By Charlotte Boynton
When Vera Cleaves walked into Ship’s Chow Hall Sunday afternoon she did not know that she was going to be greeted by family members and friends who had gathered there to celebrate her 100th birthday with her.
The Westport Island Board of Selectmen honored the town’s oldest citizen. Vera Cleave, with the presentation of a dozen roses and the Boston Post Cane at her 100th birthday celebration, May 4. Shown left to right, selectmen Gerald Bodmer, George Richardson, and Ross Norton. (Charlotte Boynton photo) |
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When Vera Cleaves walked into Ship’s Chow Hall Sunday afternoon she did not know that she was going to be greeted by family members and friends who had gathered there to celebrate her 100th birthday with her.
Cleaves, a regular at Ship’s, was just coming in for her lunch. Much to her surprise, when she entered the restaurant, she was greeted with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and a loud applause. She reacted to the greeting with enthusiasm and excitement, giving them all the thumbs up as she entered. She was not only showered with gifts, and cards, she was also presented a dozen red roses from Westport Island Board of Selectmen, named the oldest citizen on Westport Island, and presented with the Boston Post Cane.
Westport Town Clerk Gaye Wagner also presented Cleaves with a Boston Post Cane pin officially naming her the oldest citizen of Westport Island. Although the Boston Post Cane is a tradition that began in the early 1900s by the publisher of the Boston Post newspaper, Edwin A. Grozier, this is the first time the town of Westport Island has presented the cane.
The canes were given to about 700 towns in New England, to be presented to oldest citizen in town, to be used by that person as long as he/she lives or until he/she moves from the town. After their death it is handed down to the next oldest person.
Westport Island began the tradition with the presentation to Cleaves on her 100th birthday.
She not only was the guest of honor at the party, she was also the life of the party. She joined in conversations with her guests, bringing smiles to their faces with her comments.
She told an 82-year old man, she would wait to celebrate his 100th birthday with him, “I’ll only be 118” she said with a chuckle. “That’s just a drop in the bucket.”
A large birthday cake, was made by Tina Fitzsimmons, and served to Cleaves’ many guests.
A graduate of Penn State University, veteran of World War II, and a high school teacher and vice principal for many years, Cleaves was born May 4, 1914 in Weymouth, Mass., the daughter of George Jr. and Pauline Cleaves. She began coming to Westport Island in the early 1930s with her grandparents, George and Elizabeth Cleaves.
She said she really looked forward in coming to the island and spending time with her grandparents. They would drive from Weymouth, and take a ferry to the island.
During World War II, she joined the Women’s Army Air Corps. After basic training she was stationed at West Point, teaching the air cadets instrument flying. She also taught physical education to the cadets as well.
After the war ended she attended Penn State University, and Millersville University, also in Pennsylvania and became a teacher. She taught school in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. She also was very active in scouting, and enjoined the scout camp outs. She always came back to Westport Island to spend her summers. She currently lives in a home that goes back several generations in her family.
“There is nothing on the island that needs to be changed; if something needs to be changed, the people on the island, that have lived here all their lives should made the decision on what change is necessary,” she said. “What we have on Westport Island is worth its weigh in gold.”
When asked what she contributed her long life to she said, “I have always been active, I love life, and you can’t beat the clean air on Westport Island.”
