And many more
Centenarian sisters keep active in their Sutherlands River home
Centenarian sisters in Sutherlands River have no secrets for a long life, just enjoy living it a day at a time
Come Friday, Helen Ward won’t be the only centenarian in her family.
On St. Patrick’s Day, her “kid” sister Gertie MacDonald turns 100 – joining the nearly 102-year-old Ward in the century club.
“I’m just happy to be alive and able to enjoy life,” said MacDonald about the milestone.
The ladies don’t believe they’re all that unusual, saying that people live longer these days due to advances in medicine. When asked to share their secret for long life, Ward said she doesn’t have one.
“We have no idea, we wonder ourselves. Nobody in our family ever lived to 90. I can’t understand why we’re still here.”
But MacDonald believes it’s a combination of things, including being brought up on a farm with fresh, clean air. “Modern medicine – I would never be here if we didn’t have that. And outlook. We don’t believe in sitting around. We like to keep busy. We’re never bored.”
The sisters start each day at their Sutherlands River home with breakfast, followed by reading the newspaper, and completing the Word Target, Crossword and Sudoku puzzles.
Their daily routine also includes doing a few chores, watching the Price Is Right, cooking and cleaning up afterward, and their exercise regime of walking indoors.
“I do 20 rounds around the house. It’s how I get exercise. I don’t go outside in the winter for the fear that I might fall,” said Ward.
She also finds time to knit and work on a jigsaw puzzle, while MacDonald, who prepares the meals, also likes to bake. They finish off their day with watching a bit of TV and then reading before they go to sleep.
In the summer, they attend services at the Sutherlands River Presbyterian Church (Ward drives there), but in the winter, they watch a church service on TV.
The sisters also play bridge “a lot. We never have to go out – they all come in,” said MacDonald.
“We enjoy bridge. We enjoy everything we do every day,” said Ward.
They get by with a little help from their neighbours, friends and family, with some relatives staying with them overnight. Meals on Wheels also delivers a meal once a week and VON helps out with house cleaning.
“We have very good neighbours,” said Ward, noting that one brings the newspaper to their door.
“And the neighbour on the other side looks after the grass and snow without being asked, so we’re very fortunate,” said MacDonald.
“They look after us between them all.”
Ward came to live with her sister when MacDonald had an operation about 10 years ago, staying with her to help out. Because Ward’s house in Eureka had stairs, she decided it was easier to live with MacDonald, so she sold her house.
Ward, whose first husband Whitfield Gillespie passed away in his mid 50s, has a son and daughter, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She later married Arthur Ward.
MacDonald was married to Duncan MacDonald and they had two sons. She now has five grandchildren and eight greatgrandchildren, one of whom is 25 years old. “No great, greats yet,” she said.
The ladies taught school when they were younger, although they both left the profession when they got married.
MacDonald returned to teaching when her children were older, working for more than 20 years at East Pictou Rural High. Her family organized a birthday party for her earlier this month, and several of her former students attended. “We had a huge crowd, so many more than I expected,” she said. “I was so happy to see so many of them at my party. Some I hadn’t seen in 50 or 60 years.”
The sisters have seen many changes in their lives, such as the invention of the computer.
“Things have changed a lot from when we were young. We were born on a farm that didn’t have running water or electricity,” said Ward, noting that they grew all their own vegetables and raised cows, sheep and pigs for meat.
“They (the changes) are unbelievable. I often wonder what comes next,” said MacDonald.
First living on McLellans Mountain, their family later moved to Greenwood where they had electricity, a washing machine and a telephone for the first time.
“Now people all have computers and do texting, Twitter and all this. I don’t do any of that,” Ward said, adding that she plays games on the computer, while her sister sends letters and pays bills with it. “They are amazing things.”
Although they’ve attained a remarkable achievement in both reaching 100, they’re quick to downplay it.
“We’re just ordinary people. We’re just very fortunate to have each other,” said MacDonald.
“Yes, and we get along so well together and enjoy each other’s company,” said Ward.
“We enjoy each day as it comes,” said MacDonald.