Harriet Gilman, 104, makes her entrance to applause at a party in her honor at Armbrook Village, greeting friends along the way.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
WESTFIELD — On June 4, the residents of Armbrook Village were seated outdoors, and honored guests Mayor Michael McCabe and state Sen. John Velis were in attendance as resident Harriet Gilman walked to the front of the gathering for her 104th birthday party.
This was the second day of celebrations as Gilman, born in 1921 and Westfield’s oldest resident, had actually turned 104 the day before on June 3 in a small party with family.
Gilman was all smiles as she greeted her neighbors, many of whom stood and applauded several times during the event, especially a close group of six women with whom she eats and socializes every night, who were cheering her on.
Bea Szenda said she and Harriet play Chinese checkers every night together. “When I first played her, I always won,” Szenda said, but after showing her some tricks and the thinking process behind the game, she said, “Now Harriet wins, and goes to her room with a big smile on her face.”
Gilman was born on a farm in Chester Hill that had been in the Kelso family since 1779. She married a military man, Col. James Kelso, and moved 19 times all around the world with him before moving back to the farm after retirement, where the couple became very well-known for their blueberries.
Rebecca Fondakowski, enriched life director at Armbrook Village, ran the celebration by running down a few of the events that took place on that day in 1921, including the opening of Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length silent movie. Gilman reminded her that Women’s Suffrage occurred the year before, in 1920. Gilman has lived at Armbrook Village for the past 12 years.
Fondakowski said Gilman, who taught home economics in Virginia while on assignment there and is known for her fashion sense, has watched fashion change from flapper dresses to today, and everything in between. “She continues to be a living bridge between the past and the present,” she said, and presented her with a bouquet of flowers and a card that read, “A good life is measured by the lives you’ve touched.”
McCabe presented Gilman with a citation from the city of Westfield, and Velis (D-Westfield) with congratulations from the Senate. Velis also read a citation from the House of Representatives, where state Rep. Kelly Pease (R-Westfield) was in session and unable to attend. Everyone said Pease would have loved to be there, having also grown up in Chester.
“You don’t have to look that hard for bad things sometimes,” Velis said, “You have to look harder for the good things.”
Velis asked Gilman her secret. “I’ve had all the breaks and a lot of friends, that’s the main thing,” she said.
After a slideshow with photos from her life at the farm and abroad, Gilman cut a sheet cake decorated with blueberries, and pieces were handed out to all the residents.
Later, Gilman went up to Velis privately and thanked him for his work on behalf of veterans. “I’m glad you’re at the helm,” she said, telling him that she and her husband traveled all over the world as a military family. At the prodding of her friend Dorothy Damon, Gilman told Velis she was in attendance at the Nuremberg Trials, at which her husband, Col James Gilman, provided all necessary military and logistic support.
James Gilman passed away in 2015, after 72 years of marriage.
After listening to some of her stories, for which Gilman is very well known, Velis invited her to be his guest at the State House and said he would be happy to drive her out there. She accepted his invitation.
One of her close friends, Veryl Oberdiek, said Gilman’s stories “never end.” Her daughter-in-law Betsy Gilman said Harriet has written a book about growing up in Chester, that she shared with each family member.
Rev. Miriam Howland of Southampton, a friend of 25 years and former pastor of the First Congregational Church on Chester Hill where Harriet and her husband were life-long members, said she comes to see Harriet every day at Armbrook Village, in lieu of family members who live far away.
She said Gilman was very ill with the RSV virus earlier in the winter but has recovered nicely. Howland also runs a service at Armbrook Village every Sunday afternoon. “I love her,” Howland said, adding, “She loves people.”
