On the afternoon of Friday, June 6, AVIVA Valparaiso held a 100th birthday party for Gene Bokma, a resident of the facility. Bokma is the first-ever resident to turn 100 years old while living at AVIVA Valparaiso. Bokma's family and AVIVA Valparaiso staff members helped Bokma celebrate her special day. Earlier in the day, the mayor of Valparaiso, Jon Costas, stopped by to personally wish Bokma a happy birthday and present her with a vase of flowers.
The AVIVA Valparaiso loft was festooned with 100th birthday decorations and 1920s-era music played in the background. A poster featuring fun facts about Bokma’s birth year of 1925 was also on display. These included the world’s population at the time, popular songs, celebrity births, slang terms, new films, and historic moments.
Hannah Wellman, activities director at AVIVA Valparaiso, was pleased to help put on a birthday celebration for Bokma.
“Gene is well-known and well-loved in our AVIVA Valparaiso community,” Wellman said. “She’s very nice and she always comes to activities. She’s lived a long life and we love hearing about all of her adventures. It was very important for us to throw a party for her 100th birthday. We tend to see the residents more than we see our own families, so they are a really big part of our lives. We love celebrating big accomplishments like this with them.”
Bokma, who shared a birthday with her father, enjoys sharing stories of her life with others. One of her most memorable experiences was working as chemical analyst for International Harvester in Valparaiso shortly after World War II had started. Even though she had just graduated high school and the position would typically be held by a man, Bokma worked in a lab running chemical tests on steel for several years.
When asked how it feels to turn 100, Bokma joked that it makes her feel old.
“I can’t even fathom living to be 100,” Bokma said. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, but I’m glad that I made it. I’m just so happy to be here, surrounded by so many loving people. I thank God for the wonderful life I’ve had.”
The partygoers enjoyed their choice of banana, chocolate, or white cake, along with a side of vanilla, Neapolitan, or cookies and cream ice cream. They participated in a True or False game that quizzed them on their knowledge of facts about Bokma’s life, such as the way she met her husband, the most memorable trip she ever took, and which store she worked as a manager for.
Wellman views the birthday party as yet another excellent way for AVIVA Valparaiso residents to bond with one another.
“Our residents live together and eat together, so it’s important for them to be able to celebrate together too,” Wellman said. “Events like these are great because they let the residents socialize and celebrate big milestones with one another. My hope is that everyone leaves the party happy. I’m really glad to see that they all came out and supported Gene.”
If you would like to learn more about AVIVA Valparaiso’s assisted living and memory care services, please visit avivavalparaiso.com.