Bethea resident Catherine Hern turns 100
Catherine Hern
By Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Bethea Retirement Community likes to say that people move there to live…and when their staff contacted the News and Press about a special party for one of one of their residents, Catherine Hern celebrating her 100th birthday on Friday, December 9, we knew we were in for a treat.
“You will never guess her age,” said Bethea staff member Laura Hawkins. “Mrs. Hern is completely independent. She is a remarkable lady.”
Born on December 9, 1916 in New Jersey, Catherine Hern spent much of her life in the Garden State. She and her late husband, John, raised their three children Michael, Cathy and Mary and enjoyed 51 years of wedded bliss before he passed away. Her daughter Mary and husband Jim Gallagher have been in Florence for 49 years, and Catherine has spent many happy moments in the past in South Carolina, living the past four years in Florence before moving to Bethea in August.
“I’m overwhelmed!” said Catherine. “It’ll take me a while to catch my breath.”
Catherine was surprised by her granddaughter and 11-year-old great granddaughter, Shannon and Allison Hobbs, who flew in from Mont Clair NJ that morning.
Catherine Hern and her family
Photo by Jana E. Pye
“Every time we visit she looks younger!” said Shannon. “I’ve got a great gene pool.”
Staff members and residents from across Bethea gathered for her birthday, some popping in on their day off to wish her a happy birthday.
“Everybody loves her,” said staff member Tammy White. “Everyone that meets her just falls in love, she has the best attitude. She never talks ill of anyone. She always looks on the positive side, she never complains.”
“Amen!” echoed one of the male residents.
“Its been very nice here, everyone is so nice and thoughtful,” said Catherine. “I love my room, all the staff and my new friends are all so nice.”
Catherine worked for many years with Sears and Roebuck, in the offices and then on the jewelry counter. “They are a wonderful company to work for!” her husband worked for Wright Brothers airplanes. “We had a wonderful life together,” said Catherine. “He passed away when he was only 72. I’ve had a pretty good life.”
When asked what her secret for longevity, she attributed it to being positive, and keeping active.
“Oh I don’t know just live every day at a time that’s all.” said Catherine.
She uses a small cane for mobility, and easily springs up from her chair.
“I get around pretty good, thank God.” she said. “You know, one day at a time.”
Staff members say she leads the pack as far as exercise goes. One RN said, “I can’t keep up with her!”
“Oh, I exercise all the time,” continued Catherine. “I walk, then I have a bicycle machine to keep my legs going. As long as my legs keep going, I’ll be happy. I keep active. You can’t just sit, you’ve got to move around. Sometimes you can sit around and a moan and groan about things and it doesn’t do accomplish anything- it makes you more miserable.”
Her advice for keeping a good attitude is simple:
”Oh, live it to the hilt. Really!” she said. “Take advantage of living and don’t worry about what’s going to happen all the time. Of course I have to some things seriously but generally speaking, you’ve got to keep going.”
She reads daily, and keeps up with the news and politics with a bit of television- but she doesn’t want to say much about the current state of politics in the United States. “Don’t get me started, said Catherine. “It’s terrible. It’s unbelievable; actually, after the whole thing was over I was flabbergasted. I worry about it. I really do worry about the country and where it’s going. Everybody is throwing up their hands nobody seems content.”
Her granddaughter suggested she may want to contact Kirk Douglas who also turned 100 last week.
“God has been good to me. But now, what do I do after a hundred now?”
Her son in law Jim said, “Shoot for 150!”
And honestly, it wouldn’t surprise us if she did.