Judy Rounkles, an 81-year-old lifelong resident of Excelsior Springs, spends her days tap dancing, playing bridge, spinning the slots at a casino and hitting the links at the local golf course. After her husband Rodney passed away five years ago, a group of widows in town invited her to join them for lunch on a monthly basis, encouraging her to stay active in the community. That’s exactly what she’s done.

She’s known as “Prom Queen Judy” by her granddaughter-in-law for her ability to know at least one person anywhere she goes in town. Without fail, she strikes up a chat. Judy’s connection to Excelsior Springs runs deep across generations, including a political claim to fame: her father was once a mayor of the city.

Maintaining independence is important to Judy as she continues to live alone with some support, like neighbors who bring her an occasional meal or check in with a text in the morning. Her daughters Julie and Jill are happy for their mother knowing that she would hate assisted living. Many people her age are no longer able to live alone and require some form of help, but Judy is doing all she can to make every day count.