"Mountaineer" May Have Celebrated 116th Birthday

Dizzy Sampson, at 116, was one of the twenty oldest people in the entire Nut Mountain area. However, whether she made it to her 116th birthday party is an open question. Although she seemed alert and recognizing people at her party, it was determined that she was actually dead at the time.

In fact, the attending doctor took a body temperature reading that indicated she may have been dead for hours prior to the party. Yet she was propped up in a chair with a birthday hat placed on her head and, by all accounts, appeared to be enjoying herself.

Regardless, the family had a very good party according to great grandson Danny Sampson, 30, of Great Plains. "Many of us came in from far and wide and we just had a really great visit. Everyone felt like we were making a connection with Grandma, turns out the connection might have gone all the way to Heaven."

Thankfully, family members aren't the least bit upset by Dizzy's passing. "She was one hundred and sixteen years old," said Great Niece Josephine Scheel, 37, of Waverly. "I've been expecting her to die pretty much every day of my whole existence. Fact is, I was getting impatient."

"I know she may have been dead," said son in-law Peter Given, 88, who lives at the lodge, "But I know when Dizzy enjoys her cake and the cake she had in her mouth that day brought a real light to her eyes."

The family is forgoing a funeral since no one is really in mourning. Dizzy will be sealed in plastic and dropped into the Benton River by Brandt Funeral Home staff this Friday when all the paper work is finalized.