Up all night (a common habit).
Played musical chairs with mates in the morning.
Then came the white cake in her honour at lunch time. Maybe 鈥� maybe 鈥� even a beer later.
Not a bad way to spend a 105th birthday.
Vernon's Blanche Schley, a seven-year resident at Heritage Square, celebrated the milestone with her daughter, Elaine Hoffman, and Elaine's husband, Tim. They made the drive to see Blanche on her big day from their home in Barriere. The Hoffmans' son, Kris, came from Kamloops.
Schley had her hair done for the special occasion, and shared her birthday cake with seven other Heritage Square residents, staff, and a hungry reporter. The cake was so good Schley could be spotted licking the icing off her fingers.
They were getting ready to gather around a television set as Global TV's Mark Madryga was expected to announce Blanche's birthday on the noon-hour newcast.
"Yesterday, there was a party on her floor for those who had birthdays in November," said a Heritage Square staff member to Blanche's family. "She was having a great time."
The Morning Star a year ago, Nov. 29, 2023, on her 104th birthday.
We learned Blanche was born Nov. 29, 1919, in St. Isidore-de-Bellevue in central Saskatchewan. She was the oldest of 13 children and left school in Grade 7 to help with the family farm. Schley left for Saskatoon in her late teens to work in a hospital's sewing department.
Blanche moved to B.C. and met her husband, Carl Schley. They married in 1953 and had three kids, six grandchildren, and 14 great grandkids. They lived in New Westminster for 50 years before moviing to Vernon.
Schley loves to eat meat. Still does, says her family. She was once a regular adaptive bingo player at Heritage Square (less numbers than regular bingo, and only numbers under the letters B and I), but doesn't play anymore.
She was always out in the yard gardening, caring for the plants, and to this day she remains a very caring person according to her family. And, she has a great sense of humour. Schley loves music, used to cook all her own meals and she loves all foods (but especially meat).
We learned about some of her unusual routines, including being awake for two days, then sleeping for two days.
For her 100th birthday, Schley had most of her family joining her at Heritage Square and had a beer with her cake.
