MANCHESTER, NJ — When Anna Kostelnik Buys was in her 70s — an age where many people are settled into their retirement — she decided it was time to start a new adventure: becoming a certified nurse’s aide.
It’s just one piece of a life full of adventure that her family honored recently, as Mrs. Buys was feted for her 100th birthday with a party in Leisure Village West in Manchester.
Anna Kostelnik Buys was born Aug. 18, 2023 in Youngstown, Ohio, one of 11 children, her great-niece Millie Sauro told Patch. Mrs. Buys skipped two grades in elementary school, and when she was 15 years old, began working as a nanny.
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During World War II, she worked for a company named Air Cruisers, making parts for airplanes during the war, Sauro said.
She married Abram J. Buys and the couple had four children: daughter Linda Englehardt, who Mrs. Buys lives with now, and three sons, all of whom have passed away: Jim, Ken and Jackie. Becoming a certified nurse’s aide allowed her to help care for Jackie in his later years. Abram died a number of years ago as well.
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“She dedicated her life to kids, especially her handicapped son Jackie,” Sauro said. Mrs. Buys also has two grandsons and a great-granddaughter, along with Sauro and other extended family.
Mrs. Buys had lived alone in another age-restricted community in Toms River for many years, until she could no longer live alone and moved in with her daughter, Sauro said.
But she doesn’t let time just pass her by.
“She loves to dance, and her favorite song is ‘After The Lovin” by Englebert Humperdinck,” Sauro said.
Mrs. Buys spent her 100th birthday in Atlantic City at the air show, “and probably playing some slots,” Sauro said, and “she still has great mental clarity.”
What is her secret to a long life? “Eating LOTS of blueberries,” Sauro said.
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