Joy and laughter never age

By Sharmane Adams  |  The Catholic Compass  |  November/December 2022

This summer, Christ Our Redeemer’s oldest parishioner, Lillian, “Lil,” Fowler, celebrated her 102nd birthday in style. Wearing an elegant, sleeveless plum dress with a pearl necklace and her favorite three-inch heels, she insisted it was not a birthday party but rather sharing a piece of cake with  75 friends. The event, held at the church in Niceville, was hosted by her friends Min Kim and Bob Baggerman. 

Since Lillian’s 99th birthday, Min and Bob have coordinated the annual event. “My 99th birthday was a big big party,” Lillian said. “My 100th birthday was when everything was closed because of the virus, so people from the church all came in their cars and waved. It was a parade.” Last year’s celebration was also small due to the ongoing pandemic. 

Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Lillian and her late husband, Oliver, “Ollie,” met in college while attending the University of Louisiana. The couple married in 1941. “Ollie was a pilot in the Air Force for 25 years. We traveled a lot and then we retired,” she said. 

In 1981, the Fowlers moved to Northwest Florida and purchased a waterfront home where Lillian still resides. She was a talented artist in her earlier years, with oil paintings of people, still-life canvases and landscapes displayed throughout her home — a story behind each one is as interesting as her work. Lillian loves tending to her flower garden made up of azaleas and bougainvillea. She says working on puzzles keeps her mind sharp and that math is one of her strong suits. 

Lillian grew up in a large Catholic family and remembered her mother making rosaries out of seeds of a plant. “She would make rosaries for people who couldn’t afford to buy them. I would give anything to have one now,” Lillian said with her sweet Louisiana Southern accent. 

Living through a world war and the Great Depression, Lillian recalls her dad working for a railroad as an engineer. “My dad had a railroad pass so that gave my family a pass to travel to go on the railroad,” she said. “We went to New Orleans a lot. We saw ‘Gone with the Wind’ there.” She still has the souvenir booklet explaining the making of the movie.

Lillian’s joyful spirit and witty personality are hard not to notice. When asked, “Do you think God has a purpose for us?” She exclaimed, “Oh sure, to make me laugh!” Lillian has been involved in her parish since its establishment in 1989. She and her husband were instrumental in raising funds for the church building. 

She attended Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Niceville before attending Christ Our Redeemer. Lillian was a daily Mass communicant until she could no longer drive. Now, she attends Mass on Sundays, meditates on the daily readings and prays the rosary daily. 

Lillian keeps a collection of pictures and cards of endearment from her birthday celebrations in photo albums marked by the year. Thoughtful and heartfelt wishes written by friends speak of love, kindness, generosity and affection.

“Lil is a joy to be around. She teaches all of us how to grow old gracefully with love,” Bob said.