Early in April, Bertha (Brien) Montgomery, a 1940 graduate of Deering High School, turned 100, and Krista Simonis from the DHS guidance office was privileged to attend her birthday party on behalf of the school.

Here’s a description from Krista of the event:

“Bertha was joined by her son, daughter, granddaughter, and older brother, who graduated from Cheverus. Bertha's favorite color is purple, and when I brought her yearbook from 1940 for her to look at, she told me she had her copy still in her room and that she'd saved it all these years.

We gave her a Deering t-shirt to commemorate the occasion, as well as an award and an athletic letter from the Athletic Department, with pins for the sports she played in high school. She is still quite athletic, walking every day with other residents at her retirement home, Kaler-Vaill. She even demonstrated for us how she could touch her toes.

A woman at the party told me how amazing it was to see the yearbook from 1940, and that she was able to find her mother in there, who had been Bertha's best friend.

We brought with us some Deering swag as decorations for the occasion, including trophies from 1935-1939, a Deering flag, a card from the principals, a current issue of our literary magazine Breccia, and a poster signed by numerous students and staff.”