WATERLOO - Kathryn Lichty will have a quiet evening with family tonight to celebrate her 23rd birthday.

The only difference between Lichty and everyone else who celebrated a 23rd birthday this year is Lichty did not turn 23 years old today. She is 92.

Lichty is among that rare group of people known as leapers, leaplings or leap year babies. She was born in Waterloo on February 29, 1916. Because February 29 only shows up on the calender in leap years, her actual birth date only rolls around every four years.

Only 1 in 1,461 people (about 0.068 percent) share Lichty's unusual birth date, according to the Honor Society of Leap Year Day babies. A big debate among this slice of the population is when to celebrate in non-leap years.

"My brothers use to tease me and say I couldn't celebrate my birthday because it wasn't really my birthday," said Lichty, who remarkably still has the spryness of a 23-year old. "But I use to tell people I should get two birthdays - one on February 28th and one on March 1st."

Lichty was lucky to get one birthday celebration per year when she was a girl. She is the daughter of Czechoslovakian immigrants, the second-oldest of eight siblings. Her family survived on meager means, and as the oldest daughter, she was as much a mother as a sister to her siblings.

"Back then, Mother always made a cake, but I cannot recall doing much else to celebrate my birthday," said Lichty.

Though all but one of Lichty's siblings have passed away, her family still celebrates her actual birthdays in exquisite style. For her "22nd" birthday in 2004 they took her out to eat and surprised her with a group of her close friends and family. And when contacted by The Courier about today's birthday, she suspected her daughter was trying to pull a fast one this year, too.

"She called me and asked who the man was that I sent over here," said daughter Carol with a laugh. Lichty lives in Waterloo with Carol. Lichty's husband, Max, passed away several years ago. But she has plenty of family to lean on, with four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Many leap year babies feel a special connection to one another. But as a child, Lichty never met another member of the elite club. She later befriended a member of her church who shared the February 29 birthday. The two remained close until her older friend passed away a few years ago.

This year's celebration may not be the spectacle of years past. While Lichty's mind is sharp, her 92-year old legs are not as stable as they once were. Many of her friends have also become less mobile, and combined with the wintry weather, a quiet evening at home with close relatives will suffice for her 23rd birthday. Carol says when the weather gets nicer, a larger get-together could be in the works.

Lichty knows how much her friends and family care about her, to which the collection of birthday cards on her end-table attests.

Still, one can only hope the weather will cooperate on Lichty's 24th birthday, just four short years away.

Contact Drew Andersen at (319) 291-1418 or drew.andersen@wcfcourier.com.