It was a special day at Great Missenden’s Woodlands Park Care Home as one of their residents celebrated their 100th birthday.
Kathleen Ford reached her milestone celebration on Wednesday, September 28 in which she received numerous cards and gifts from family members and the local community.
These included having over 350 cards sent from local schools, having a giant cake and taking part in a singing session, in which she enjoyed listening to one of her favourite songs, ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’.
A part of the Woodlands Park Care Home family since 2016, the birthday girl, who also goes by the name ‘Kath’, spent her youth in the West Midlands before being to Norfolk.
She eventually moved to Buckinghamshire in 2011 to be closer to her daughter, Glenda, after the passing of her husband, William, more than a decade ago.
And despite currently battling dementia at the care home, the youngest of four is still a keen singer as she belts out her favourites tunes to her fellow residents.
A former churchgoer, the town’s local vicar visits Kath weekly, as she is very much part of his chorus.
One of the workers at the care home said: “Kath is a remarkable lady who never ceases to amaze us with her singing and recall of songs from days gone by.
“Kath’s special day was full of laughter and celebrations.
“Her favourite food was on the menu with an entertainer who sang all her favourite songs, as well as having some cake!
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“She has a sweet tooth so we couldn’t have forgotten that.”
The youngest of four, she was the last surviving sibling as her sister, Joan, passed away when she turned 100 recently.
With her life highlights, one of her crowning achievements was supporting the alliance in the Second World War.
She was tasked with creating parachutes for the Royal Air Force and British Army, which coincides with one of her favourite past times in knitting.
A keen threader, Kath was an enthusiast in creating blankets for charity.
Woodlands Park part of Forest Healthcare is a care home specialising in the care of individuals with dementia.
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