Manitoba woman lives through two global pandemics to celebrate her 111th birthday
Manitoba’s oldest living person has survived two global pandemics to celebrate their 111th birthday on Monday.
Born on January 10, 1911, Jemima Westcott, more commonly known as Mime, was joined virtually by her family for the milestone from the care home in Brandon where she is living.
“She’s amazing, she’s doing really well for 111,” said Raunora Westcott, Mime’s granddaughter. “One thing we’re really lucky to have is such a sharp memory from her. She really can tell some great stories from every decade of the past century.”
Mime hails from a small Manitoba farming community called Lauder. As one of 11 siblings, she grew up doing chores on a farm before becoming a teacher, getting married, and settling in Douglas, a community just east of Brandon.
“I don’t ever remember her sitting down, like she was always up and moving around,” said Raunora.
And there perhaps lies the key to her longevity.
Raunora said Mime and her siblings were studied by university academics to discover the root of their extended lifespans. With Mime being the only living sibling, the conclusion was that she had won the genetic jackpot.
It’s a sentiment shared by Raunora, but she also believes a lot of it has to do with the lifestyle she led. Hard work, whole-food meals, and no smoking. She was also widowed early, and has been single since her early fifties.
“I don’t know, maybe that has something to do with it. No one nagging you all the time,” said Raunora with a laugh.
When it comes to pandemics, Mime is in a unique position as she has lived through two that have killed millions of people worldwide.
It is a topic she has spoken to often and the similarities are oddly familiar. Social distancing and masking were both in effect about a century apart.
Raunora said her grandmother’s care home is one of the very few, if any, in the province that has not been hit hard by the COVID-19 virus. She credits the facility’s procedures and the diligence of staff in keeping the residents safe.
Back when the 1918 Influenza Pandemic was running rampant across the continent, it was Mime’s mother who tried to keep her children safe.
It is estimated one-third of the world’s population at the time became infected with the H1N1 virus, and at least 50 million died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Raunora said Mime’s childhood community was mostly spared, with the exception of a couple of houses.
Mime’s mother instructed her children to cover their faces with handkerchiefs as they passed by the homes suspected to house infected people.
“Their mother poured eucalyptus oil on some cloths and had them hold them to their noses as they walked in the vicinity of that area,” said Raunora.
The pandemic has been challenging for many families and Raunora’s is no exception. The last time she saw her grandmother in person was in early December for a holiday gathering.
Despite celebrating Mime’s 111th birthday hundreds of kilometres apart, Raunora may be taking a page out of her grandmother’s playbook.
“Her advice to people would be to be content with what you have and to hold your relationships, your family and friends, those relationships closely and really care for others around you,” said Raunora.
-With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.