ROCHELLE — Family and friends helped Pauline Barnes-Cultra celebrate her 87th birthday on Monday, April 20 with a surprise drive-by parade and jam session.
Barnes-Cultra, a locally renowned keyboard player, church organist and accompanist, has been playing weekly with the Oakcrest Boys at Oakcrest Retirement Center in DeKalb for many years. Since the center went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barnes-Cultra has not been able to be there with the band on Saturday mornings to visit with friends there and help brighten eachother’s days and has missed playing with her band mates.
Her daughters, Pam, Nora and Nola, arranged the surprise for her.

Band members that were able to attend included DeKalb residents Roger Hintzsche (banjo), Gavin Wilson (trumpet) and Libby Witty; Malta resident Adrian Plapp (bass saxophone); Paul Watson (trombone) from Sycamore.
Several close friends and even a vehicle from the Ogle-Lee Fire District from Steward were in the parade as well.
Everyone maintained social distancing, the band played and sang Happy Birthday plus played some Dixieland Jazz and a few people even stopped to dance.