SOUTH LYON — Jodi Guthrie made headlines in 1974 with her birth as the first baby of the new year.
Fifty years later, that bundle of joy now known as Jodi Coselman is making headlines again on her birthday and highlighting how the passage of time may change many things, but never a mother's love.
“She’s always gotten a kick out of being the first baby of the new year, because her picture was on the front page of the newspaper,” Denise Brewer, Jodi’s mom, said. “And it just clicked yesterday — she is 50 and it would be so cool or fun if I could do this again and get her pic in the paper to commemorate her 50th birthday.”
Surprise! Mission accomplished.Denise, a 1972 graduate of South Lyon High School, was just a few weeks shy of her 20th birthday when she and husband Randall welcomed Jodi Danyale Guthrie into the world at 12:05 p.m. Jan. 4, 1974. Through her hospital window at St. Joseph Mercy in Ann Arbor, Denise could see it was “snowing like crazy.”
It never occurred to Denise that her daughter could be first baby of the new year, four days into 1974. The South Lyon Herald article that Denise has kept for a half-century states that Jodi was the 13th in a parade of babies born in the area but the first for South Lyon.
Denise was unaware her daughter won the title of first South Lyon baby of the new year until she brought her home to an upstairs apartment at the Roper Farm at 8 Mile Road and Pontiac Trail, where Denise had grown up as the daughter of Floyd and Susie Roper.
She recalls she wasn’t even in the door yet with Jodi when a car pulled in the driveway and out stepped a photographer from the South Lyon Herald. He snapped a pic, asked a few questions, and before leaving, gave her a tote from Gamble’s that was the first of many gifts.
Among other prizes for the new parents and baby were a baby book from Letzring’s; a State Savings Bank account in Jodi’s name; an 8-by-10-inch portrait from Gaffield’s of Plymouth; a case of baby food from Showerman’s Grocery; disposable diapers and a vaporizer-humidifier from two local pharmacies; a dinner at Jimmy’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge; and hair and makeup services.
After 50 years, those prizes and businesses are mostly a distant memory. Much has changed in Denise and Jodi’s lives, too.
With her second husband, Denise had two more babies, Amy and Rachel. Her first husband and Jodi’s father, Randall Guthrie, has died. The Roper farm is no more, although a small barn from it has been salvaged by the historical society with plans to move it to South Lyon, but Denise has found a new apartment on Lake Street in downtown.
Jodi is married to Tim Coselman and the couple lives in Fowlerville, where she previously worked at the high school in various positions and now raises Savannah cats. She is the mother of two grown children — son Dylan Butler and daughter Destiny Coselman. Jodi remains, of course, adored by her mom, who recalls a conversation the two had just a few days ago.
“We were talking about how we are both getting old and she said something about her birthday being just another day,” Denise said. “I said, ‘Your birthday will never be just another day. You were my first baby, your birthday is one of the happiest days of my life and you were my baby of the year.'"
Contact Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com or at 517-281-2412.