Family, friends surprise Sue Swan

It had been quite a week for longtime community volunteer Sue Swan.

Her family members came from Boston, Georgia and Rocky Boy to help celebrate her 70th birthday last week. And Saturday morning, her son Jon Swan picked her up to take her to Pepin Park.

Her grandson, Nathan, was to celebrate his graduation from preschool at a picnic, he told her.

But it was a rouse.

Jon was taking his mother to St. Jude Parish Center, where a large crowd was on hand for a surprise birthday party.

There was a sense of excitement in the center as she arrived.

"Here comes grandma," said Nathan, as he peered out the front door. "I'm going to yell 'Surprise.'"

Everyone was wearing funny glass with frames that read 7-0. The crowd belted out a chorus of "Happy Birthday to You," as she entered.

Shocked, Sue thanked everyone for their support, and traveled from table to table, greeting old friends.

"She's been a neighbor for a long time," said Mitzi Gerger. "She's very special."

Heads nodded in agreement.

A retired nurse at Montana State University-Northern, Sue has been active in so many volunteer activities, people said, they couldn't begin to name them all.

She has been involved in the American Cancer Society, St. Jude Thaddeus Church and numerous service projects.

"If you could have put this in the paper ahead of time, this place would be so full you couldn't fit all the people in here," said Inga Goebel. But keeping it a secret was hard enough, she said, because Sue knows so many people.

Before the family cut the cake and began the real celebration, Jon told the crowd how much he and his siblings appreciated their mother.

"I know she's upset with us for disclosing the age," he said.

Sue tried to hold back her tears - without much success, as she thanked her friends for their best wishes.

"I feel so fortunate to live in this community," she said. "After I retired, people asked me if I was going to move."

"Move to where?" she asked.