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Mildred Fizer, a resident at The Village at Heritage Point, celebrates her 100th birthday today.
Mildred was born March 6, 1921, in Culloden in Cabell and Putnam counties. After graduating high school, she attended Marshall College, now Marshall University, for her education and extension administration degree. Upon graduating, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Cabell County for several years.
Mildred was a member of 4-H, America’s largest youth development organization that aims to help young people and their families gain the skills needed to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy.
Her dedication and work with 4-H through the West Virginia Extension Service was noticed, and she was invited to become a county 4-H leader. She did so well in this position that she was asked to work for the state office. Before long, she was named as the state director of 4-H, the first woman to do so in the country.
“I spent 37 years with 4-H,” Mildred said. “After working in Cabell County, I moved to Morgantown, where I worked statewide as the first female state director in the nation.”
After her impressive nearly four decades with 4-H, Mildred retired just before she turned 60. She then started her involvement with volunteer agencies such as Reach to Recovery, an organization that helps people cope with their breast cancer experience — as early as the first possibility of a diagnosis and continuing for as long as breast cancer remains a personal concern. She also remained active with the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels.
“After I retired, I did volunteer work for 17 different agencies,” she said. “It wasn’t until I moved to The Village that I stopped.”
In July 1999, Mildred moved into The Village at Heritage Point, a not-for-profit life plan community offering an independent lifestyle for seniors 62 and over. Mildred is considered a Charter Member of The Village, having moved in during the first week the facility opened its doors.
It was here that she met her dear friend, Betty Maxwell.
“Mildred and I both moved in the first week. There were so few of us that Mildred and I started to spend more time together and became great friends,” Betty said. “Like most friendships, she’s an important part of my life and an inspiration to me in a lot of ways. She’s a marvelous person and helped me through some of my lonely hours, and we have shared many phone conversations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Both Betty and Mildred are grateful for the friendships they’ve created during the past 22 years living at The Village at Heritage Point. Mildred has noted that the friends she has made are some of her favorite things about living at The Village.
“Mildred is someone with whom I can share the good times, sad times, meaningful discussions and jokes. She has been a wonderful friend for many years,” said Betty.
To help celebrate her 100th birthday, members of her church are going to sing to her, and the Extension Service is going to place a yard-sized birthday card on the lawn for her.
When asked what her advice to the younger generation would be, Mildred said, “Be yourself. Help others. Be involved. Make friends and make sure to be a friend.”
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