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Ninety Years Strong: Sharing Stories with Cecile Booska-Blaise

photo provided With a sharp mind, busy hands and a warm heart, Cecile Booksa-Blaise waits out the latest Winter Blizzard with two of her great grandchildren Nathan, age 10 and Ashley age 12 by knitting, visiting and sharing memories of snowy seasons gone by.

Tuesday February 8, 2011

By Cookie Steponaitis

    Blizzards bring out different reactions in all Vermonters. While the great-grandchildren were playing in the snow banks and the adults in the house were commenting on the rising snow banks and more on the way, Cecile Booska-Blaise calmly looked up from her knitting and started sharing memories of blizzards past. “Remember that storm when you and Mike were first married?” she questioned her daughter-in law- Marjorie. “You and Mike couldn’t make it out and had to stay with us in Bristol for awhile. You went to the store on snow machines that time. We got over three feet that time.” Looking back at ninety years of memories of New England winters Cecile wisely looked out the window and simply smiled because she had seen many storms more ferocious than the current Nor’easter dumping 18 inches of snow on the Champlain Valley.

    Cecile was born in Riddleburg, Pennsylvania in 1920, one of six girls in her family. Two of her siblings died as infants and when she was five, her family moved to Connecticut. “Riddleburg is so small,” shared Cecile, “that even AAA can’t find it. You have to tell them that it is a borough of Hopewell, Pennsylvania. Then and only then can they find it on the map!”  While her growing up years were happy, Cecile quickly directed the interview to the year 1940 when she met her future husband Lloyd Booska on a blind date. “Lloyd had come to Connecticut from Bristol, Vermont to work at the defense factory and World War II was going on,” shared Cecile. She paused and even giggled a little when she commented, “It was kind of love at first sight,” she remarked. “We were married on Valentine’s Day in 1944 and returned to Bristol, Vermont to make our home.”

    While living with their in-laws for three years on West Street in Bristol, the couple broke ground for their new home on Munsel Avenue the day their oldest son Thomas turned five and built their house. The family grew to include Tom, Michael and then seven years later Louise and finally four years after that Joe. “It certainly was exciting,” commented Cecile. “I had one son graduating high school and one the same year entering first grade.”

    In the midst of a growing family, Cecile also joined her husband in working in the community around Bristol. Lloyd worked for the Sunshine Feed Store and Cecile joined the ranks of Van Ralte as a seamstress and worked for the company for twenty years as a seamstress and a supervisor. “One fact I would like to share with the readers is the impact that Van Ralte had on that community,” expressed Cecile. “When Lloyd and I came to Bristol the entire community was very poor. The one hundred or so women who worked for Van Ralte were critical to seeing change in the community. They proudly enhanced their homes and their town. You could literally see the change year by year with the growing commercial impact the company had on the area. They also had sewing rooms in Middlebury and Randolph then. It was a pleasure to work for them for twenty years.”

    One of the many benefits of living in Bristol was the sense of community that was welcoming of Cecile and her family. “I think the greatest blessing of living in the town of Bristol was that the people there accepted each individual at face value. They accepted me as I was and didn’t care your wealth, your position or your past place of living. What mattered was who you were in their community and how you worked with people and your family.” Never one to sit still for long, Cecile’s hands are still in perpetual motion whether knitting, embroidering, crocheting, or quilting. Cecile was thirteen when she started making her own clothes and shared that even last year she pulled out a pattern and made her own underwear rather than order something that just wouldn’t fit.  While she still loves to sew clothing, quilts are a passion that keeps Cecile young. “I have made over fifty quilts,” she shared. “I made them for each of my grandchildren and have given several to local organizations for raffles and prizes. I keep a photo gallery of all of them and just last year hand tied about three more.” With fourteen grandchildren and twenty-three great grandchildren, Cecile keeps busy making new heirlooms for her family and keeping track of the entire group on the computer.

    “I got my first personal computer when I was seventy-five,” shared Cecile with enthusiasm. “I worked with computers some when I worked as the secretary to the Superintendent of Schools in Bristol and as the bookkeeper at Mount Abraham High School, but really love to use them to keep track of my family. I have grandchildren in California, Oregon, Colorado and a daughter in Boston. All my sons are in Vermont, but still the computer is a link to family.” Linked to her family and to the world through the Internet and through reading, Cecile is a life long learner who passes on this passion to all her children and to those she meets in life. “Learn as much as you can,” she remarked.  “Ignorance is bliss, but not for long.”  These are wise words from a woman who is ninety years strong and learning, growing and celebrating her family with a passion that has kept her young at heart and a vital member of her family and community.

    “Keep yourself busy,” shared Cecile as the interview came to a close. “Keep working and always find reasons to bring your family together for dinners, for birthdays, Easter, Christmas or just plain to get together. They are much more than meals eaten together. They are the stuff of family memories and a celebration of what is important in life….being with those you love.” The Valley Voice salutes Cecile Booska- Blaise or Mrs. “B” as she was simply referred to at Mount Abraham and wish her all the best as she looks forward to May and her 91st year with zest and enthusiasm.

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