flight at 
Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. In that same year, the life of a 
constituent in my congressional district, Elsie Boyd, also took 
flight--and is still going strong a full 100 years later.
  I proudly rise to join with the many people from my district who will 
help celebrate Elsie's 100th birthday on June 24.
  Friends and family who know and love Elsie understand what keeps her 
going strong--and I do mean strong.
  Elsie owns and lives in her own condominium.
  She is active with the Methodist Church women and helps with 
neighborhood rummage sales.
  She drives herself around town in a 1988 Chevy Nova and reads at 
least two hours each night--I hear she loves English history and any 
and every biography about Queen Victoria and Great Britain's royal 
families.
  Simply put, Elsie is one of those people who lives life to the 
fullest, always views the glass as half full and turns the tables on 
the most difficult trials life has to offer.
  According to her daughter Edie Boyd, ``mom always looks at the 
positive side of life. That is why she is so successful and 
independent.''
  Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I find to be the most inspiring 
about her life is the path she took to achieve professional success. 
After her paternal grandmother pulled the plug on high school and 
declared that her help was needed around the house, Elsie decided to 
earn her diploma by taking night courses--no small task for a young 
woman in the early part of the 20th century.
  Fluent in German, Elsie moved on to spend many years as a legal 
secretary, including some time spent abroad and working on the private 
legal affairs of Judge Henry Homer, who later became Governor of 
Illinois.
  Next week, Elsie will celebrate 100 years of life with an immediate 
family that includes three daughters, six grandchildren and eleven 
great-grandchildren. Needless to say, the family cherishes each and 
every moment of time spent with her.
  Orville and Wilbur Wright set the stage for 100 years of aviation 
breakthroughs. In her own way, Elsie spent much the same amount of time 
accomplishing great things and inspiring others by always concentrating 
on the sunny side of life. Congratulations Elsie--you are a wonderful 
example and a wonderful person.

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