NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A longtime resident of western New York realized a lifelong dream on July 24: A day before her 105th birthday, she got to ride on the Maid of the Mist, the boat that ferries tourists near Niagara Falls.
Emily Buczko Bula, a resident of Erie County who grew up in Buffalo, took her wild ride near the Horsehoe Falls, the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form Niagara Falls and form the border between the United States and Canada.
“They asked me, ‘What would I like to do?’ And this is what I wanted to do,” Bula said. “It’s beautiful.”
It was Bula’s first ride on the famous ferry, and she took the spray from the falls in stride.
“She really soaked it up,” said Kevin Keenan, spokesperson for the Maid of the Mist. “She just got a face full of water and she didn’t mind; she just loved the experience and she was right on the bow of the Maid.
“And to see that joy in anybody’s face, let alone someone who’s 105 years old, is really fulfilling.”
Bula, who now resides in the Harris Hill Nursing Facility in nearby Williamsville, traveled with family members for her boat ride, including her niece, Staci Mercurio-Johns, who flew from Houston to attend the event.
“It’s a blessing,” Mercurio-Johns said. “We’ve been planning this for months. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Bula said the ride was what she had hoped for and loved her experience.
“Oh, very wet,” she said. “I really enjoyed it very much.”
The Maid of the Mist began as a ferry service in 1846. In 1884, R.F. Carter and Frank LeBlond invested in a new Maid of the Mist boat for tourists to experience Niagara Falls. It was launched on June 13, 1885.
Bula has spent most of her life in the Buffalo area. Her parents, William and Angeline Buczko, were from Austria. According to the 1940 census, Emily was listed as a housekeeper for a private residence.
She married Joseph Bula in 1941. They remained together for 53 years until Joseph’s death in November 1994.
Emily Bula was honored by the Erie County Legislature with a proclamation when she turned 100 in 2020. She was cited for her volunteer work with then-Erie County legislators Lynn Marinelli and Leonard R. Lenihan, and Assemblyman Robin Shimminger.
Through the years, her hobbies included making jewelry, sewing clothes, playing gin rummy and delighting friends and family members with her pickle recipes.
Emily Bula said the activities keep her young at heart.
“Keep busy. Always have a project ahead of you,” she said. “I never had time to die because I was always too busy.”
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