Helen Haberkamp, a resident of Madison House Retirement in Kirkland, will turn 104 years old on June 29.

There are several lessons she’s learned in her lifetime.

“Always pay your bills,” she said.

She also feels it is very important to get out of her apartment every day, “even if you don’t feel like it and see what’s going on.”

Haberkamp was born in Arlington, Ill. in 1909. She was raised in the Lutheran – Missouri Synod and she attended parochial school, which taught in both English and German. She learned to read the Bible in German.

She was born the oldest in her family. Her younger sister is 101 and her baby sister recently passed away at 89 years old. She has a daughter and son, two grandsons and three great-grandchildren.

Haberkamp worked for the U.S. Postal Service after raising her children and after retirement did private childcare. She loves children and also taught Sunday school for eight years, saying, “It is wonderful to see what kids think.”

She finally stopped driving at 95 when she retired at Madison House Retirement & Assisted Living. She travelled extensively around the world until well into her 90s. She went on an African safari, saw the Great Wall of China and even road on the Trans-Siberian Railroad in Russia.

Haberkamp enjoys a nice scotch on the rocks each week during the Madison House happy hour. She also believes that faith, family and honesty is so important.