Thelma Stratton begins 102nd year

As she marked her 102nd birthday, Thelma Stratton of Colfax gave a piece of advice to a male Gazette reporter.

“Don’t get too close,” she said. “There’s a lot of men who have walked away with broken hearts.”

Thelma marked her birthday Tuesday with a party at Whitman Health & Rehabilitation Center where she now resides.

A giant purple-rose-frosted cake was set out in front of her, though staffers were kind enough to forego the 102 candles. Thelma proposed taking the cake back to her freezer to eat throughout the next year, but decided in the end to share with the birthday celebrants.

Thelma was...