CARTHAGE, Mo. — In a town of just over 15,000 people, there’s only one Helen Hubbard.
Her feet aren’t the quickest, but her wit sure is.
“I know they’d probably appreciate my rooting for them, otherwise if people didn’t do that, they wouldn’t have a job,” Hubbard said.
She’s talking about the Kansas City Chiefs, a team she’s been a fan of for decades.
“I love to see their enthusiasm and their joy in what they’re doing,” Hubbard said, which is the approach she takes to living her own life. “I enjoy it, and what else have I got to do?”
For starters, she’s planning to watch the Chiefs play in their third Super Bowl in a row — and hopefully win.
“Oh, I think that would be delightful,” Hubbard said with a smile. “And I don’t want to have a heart attack.”
Especially because she’s in the midst of making history of her own. To this day, she can’t believe it.
“That I’m 105? No,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard’s 105th birthday in January made her the oldest resident in Jasper County and one of the oldest living Chiefs fans.
“When I was a little girl, they didn’t have girl sports,” Hubbard said. “So you can feel sorry for me, okay?”
The mayor of Carthage even issued a proclamation in honor of Hubbard making Jan. 8, 2025, Helen Hubbard Day in Jasper County.
“My birthday got in the middle of all this,” Hubbard said about the timing of her birthday and the Chiefs mania. “I’ve been getting that old every January.”
She also played an important role during a historic time.
“I was a dietitian in the Army medical corps,” former Army 1st Lt. Hubbard said.
Hubbard made being a Chiefs fan her lifelong duty, despite the Army having duties of its own.
“Wherever I lived, I always checked the Chiefs,” Hubbard said.
World War II taught her all about taking sides. She predicts the Chiefs, or the “good guys,” will earn 27 points and that the Eagles, or the “bad guys,” will earn 20 points.
Thankfully, the good has outweighed the bad in her life.
“God’s been good to me,” Hubbard said while reflecting on her faith, which she credits for her long life. That, and having supportive parents and “good genes,” she says.
Hubbard says the Chiefs have also been good to her.
“On my 100th birthday, they gave me tickets,” Hubbard said about being invited to one of the Chiefs’ playoff games.
But it’s definitely a mutual relationship.
“I know they’d probably appreciate my rooting for them, otherwise if people didn’t do that, they wouldn’t have a job,” Hubbard said. “I hope they thank God for their talent. They don’t have that talent, somebody gave it to them…and that’s a good thing, ‘cause I enjoy it.”
Her real dream? Meeting the players one day.
"You know I would [like to], but I don’t feel like going up to Kansas City," Hubbard said. "If they win, I might think about it."
Until then, Hubbard will be watching Super Bowl LIX from the comfort of her home at St. Luke’s Medical Center, which is already decked out for the game.
“I don’t mind a balloon or two,” Hubbard said. “My birthday balloons up there are gradually running out of air, and I don’t run out of air.”
She’s saved just enough breath for cheering and some words of encouragement.
“A message for the Chiefs? To play well,” Hubbard said. “But even if they don’t, I’m still a fan."
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KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
