ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Detroit woman who was just a teenager when she helped build B-29 bombers during World War II is celebrating her 101st birthday.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report:
When the nation went to war, Detroit traded automobile parts for bomber parts. Jenny Grzyb stepped up, following the lead of Rosie the Riveter.
"I worked at General Motors," Grzyb said.
Her youngest daughter, Sue Reno, described her Polish mother as her benchmark for all of life's most important things. Reno said her mother has always been a peacekeeper with an infectious laugh.
"She doesn’t seem that old to me… I mean, World War II? That’s crazy," Reno said. "War started, they switched, and they started doing the parts and manufacturing pieces for the bombers."
"We had hard work, that’s for sure," Grzyb said.
"She took pride in everything she did," Reno said.
While the war waged on, Grzyb continued making parts for the bombers. In 1945, she met and married her husband, Lenny, a Navy navigator.
The couple spent 70 happy years together before he died in 2015. Reno remembers her parents loving to dance.
"No one would spin around the floor faster than mom and dad," Reno said.
"I miss him. I’ve got pictures all over," Grzyb said.
Grzyb said she could not believe her eyes when her family showed up to surprise her for her 101st birthday at Waltonwood Senior Living in Rochester Hills.
Though Grzyb would not share her birthday wish, she did share her secret to successfully leading a long life.
"Do what you have to do, and do it whether you like it or not," Grzyb said.
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