Elsie Cook reached a birthday milestone when she turned 100 last month, and while she now lives in another state, she said she formed some of her fondest memories while living in Geneva more than 70 years ago.

“They’re wonderful people,” she said of those she knew in Geneva. “Everyone was very gracious and loving.”

Cook, who now resides in an assisted living home in Beaver Dam, Wis., moved in the 1930s to Geneva, where she worked as a beautician. She started out working at various beauty shops, including Eva’s Beauty Shop, and also worked alongside her sister, Florence. She eventually came to own a beauty and exercise salon – a cutting-edge business at the time.