The world has change dramatically from a century ago and lifelong Legal resident Alpheda Morin has been around to see it evolve.
She celebrated her 100th birthday on March 9, surrounded by family and friends at the Chateau Sturgeon, a supportive living complex in Legal that has been her home for the last 19 years.
“Right now, I feel 100 per cent. I feel good, my health is good and I’m happy,” she said before making her birthday party debut.
As guests gathered in the dining hall, two of Morin’s daughters, Denise Hogue and Irene Maurier, were frantically trying to prepare her for the big event. She was already running a few minutes behind after getting her hair styled at the on-site salon and she still had to do her nails.
This was a very important event — so many people were coming and she would only have one chance to celebrate such a monumental birthday; she had to look perfect.
People filed into the dining hall, with some making their way to Morin’s room where they shared stories and memories from Morin’s past.
Reflecting on her life, Morin said the key to making it to 100 is very simple.
“I loved fun and I enjoyed life,” she said. “I enjoyed everything.”
She was born in Legal on March 9, 1912 and was raised on an area farm. Throughout her childhood, her tasks were what were considered normal activities at the time, like milking the cows and feeding various livestock.
Her father died when she was just nine years old, and these chores quickly became her responsibility.
“It was a little harder because we had to help mom with her chores,” she said. “We learned to do everything outside. My mom would help, but we raised the chickens and milked the cows and went on the pasture.”
If that wasn’t enough, she also assisted with janitorial duties at the schoolhouse. Her mother accepted this position, which required washing the schoolhouse once a month and lighting the stove when it needed to be, for just $55 a year.
“At one time, I nearly lit the school on fire,” she laughed.
Morin said the things she learned at this stage in her life were carried over to her role as a mother — something she said was her most notable accomplishment.
“What I enjoyed the most is raising my family on the farm,” she said, adding she had eight children. “I think this is the most wonderful thing. They learned a little bit of everything, the boys and the girls.”
Both Hogue and Maurier spoke fondly of their childhood, adding their mother simply “did it all.”
“She did everything. She did the sewing, she did the bread, she did the laundry. Everything,” Maurier said.
The group shared laughs and stories from their childhood, reminiscing particularly fondly about a humourous fishing experience — Morin said this was her all-time favourite activity and nothing would stop her from doing it.
“One time, I got the hook in my finger. My husband, he said ‘What are we going to do? We’ll have to go back.’ We just (got) on the water and I couldn’t do that,” she said. “We had passed through the swamp and the roads were awful. I thought we can’t do that, so I took the hook and I pulled on it.”
She said this cut her finger, but since they were already on the water, she just reached her hand over the boat, gave it a rinse and continued fishing.
“It would take more than that to stop me,” she said.
Morin still tries to live an active life, despite reaching 100 years old. She was involved in bowling until just a few years ago and managed to win the league title a handful of times, as well as be crowned bowler of the month.
She was also named champion at many of the Chateau’s shuffleboard games.
Maurier noted that aside from sports, her mother also had a bit of a shopping habit.
“She went shopping all the time,” she said. “She would go with the senior bus and every time the bus went, she would.”
As she put the finishing touches on her outfit prior to debuting at her party, Morin said she was overwhelmed by her memories.
“What did I not do?” she asked.
After 100 years, Morin said she has done and seen a lot — something she said she hopes to continue for years to come.
