Hazel Lucado celebrates 100th birthday at Cedar Woods on Nov. 22

By Donna Lou Shaw
Director of Public Relations
Cedar Woods Assisted Living
Hazel Lucado celebrated her 100th birthday at Cedar Woods in Van Buren Township on Nov. 22.
Hazel has been a Resident at Cedar Woods Assisted Living & Memory Care in Van Buren Township since July 2017.
Hazel is the Bingo bandit, always has a sweet tooth, and is an artist beyond imagination. She can paint a pumpkin like Picasso!
Hazel was born in Virginia in 1920! She was the second to the youngest of 15 siblings who were blessed to survive The First Pandemic of 1918 (the Spanish Flu). Hazel’s mother and father kept all 15 children safe, never letting them leave the farm, and all of 15 siblings remained free of the Spanish Virus and lived healthy, happy, and energetic lives. Once again, with the help of the dedicated team at Cedar Woods Assisted Living, our sweet Hazel has managed not to contract the coronavirus while living through her second pandemic.
In the late 1930s Hazel met her beloved husband, William Beckwith Fuqua Lucado and they married in 1940. They relocated to Michigan in the early ‘40s to find work. Her husband was not drafted to the Army due to an injury, however William and Hazel both went to work at the Willow Run Bomber Plant. She is a Rosie the Riveter! Hazel, although very petite, was a strong worker and bucked rivets and worked at the plant for five years, paving the way for the working women.
Salute to Hazel! Thank you, Hazel, for supporting our men at war and your service to the United States of America
Hazel left the Bomber Plant in 1945 when she became pregnant with her first daughter, Carolyn Griffin (who was present at the birthday party with her husband Earnest Griffin). Later in 1952, Hazel gave birth to another healthy girl, Lorraine Gibson (who also was present at the party at Cedar Woods with her husband John Gibson). Hazel is also the proud grandmother of three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Hazel Lucado later became a Sunday School teacher at Calvary Baptist Church in Ypsilanti. She was one of many women in the community who started the Sunday School for the children. Bless you, Hazel, for teaching and spreading faith, love and joy to the children in Ypsilanti!
Hazel, we are blessed to have you here at Cedar Woods, and we are counting on many more years to go! The oldest female in the United States is 120 years old …. So, Hazel you have a lot of catching up to do!