DICKINSON — In 1925, Benito Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy, F. Scott Fitzgerald published "The Great Gatsby" and Calvin Coolidge was sworn into office in the first presidential inauguration broadcast via radio. This was the world Martha Kuylen was born into, as her parents, Louis and Mary Kostelecky of New Hradec, North Dakota, welcomed her as their fifth child. Today, after having lived a full century surrounded by family and a supportive community, Martha celebrates her 100th birthday.
The first 16 years of Martha’s life were spent in New Hradec, where she enjoyed a rich family life with nine siblings and two kind, hard-working parents. In New Hradec, she attended school and worked on the family’s farm. When she was 16, Martha moved to Dickinson, where she took a job at Di