By CONNIE DORNFELD

Staff Reporter

HORICON - While bowling at Dodge Center four years ago, Walter Klusmeyer, then a young 96 years of age, said "I plan to live after 100. I am in good health. I take no pills, even for blood pressure which is 127/74. And my cholesterol is 144. Bowling had a lot to do with my good health."

Saturday, celebrating his 100th birthday a little ahead of schedule with an estimated 60 family members and friends at the Iron Ridge Inn, the eternal optimist indicated that he plans to be around for another decade.

"Why not" I don't take any medications. I am not sick. Why shouldn't I live another 10?" Klusmeyer asked.

Klusmeyer was born on Oct. 3, 1908 in D?sseldorf, Germany to Gustav and Henrietta (Opel) Klusmeyer. He was their only child.

In 1912, Gustav Klusmeyer left Germany, came to America and settled in Chicago. Two years later, on Valentine's Day in 1914, he traveled to New York City to pick up his son and his wife and take them to the small house built by him and his brother in Cicero.

In 1920, the house was traded for a small farm in Plainfield, with Gustav still commuting to Chicago where he was employed as a plasterer. In 1924 the family acquired a larger farm in Coloma. As a freshman at Coloma High School, Walter was faced with the decision of dropping out of school to work on the farm. He chose the latter.

On Dec. 20, 1930, Walter married Etta Wandry of Westfield. They stayed on the farm until 1965 and had two children, a son, Robert, and a daughter, Claire. In 1965 the family moved to a year-round cottage on nearby Pleasant Lake.

In 1989, to be near their son, Robert, and his wife, Joyce, the couple moved to the mobile home park off Highway S at rural Horicon. After 68 years of marriage, Etta died at 91 of Alzheimers. Walter remained at the park until June 2 of this year when he moved to Milwaukee to make his home with his daughter, Claire Allison.

Walter attributed his longevity and good health to bowling, a sport he took up in Westfield in 1945 at the age of 37, and one also enjoyed by Etta. On moving to Horicon, he bowled on two teams at Dodge Center.

"In 2002, I hit 267 and received a wristwatch from the American Bowling Congress because 267 was more than 100 pins above my average," Klusmeyer said. "I started with a strike, had an open frame, and then rolled nine more strikes plus nine pins," he said.

Walter always carried two bowling balls - one weighing 16 pounds and one 13. "I used one just for picking off the six and 10 pins on the right hand side. My other ball hooks 'way too fast."

When one of the two teams broke up in 2004, Walter did not try to get on another team. He bowled his last game in May 2007.

Walter served as secretary of the Horicon Bowling Association from 1952-1980.

During a trip to Los Angeles in May 2007 to meet a cousin, Walter had his first glider flight. "That was nice," he said with a smile.