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Vera Kliewer turns 100

In June, Vera Kliewer celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her three sons and two daughters. While COVID protocols kept the celebration short and the attendees limited, Vera’s daughter Rochelle Simmons said the children were thankful for the time they did have.

“We were just grateful we were able to at least get the five of us together with her—over the last year we were so limited with contact,” said Vera’s daughter, Rochelle Simmons.

According to Rochelle, Vera’s 100 years have been active thanks to her early career as an elementary school teacher as well as the many activities she participated in through church, scouts and the various organizations the five children were involved in.

“Mom and dad worked hard,” said Rochelle. “She taught Sunday school and Bible school and did Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts—she was pretty busy with five of us.”

Vera was born in Oklahoma and her father died when she was just five years old. When her mother remarried, the family moved to Kansas, and it was there that she met Orville Kliewer who would be her husband for more than 40 years.

Asked what she thought was her mother’s secret to longevity, Rochelle had this to say.

“She always tried to make nutritious meals and eat well, but she definitely has a real sweet tooth, so maybe it’s all the sugar,” said Rochelle.

Vera has only lived at Manor of the Plains since March; however, Rochelle partially attributes her mom’s ability to live at home so long thanks to the community’s PATH® (Post-Acute to Home®) rehabilitation program which helped her recover from numerous medical setbacks over the years.

“[PATH] was a really valuable program for her because they worked their magic and got her back on her feet so she could go home again,” said Rochelle.

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