Aldergrove’s Maudie MacPherson turns 100 in August, and her family is planning a big party.
Ella Maude MacPherson, who for many years was the seniors’ news reporter for The Star, was born on August 16, 1917, to Mr. and Mrs. K. Corbett in Merryfield, Saskatchewan.
She came to B.C., where she married another Saskatchewan native, Ewen “Hughie” MacPherson at Vancouver’s St.Andrews-Wesey Church just before he shipped out for World War Two.
The couple had two children, Karen and her husband Jim Kerr and Kenneth and his wife Darlene. The couple also had five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The MacPhersons bought their home in Aldergrove in 1978 and moved to an apartment condo here in 1992.
Maudie and Hugh joined the Aldergrove Old Age Pensioners’ organization in 1982, where they made many friends and Maudie dutifully reported on the OAP activities weekly for 22 years for The Star.
After a brief illness, Hugh passed away at Langley Memorial Hospital on Monday, February 2, 2009, in his 96th year.
Maudie also lost a lifelong, dear friend, Mary Elizabeth Sanderson on June 22, 2014 at the age of 102 years. Mary was a longtime active member of the Aldergrove community, a Douglas Day Pioneer and matriarch of the Sanderson and Lockhart families.
Both MacPherson and Sanderson were recipients of the Hilda Reddick Community Service Award presented annually to Aldergrove’s outstanding volunteer. MacPherson received her award in 1998 and Sanderson in 1993.
Both Sanderson and MacPherson continued to enjoy activities such as the weekly carpet bowling sessions at the Aldegrove OAP Hall and Aldergrove Seniors and Vets Club in their senior years. MacPherson is frail today but still walks to the Aldergrove Seniors and Vets Club for the lunches and card games.
While she is frailer than she used to be, MacPherson still has a healthy sense of humour, says her son, Ken.
“Recently, she fell down by her bed and called her ‘Lifeline’ for help — she wasn’t seriously hurt but the ambulance paramedics decided to take her to the hospital just to be sure,” said Ken.
“Her neighbour and friend, Hazel, heard Maudie calling for help and was so upset her blood pressure went through the roof. So the both of them rode in the back of the ambulance to the hospital and by the time they got there were laughing and joking about their situation.”
Her family is hosting the centennial birthday party for Maudie at the Langley Seniors Resource Centre, 20605 - 51B Avenue on Sunday, August 20, 1 to 4 p.m.