Inverness care home resident celebrates 100th birthday
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A milestone anniversary for one Inverness care home resident was marked with a family gathering.
Rena Burns, who moved to Aden House in the city’s Annfield Road two years ago, celebrated her 100th birthday on New Year’s Eve.
She is one of the first people in Britain reaching the milestone to receive a card from King Charles III to mark the event.
Rena was born on December 31, 1922, and her family lived in the Haugh area of the city, behind Ness Bank Church.
She attended Central Primary School, which is the oldest primary school in the city, before going on to Inverness High School.
After she left school Rena worked in a shoe shop and, when she was 19 years old, she joined the army and served with the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).
She reached the rank of corporal there and passed her sergeant’s course though by the time she left the army at the end of World War II she had not yet been promoted.
She was with the ATS as they were stationed at the Ardmore Distillery in Kennethmont, near Huntly.
She was in charge of the stores and organised shipments of military supplies.
After she left the Army, Rena went back to working in the shoe shop before marrying husband Jim Burns, who worked as a sorter at the Post Office, in 1965.
It was his second marriage and he already had one son, James.
The couple went on to have another son, who they called John.
Rea gave up work after she was married to become a housewife.
The family later moved to Dunain Road, Inverness where Rena continued to live independently until she moved to the care home.
When asked what she felt was the secret to a long life she simply replied: “God knows.”
Son John said: “I think it’s incredible.
“All our relatives tend to live a long time on that side of the family.”
He said his mother had probably lived so long because she always enjoyed good home grown food throughout her life.
He also praised staff at the Aden House care home who he said did an excellent job of looking after her.
Inverness Depute Provost Jackie Hendry was also present at the celebrations and said: “What an achievement. I am looking at Rena and thinking if I am lucky enough to get to 100 and be as old as she is it will also be an achievement. It is an honour to share her special moment.”
