Selma Gaetz

BIOGRAPHY

Selma Gaetz was born in a rural area in central Alberta, Canada, on 12 May 1903. She was the sixth child of Samuel and Katherine Gaetz. Her five older siblings were Hannah, Ben, Albert, Lydia, and Emma, and she also had two younger siblings, Edith and Bill. She grew up in a close-knit farming community, where she learned the value of hard work and took on household and farm chores at an early age.

At the age of 22, she moved to Calgary, the nearest major city. There, she secured her first job at Templeton Cleaners. She quickly discovered a natural talent for working with fabrics and soon began working for a casket manufacturer, where she specialized in creating silk linings.

Eventually, she moved to California. Her first stop was Lodi, where she had acquaintances, but when employment opportunities did not materialize, she continued south to Santa Monica. There, she found work in a drapery shop, marking the beginning of her business career. Within a few years, she opened her own drapery business and spent more than two decades crafting elegant window treatments for homes and studios throughout Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Westwood, and Beverly Hills. She was also an active member of the Santa Monica Assembly of God Church on Arizona Avenue.

Within months of her arrival in Southern California, she purchased her first car and learned to drive. She continued driving independently until just after her 98th birthday, when she reluctantly gave up that privilege.

In 1977, Selma moved to Leisure World, later known as Laguna Woods. In May 2004, she sold her Laguna Woods condominium and moved to Freedom Village, where she resided in Independent Living. In 2010, she transitioned to Assisted Living.

Selma Gaetz passed away in Lake Forest, California, on 5 July 2014, at the age of 111 years, 54 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* Selma Gaetz – Laguna Hills CA Funeral Home & Cremation

GALLERY

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