Helen Terhune won’t be 100 until Feb. 1, but her family wanted to celebrate the occasion a special way – letting her ride a personal watercraft.

Helen enjoys trying new things, and riding a personal watercraft you could say was on her bucket list.

Helen, who spent many summers at the family cottage on Webster Lake, and still owns property there, came to visit her niece and nephew, Janet and Phil Hartley of Bayview Drive, Syracuse. The Hartley’s and Helen’s son, Phil Whitney, had planned the little experience for Helen on Lake Wawasee.

A lover of the lake, Helen didn’t hesitate to climb aboard and was eager to take off.

The family celebrated her birthday early so they could enjoy the summer fun the lake has to offer.

Her earliest memory of coming to the lake was at the age of 5. She talks of walking to White Front Grocery in the mornings to get bakery items, seeing the Dixie boat going from pier to pier picking up residents before it was a sight-seeing boat.

Her great-uncle and aunt first owned the property on Mulberry Street. Calie and Barb Duke purchased the lot for $250. Her aunt and uncle Helen and Tom Luckett owned the property before Helen purchased the property after her aunt’s death at the age of 110.

Helen remains adventurous as each Christmas she visits her daughter’s horse stables in Kentucky for her annual Christmas horseback ride.