A resident of Moose Mountain Lodge recently celebrated a pretty remarkable milestone.
Alice Zimmerman (nee Henderson) was born Sept. 23, 1920 – at the end of the Spanish Flu epidemic. She celebrated her 100th birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is the last surviving member of her family, as she had three brothers and four sisters. Zimmerman attended school at Winterbourne, Salem and Manor and then graduated from normal school in Regina. She taught for two years prior to her marriage to Martin Zimmerman in 1943.
They had three daughters - Shirley (Paul) Palendat, Joyce (Ron) Schlapkohl and Laverne (July 8-10, 1949). Alice Zimmerman taught at Wiggensdale in 1949-50 when teachers were in short supply and then in Manor from 1953-1969. She also taught kindergaten in 1975 and 1976 and did quite a bit of substituting.
Zimmerman has seen many changes in her 100 years – riding horses, horse and buggy, cars and jet airplanes and seeing a man on the moon. She went from no phones to cell phones and computers. Candles and kerosene lamps switched to electricity. Radio, black and white TV progressed to high-definition TV. In her lifetime, the farmers went from working with horses and stooking sheaves to four-wheel drive tractors and million dollar combines.
The Zimmermans were both collectors and loved to travel – seeing all the Canadian provinces and many states in the U.S. Alice Zimmerman and a good friend also spent six weeks in Australia and New Zealand in 1998.
Zimmerman still enjoys playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles, reading. visiting and a hot cup of tea.
As well as her daughters Shirley and Joyce, Zimmerman has one granddaughter, three grandsons, four great granddaughters, five great grandsons, two step great granddaughters, one step great grandson, one great great grandson, three great great grandaughters, five step great great granddaughters and four step great great grandsons, plus many in-laws. What an achievement in her 100 years.
Following COVID restrictions, her daughters hosted a gathering of friends for birthday cake on Sept. 23, and on Sept. 26, her immediate family enjoyed supper and more cake.
Zimmerman wishes to extend her thanks to everyone who sent cards, good wishes, flowers and to the family and friends for sharing her birthday and making it such a memorable occasion.
