Wednesday, March 29 was her 90th birthday. Darlene Zimmerman woke up early, like she always did, got ready for her day. She’d made plans with her friend Mary to get her hair done and go out for lunch, maybe soup and sandwich at Old Main Street Cafe. She needed Mary to drive her because she’d been having a little trouble with her eyesight recently and though the treatments were working just fine, Darlene still needed a little help when it came to driving, especially with all the snow banked up around the residential areas of Devils Lake.
Her grown children each called her that morning at different times, wishing her a “happy birthday” and expressing their wishes to be with her on this milestone birthday, but if you know Darlene, she was just fine with a “no frills kind of day” even if it was her birthday.
Her oldest, son Dwight, is a bestselling, award-winning author, quite a prolific one at that, with comic books, graphic novels and books of various genres spanning a career of nearly 50 years, who lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Daughter Mary Beth lives in Pensacola, Fla, she’s a retired nurse.
Youngest of the three, Christian, also lives in Brooklyn, NY and is still working, he’s a landscape architect and designer (among other duties) for Brooklyn’s historic Prospect Park, known also affectionately as “Brooklyn’s Back Yard.”
The gift
What do you get a gal about to celebrate her 90th birthday?
A surprise birthday party!
No hiding in the dark and jumping out to yell “surprise” – that’s a little much for a 90-year old, even one in as good shape as Darlene is in. Instead her friends spent months planning the big event. Mary was to get her to the Devils Lake Senior Center by 2 p.m. She told Darlene she had to stop and pick something up , but when Darlene said she would just stay in the car, Mary would hear none of it. “You come on in and see who’s playing cards today!” she said.
Once inside, there was no one in the card playing room, so Mary got her to go down to the place where they eat lunch at Senior Meals. The room was all decorated and ready for a party when in walked two handsome young men, heading straight for her: It was Dwight and Christian! The boys had conspired with Darlene’s friends to make this a birthday to remember for their mom. Dwight later called it, “A conspiracy of family and friends” when asked how they had pulled this off without Darlene learning about it. She’s a pretty sharp cookie, so it was a challenge.
Dwight and Christian had arrived Tuesday evening and found lovely accommodations in the newly rennovated Spirit Lake Motel in downtown Devils Lake. Their early morning calls to wish Mom happy birthday were done on their cell phones as they drove around the town where they grew up, even driving past the house on 7th Avenue as they spoke to her.
Wednesday afternoon was spent greeting the more than 60 friends and well-wishers who attended the two-hour party as they enjoyed taking pictures and reminiscing over coffee and cupcakes with a beaming Darlene and her boys.
She wanted everyone who attended and had a part in the planning of her special day to know how grateful she was for the “gift” – “Thank you, all of you! – said Darlene Zimmerman on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
