Namely News: Regina hits milestone, looks forward to Mothers Day and Notre Dame football.

Regina Giczi made an announcement to her family a year or so ago. She wanted to make it to her 100th birthday.

Congratulations are in order. The longtime South Bend resident celebrated her big birthday at the end of April with family and friends. The official date of birth was April 24.

One celebration leads into another. It will be a good Mother’s Day for the family.

Reg, as relatives call her, said she attributes her long life to keeping busy, reading, family and gardening. Family is first for her. In the fall, she is all about Notre Dame football. “I was promised a football game when I turned 100.”

That was a hint for a few people.

With a ready smile and a warm handshake, she was ready to talk and share stories. “I told everyone that you were coming by. Last time I saw you it was the parking lot of Martin’s on Western. That’s about 10 years ago,” Reg said.

Not too much gets past her. I did remember some of that.

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Her son, Greg said he thinks it is her service and caring for others have been important factors. “She is dedicated to family and volunteering. She was a room mother and fried hamburgers for years for the Holy Family Church bingo nights. She made calls for Telecare for St. Joseph Health Systems for years. She called people every Saturday to check on them.”

Many people she called were younger than her. “That was good work checking on people to be sure they are OK. That’s a plug for St. Joe,” she said.

Greg and the family have been keeping her busy with euchre. “It keeps her mind sharp. She is a pretty good strategist and can still finesse an occasional loner.”

That must be euchre talk.

Greg is president and general manager of WNIT. He is joined by a brother, Brian, and sister Regina Ann. Throw in one daughter-in-law, Mary Beth (Greg’s wife) and two grandchildren, Alexis and Joseph. Husband Joe died in 1996 just weeks away from their 50th anniversary.

She said she met her husband at a dance at St. Casimir. “We went out a few times and then he left for the Air Force. I didn’t hear from him, no letters. He came back and knocked on the door. He wanted to get married.” They did.

Husband Joe graduated from Riley High. “We don’t talk about that. We all went to Washington High School,” she said, ending any discussion of other schools.

A little more background now. Reg said she was born in Poland — in an accidental sort of way. Her mother, Sabina Litka, went to a little village in Poland to care for a relative. “She went with my two older brothers, Clem and Joe. She didn’t know she was pregnant.”

The stay was extended enough for Reg to be born there. “Can you imagine two little boys and a baby coming back on a ship,” she said.

She grew up on the west side on Meade Street near St. Adalbert Church. It was a close-knit neighborhood. “We played in the streets and walked everywhere. There were no parks to play in. A relative moved to another neighborhood and everyone was upset. They should have stayed on Meade Street,” she said.

“We walked from Meade Street to downtown. We walked to football games and came back to town. My mother told us to walk quicker in some neighborhoods,” she said.

Education was important to the family. Teachers influenced her to be a lifelong reader. Because of teachers, she has a stack of books in her room. “I’ll read anything Greg brings me.”

A teacher at Washington High wanted her to be a physical education teacher because she was a good basketball player. That wasn’t in the cards. After graduating from Washington in 1940, she worked at Bike-Webb, which made elastic garments.

Later she went to beauty school and worked in salons at Robertson’s and Grand Leader. Later she worked out of her home.

Through this all, she and Joe raised three good children. “They kept me busy. I went as a chaperone to dances, proms. They were never in trouble.”

Summer will bring more family visits, books and flowers. Of course, there will be football in the fall.

“She is quite the role model,” Greg said. "Whenever we have problems, and need heavenly intervention, we go to her and ask her to pray. We feel she has an inside track."

Contact Kathy at kfborlik@yahoo.com

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: From Poland to South Bend, she brings love of family, books, football