97 Year-Old Woman Cries Tears Of Joy After Finally Getting Her High School Diploma

November 20, 2015

Margaret Thome Bekema never graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central High in 1936 like she was supposed to. Instead she had to leave school to take care of her mother, who was sick with cancer, and siblings.

old lady gets diploma
Credit: Emily Rose Bennett / MLive.com

But thanks to a distant relative, Bekema recently received an honorary diploma from the school, 79 years after she was originally supposed to graduate.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I had to quit school to take over the family. It was hard, you have no idea how hard that was. I loved high school and I had lots of friends."

old lady gets diploma
Credit: Emily Rose Bennett / MLive.com