Leap Day birthdays: Wisconsin residents celebrate milestones
MILWAUKEE - Two people in southeast Wisconsin celebrated their Leap Day birthdays in special ways on Thursday, Feb. 29.
For Norma Quakkelaar, celebrating her 84th birthday in Leap Years meant she was "legally" allowed to get a drink at the bar with her husband in Waukesha.
"It’s the 21st, I guess," she said.
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"She was married when she only had four birthdays, so that makes me illegal," said Ronald Quakkelaar, Norma's husband.
Quakkelaar was not the only one to celebrate a rare birthday. In West Bend, Wally Ritterbusch celebrated a milestone as well – 100 years old.
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The odds of actually having a birthdate on Leap Day or Feb. 29 are 1 out of 1,461.
"It’s great, it’s wonderful," he said.
A World War II veteran, Ritterbusch served on D-Day. His awards and medals only capture a glimpse into his life on his 25th Leap Birthday. His secret to a great one?
"Have a good family," he said.
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For both Ritterbusch and Quakkelaar, a Leap Day Birthday is just another reason to be surrounded by the people they love.
"I've got a fantastic husband," Quakkelaar said.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, only around 362,000 people in the U.S. are born on Leap Day.