Jemima was treated to a large white and pink cake, surrounded by colourful balloons and residents all topped with spotty party hats.
She appreciates the simple details: the right amount of sugar in her cup of tea and being able to walk, with help from her walker, whenever she pleases.
A glamorous lady, dressed in a fluffy beige coat and a long skirt, she is far from camera-shy.
Her niece, Norma Grice, says Jemima has always had a gift for the arts and is a trained violinist and artist.
The Hairini resident, who dressed in a gorgeous green-tartan sash for the occasion, said she and her aunt have had a long, close relationship and see each other when they can.
Jemima is well-known in the rest home and is the oldest person there by six years.
Carol Wert, a worker at the Bayview Resthome, put the birthday bash together and said it is really a remarkable milestone that they wanted to celebrate for her.
It is not known where Jemima sits on the list of New Zealand's oldest people. A Department of Internal Affairs spokesperson said it was difficult to track, especially as she was born overseas.
Bayview Village workers and residents put on quite the birthday bash for Jemima. Photo / George Novak
