One of the distinct joys of living and working in a senior living community is the breadth of life you get to celebrate with the people who live there together. Where else do you have the privilege of witnessing so many amazing life stories?
The community at Danbury Mentor recently had the pleasure of celebrating the century-long life story of Caterina Burjes. Caterina, also known as Kati, moved to Danbury in 2019, and she celebrated her 100th birthday with family, staff, and fellow residents on November 25, 2022.
Kati was born 100 years ago in Solcano, a municipality of Gorizia, Italy, and emigrated to the United States in December of 1951, one year after marrying her husband, Louis. The two of them settled in the Cleveland area, attending St. Vitus Church for a decade until they relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio, in 1961. They were parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Wickliffe from that point forward.
After moving from Italy to America, the two of them traveled the world together. When they weren’t traveling, they were both very devoted to family. Although she and Louis didn’t have children of their own, Kati has always delighted in the lives of her 12 nieces and nephews, 19 great nieces and nephews, and five great-great nephews, all of whom refer to her as “Teta Kati.”
Kati served as an Accounting Clerk with Ohio Bell until she retired in 1979 after 21 years of service. She belongs to the Telephone Pioneers of America, the Slovenska Pristava Pensioners Club, and the American Mutual Life Association (AMLA).
Caterina and Louis celebrated sixty-three wonderful years of marriage together before Louis passed away in 2013.
At Danbury, Caterina enjoys gardening, reading, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, cross-stitch, lace tatting, and ceramics. She is a generous, loving, and compassionate presence in our community.
Caterina is just one of hundreds of heartwarming examples of the kind of people who join our senior living communities. Each of our residents’ lives contributes to the Danbury Difference. Explore our communities to find your place here. We can’t wait to get to know your life story!
