For someone who wasn't wanting or expecting a party, Simone Huhtala still had a great time.
The Coldstream woman was recognized by family and friends with a 102nd birthday celebration on her actual birthday, Feb. 24.
"We had a big party," said Huhtala. "The cake was fantastic. My neighbour and I ended up sharing it, and I still have some left."
The Morning Star was there two years ago when Huhtala officially became a centenarian with a party at the Schubert Centre. And what made the day extra special was Huhtala's older – yes, older – sister Bernadette had made the trip to Vernon from Everett, Wash., a city she called home since 1944. The siblings hadn't seen each other in five years.
Bernadette, sadly, was missing from Simone's 102nd celebration – she died Feb. 7, 2024, just shy of a year after Simone's 100th birthday, and four days before what would have been her 102nd,
"I miss her," said Simone. "Especially the phone calls. We would talk to each other every two weeks."
Asked in 2023 about the secret to their longevity, it was Bernadette who answered with Simone nodding in agreement:
"Good genes."
Their mom lived to 92 and their grandmother and their brother, Roland, were 95 at the time of their deaths.
