By Staci DaSilva
sdasilva@kcautv.com
12-12-2012 isn't just a date to Dolly Loetscher.
Born on December 12th, 1912, Dolly's given name was actually Matilda.
But being the first born in her family, to her parents, she was more than a baby, she was a doll.
"Oooohhh, that little doll. I don't know, other babies must have been homely," said Loetscher.
And the name kind of stuck. Before her other siblings were born, Dolly learned the meaning of labor working on her family's farm.
"I didn't get a life like most kids did," said Loetscher.
She'd go on to have 4 siblings and later, 2 children of her own: her son, Edward and her 72-year old daughter, Barbara Blau.
So what does she think of her mother's epic 12/12/12 celebration?
"It seems to be really cool because I wasn't expecting all this attention for her. We always wondered how old she'd get, you always do with your parents and we never ever expected this," said Blau.
Dolly's century old memory lapses every once in a while, but special people, times and out of the ordinary experiences are unforgettable.
"She's an easy-going person, very likeable. I wish I could be more like that," said her daughter, Barbara.
We should all be a little more like Dolly, healthy, kind and with a full life in our path.
"Just like always, don't feel any different. Don't feel like I'm somebody else," said Dolly.
And why should she?
Dolly takes just 2 pills a day as a result of an ulcer a few decades ago. Besides that, she's never really had any serious illnesses.
She says her secret for being healthy for a century: hard work.
