Woman celebrates a century in style
By Angela Randazzo Special to the Acorn

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY- Simi Valley resident Garnette Schroeck gets applause from friends and family as she arrives at the United Methodist Church for her 100th birthday party last Wednesday. Schroeck was born in Chicago on Jan. 9, 1908, and has lived in Simi since 1965.

In 1908, William Howard Taft was elected America's 27th president, the first-ever New Year's Eve ball was dropped in Times Square, and Henry Ford produced the first Model T.

And on Jan. 9, 1908, Garnette Schroeck was born.

The Simi Valley resident celebrated her 100th birthday last week with 100 wellwishers gathered in the fellowship hall of Simi Valley United Methodist Church.

"It's wonderful so many people showed up for my birthday," Schroeck said. "I'm very excited, but a little tired. You know, when you're 100 years old, you get a little tired."

The church's minister, the Rev. Dr. Lewis Fry, gave the invocation before the afternoon dinner.

"Garnette has been a faithful participant in the life of the church. She comes to church every Sunday and has a favorite place to sit," Fry said. "She's inspired people by the way she has led her life. God has blessed her in many ways."

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers LOVING LIFE- Garnette Schroeck greets her friend Charlotte Hole during Schroeck's100th birthday party at the Simi Valley United Methodist Church, where both are members.

The dinner for family and friends included some of Schroeck's favorite foods- honey baked ham, warm German potato salad and a tropical pineapple salad. Two birthday cakes, each decorated with "Happy 100th Birthday," were served.

Church member Martina McRae was asked by Schroeck to coordinate her centennial celebration. "Garnette had definite ideas about what food she wanted and what songs she wanted," she said.

Old-time favorites like the jazzy "Alexander's Ragtime Band" played during the meal, followed by live musical performances by McRae, Catherine Talbert and the Rev. Malyong Yi.

Garnette's grandson, Alex Schroeck, a Los Angeles city firefighter, attended the celebration with his wife, Elena, and son Cameron, an eighth-grader at Sinaloa Middle School.

"My grandmother is very dedicated. She is literally the Rock of Gibraltar of our family," Alex Schroeck said. "She's from the old school and believes in those principles and stays active."

Asked about the best advice his great-grandmother ever gave him, Cameron replied: "Never give up."

In addition to cards and gifts from family and friends, Schroeck received letters of congratulation from U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (RThousand Oaks), U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Schroeck is spry for her age and was assisted only by a walker as she entered the party wearing a tailored suit and a fuzzy pink boa around her neck.

Her health is good and she doesn't miss anything, said Alex Schroeck, who makes frequent visits to his grandmother's Simi Valley home to keep an eye on her.

During the party, Schroeck reflected on her long life, which began in Chicago in a family with four sons and four daughters. She was one of the middle children.

Her father, Leonard, was a tailor for renowned bandleaders. Her mother, Augusta, nicknamed "Auggy," raised the eight children.

After graduating from high school, Schroeck worked for the Chicago Telephone Company.

"My favorite thing to do was dancing. The telephone company sectioned off a space in the lunch room for the employees to dance," Schroeck recalled with a smile. "They had an old-fashioned Victrola. We danced every day, 50 minutes out of our 60minute lunchtime."

Schroeck shared her love of ballroom dancing with her husband, Raymond, whom she met at a girlfriend's party. The couple settled in Chicago, where Raymond owned a dental laboratory.

After a brief move to California in 1950, the Schroecks returned for good in 1965, finding a home in what was soon to be the city of Simi Valley.

"I've been happy here ever since," Schroeck said.

The couple had three children: Carol, 76, a Simi Valley teacher who passed away last February; Roland, 74, a retired local teacher; and James, 72, who's retired from the dental lab business.

Schroeck has three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She's been living on her own since Raymond's death in 1992.

She said she believes eating well and staying active are the two essentials of living a long life.

"I would say diet, exercise and clean living," Schroeck said. "And dancing is wonderful."