1908
Alice
2016
Alice Okerstrom
May 9, 1908 — June 3, 2016
BC woman celebrates Mother’s Day with family one day before 108th birthday
On Sunday in Port Coquitlam, Alice Okerstrom’s extended family crowded her private care home room for a milestone Mother’s Day celebration. Okerstrom is not only a great-grandmother, she’s also turning 108 years old on May 9th.
“One hundred eight years, I remember a lot of things,” she reflected.
Okerstrom arrived in Canada from England at age two. Her family settled in Moose Jaw where she grew up during the First World War and later survived the Great Depression. During her 37 years in Saskatchewan she also became the first employee of Prairie Airways. Okerstrom got married in 1941 and she and her husband later moved to Victoria.
Surrounding by her son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren ahead of her 108th birthday, the tech-savvy Okerstrom listened to an email birthday greeting from a friend. Okerstrom conquered the internet at age 94 but the spry centenarian still remembers being excited over electricity during the First World War, when she experienced her first light bulb.
“It was wonderful, you had to reach up and turn it on,” she said, adding that it was much more convenient than the lanterns and candles they had grown used to.
By the time she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2008, Okerstrom had outlived her husband and many friends. Nearly a decade later, she admits she never expected she’d be marking 108 years of life.
After overcoming some health challenges in the last two years, Okerstrom says she’s feeling much better.
Her secret to longevity: “Live well, work hard, keep happy.”
© 2016 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
On Sunday in Port Coquitlam, Alice Okerstrom’s extended family crowded her private care home room for a milestone Mother’s Day celebration. Okerstrom is not only a great-grandmother, she’s also turning 108 years old on May 9th.
“One hundred eight years, I remember a lot of things,” she reflected.
Okerstrom arrived in Canada from England at age two. Her family settled in Moose Jaw where she grew up during the First World War and later survived the Great Depression. During her 37 years in Saskatchewan she also became the first employee of Prairie Airways. Okerstrom got married in 1941 and she and her husband later moved to Victoria.
Surrounding by her son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren ahead of her 108th birthday, the tech-savvy Okerstrom listened to an email birthday greeting from a friend. Okerstrom conquered the internet at age 94 but the spry centenarian still remembers being excited over electricity during the First World War, when she experienced her first light bulb.
“It was wonderful, you had to reach up and turn it on,” she said, adding that it was much more convenient than the lanterns and candles they had grown used to.
By the time she celebrated her 100th birthday in 2008, Okerstrom had outlived her husband and many friends. Nearly a decade later, she admits she never expected she’d be marking 108 years of life.
After overcoming some health challenges in the last two years, Okerstrom says she’s feeling much better.
Her secret to longevity: “Live well, work hard, keep happy.”
© 2016 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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