CANTON – Walking into Lucia Johnson’s apartment in the Assisted Living wing of United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton, one can’t help but to notice the unique décor on her walls.

There are funny cards and serious cards, religious cards and heartfelt cards, many even from strangers, on display. Some of the cards contain handwritten notes, while others just have a signature, but they all say one thing, “Happy Birthday.”

Mrs. Johnson turned 90 years old on Tuesday, April 13.

“So far I’ve received 125 cards,” Mrs. Johnson said. “I don’t know what to do with them all, but I have read each one.”

In addition to birthday cards, there are a couple of other items plentiful in her apartment, recipes and poems.

“I worked as a field editor for Taste of Home for 10 years or so,” she said, adding that over the years she’s had several of her own recipes published in the magazine. “If you go online, you can find my picture and some of my recipes there.” (see recipes at end of article)

“I’m full-blooded Italian, so you know that means I love to cook,” she said, noting her maiden name is Catanzarite. “Whenever we had guests or friends over I would always make something I had never made before.”

Mrs. Johnson even noted she’s self-taught in the kitchen. “My mother had six children, and she never wanted us in the kitchen while she was cooking, so I had to learn on my own,” she said. “I think I did alright.”

As for the poetry, Mrs. Johnson published a book of her poems as a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, raising over $500 through sales of her book. That’s only a drop in the bucket though when considering that with three of her daughters, Marilyn, Stephanie, and Charlene, the family has raised more than $50,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

“That’s something we’re very passionate about,” she said. “My husband Leon passed away from that.”

Prior to moving to Assisted Living just over a year ago, she lived in Massena, where she was born and raised. “I lived there my whole life, until I came here,” she said. “I love it here though, everyone is always so nice.”

Mrs. Lucia said she’s not planning to go anywhere anytime soon.

“I had an Aunt who lived to be 108,” she said. “Her mind was fine all the way to the end. We used to love to hear her tell stories about Italy, because she grew up there.”

Mrs. Johnson also said that history was also a popular topic of conversation with her aunt. “She remembered when the Titanic sank and she would often tell us about that or other major events from her lifetime,” she said.

Now Mrs. Johnson is the one telling stories, looking back at an incredible life full of accomplishments, and changes in the way we live that no one could have ever imagined when she was growing up.

“One of my daughter’s wanted to post something on Facebook as a way to thank people for all of the cards. She asked me what to write. “I told her to say, ‘I had a wonderful 39th birthday,’” Mrs. Johnson recalled with a laugh.

Quick Potato Corn Chowder - https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/quick-potato-corn-chowder/

Zucchini Onion Pie - https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/zucchini-onion-pie/