Last week the Claremont Manor Care Center staff busily prepared decorations for resident Velma Beckett, who received a special luncheon for her 103rd birthday. Ms. Beckett was very happy to be surrounded by her children and some of her grandchildren.
During the celebration, her three sons and one daughter recalled having so much fun growing up with their mother, who took them sailing every weekend on the Jersey River, 15 miles away from home.
Mrs. Beckett was born on June 22, 1918, the same year that Ford introduced the first Model T. Her birthplace was then 2,370 miles from Claremont. Velma grew up on a goat farm in Marlton, New Jersey, with one brother. The city of Marlton was named for marl clay (soil consisting of clay and lime used as fertilizer) which is commonly found in the local soil.
Later in life, she had a successful career as a schoolteacher. After all her children left New Jersey in the 1970s, Thelma decided to follow along. In 2002, she moved to Claremont.
Velma’s love of California su­nshine drives her to enjoy every minute of it. After her regular morning exercise, she asks life enrichment specialist Albert Mambou to take her outside to soak up the rays.
Sounds like a great way to spend your birthday.