Celebrating nearly a century

KAPAA — Leonora Schies has had a long, hard, beautiful life.

Born in Koloa in 1915, married at 14 and mother of five, Schies turned 99 Sunday, surrounded by her family — and then some.

“There are four generations of her family here today,” said Schies’ daughter, Eleanor Kennedy of Monterey, Calif., at Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, where Schies lives.

Schies didn’t offer a secret to the success of longevity — though genes may have something to do with it as her grandfather lived to 110, according to hospital staff.

But hard work and determination could have played a part, too.

Always busy, always working, Schies raised a family at a young age — even as an early widow — and had many different jobs in her life, working at places like the Mana Laundry where she served as quartermaster, and at The Garden Island newspaper, where she was employed as a bookbinder.

“She worked at the Kauai Inn, located across from where Ace Hardware is, and that’s where the Schies came from after she met Cleo Schies and eventually marrying him after her first husband passed away at an early age,” said Kennedy, one of five children in the family. “She’s had a long, hard life.”

But she’s still razor sharp, which makes her a favorite at the hospital. She’s also the hospital’s oldest resident, but age is just a number, after all.

“I’m adopting her as my grandma,” said Josie Pablo, hospital recreation director about sharp-as-a-tack Schies. “If you do something wrong, she’ll correct you.”

The celebration featured one of Schies’ favorite type of food — Filipino. Birthday cake too, of course, with two candles, each in the shape of a 9.

But when asked what the secret to longevity was, Schies looked up for a moment and, with a mischievous smile, said, “I don’t know.”

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.