94 years young

My name is Dorothy Houghton and I was born in Peterborough, Ontario in 1922.  I am one of seven children. My youngest sister Ellen died at 18 months of pneumonia.  Our lives were pretty normal, our days filled with fun, love, music and security until I was 10 years old when our father suddenly died of a stroke and then two years later our mother died of cancer.  That left six children alone to face the world. The eldest was but 19 years old and the youngest only six.  Most important to me was that with the help of the Salvation Army we were all able to stay together as a family in our own home.

During World War II, all 3 of my brothers enlisted and at home I worked for General Electric to help the war effort. Although times were difficult and we dealt with many shortages and rationing, my life was filled with friends and home.

It was also during this time that I married my first husband and we moved to Toronto to live with his parents and started our family.  We had five children and lived in Richmond Hill and then back to Toronto until our divorce 19 years later.  I worked at a glass factory during the day and went to school at night to get a certificate in bookkeeping that helped me to get a job at Coopers & Lybrand  where I worked for 20 years until my retirement.

When I met and married my second husband and after I retired, we ran a convenience store in the Bloor Avenue and Dovercourt Road area of Toronto.  I was very active in the War Veterans Club in Toronto where I was President of the Women’s Auxiliary for 15 years.  We made a special effort for the veterans who stayed at Sunnybrook hospital showing weekly films, giving refreshments and bringing them to the Veteran’s Club for special occasions. It was a lot of work but it warmed my heart to feel their gratitude and appreciation. I made life-long friends at the Club and still hear from them now and then.

After only 10 years of marriage, my husband suddenly passed away and I became very active in volunteering for the Bloor-Central Salvation Army Corp. where I helped with the “Moms & Tots” program to teach crafts to young mothers to get them out of the house so they could socialize with other mothers.

I also had the opportunity to travel.  My younger sister and I went on a Mediterranean Cruise of Europe.  Then we went to Australia and New Zealand.  I have also travelled to Hawaii, the Fiji Islands and to Florida. I had fun and thoroughly enjoyed that time of my life.

My fondest memory is the time that I spent at home with my children.  There was much love, joy and frustration with raising five children primarily on my own but I loved every minute of it.  Many have asked how I have reached the age of 94.  I think laughter, friends and strong family ties have kept me going through some of the most difficult times of my life.

I have been at Hillside Place for five years now and cannot think of a better place that I would rather be.  I have many friends here and love the apartment that I now call home.  I became a client of Peel Senior Link from when I moved in and I know that without their assistance and care, I would not been able to stay in my own home.  The Personal Support Workers that I have are all wonderful and we share a lot of laughter, good conversation and music.  My days are filled with peace and security in knowing that I can call on them whenever I need help.  Thank you Peel Senior Link for taking such good care of me.  My children do not have to worry about me and for that, I am grateful.

91 years young

I was born on March 29th, 1926 as Ester Ruth Hicks in Port Arthur, Ontario which is now Thunder Bay.  It’s a northern community, so the people who lived there were required to be self-sufficient and hard working in order to survive the isolation and the  long, cold, harsh winters of Northern Ontario.  My dad was an engineer and shortly after I started school in Port Arthur, he got a job to build the hotel in Jellicoe, a small mining town in Ontario.  I remember the preparations for our move to Jellicoe…how mom had to buy me and my younger sister Fran a brand new wardrobe at the only store in Port Arthur  in order for us to survive the winters of Jellicoe.  The store sold mostly boys clothing but I remember how mom did her best to make the boys clothes as suitable as possible for the girls to wear.  This was no easy task, and I was so impressed with mom’s ability to change a boy’s brief into a girls underwear.

My first memory of Jellico was staying at great Aunt Grace’s house which was across the lake of our new home in Jellicoe which was actually more of a “shack”. I always marveled that we didn’t freeze over the winter months in that tiny “shack” that was our home.

This is where I learned how to make real sauerkraut…in a large barrel…a process that took over a month to ferment.  I really thought this was fantastic as I had only ever tasted sauerkraut from a can…and after trying real sauerkraut, I swore I would never have sauerkraut from a can again! When I was 16, my dad got a job in Toronto.  Our parents left for Toronto in order to find a home for us, and sent for Fran and I once they settled.  We stayed in Jellicoe with our grandma until then.  I got a job as a homemaker for a doctor’s family in town.  I loved that job and saved enough money to purchase our train tickets to Toronto and new outfits and a new outrageous straw hat for the journey.  My mom used to tease me because she remembered seeing me coming off the train carrying our luggage, holding my 10 year old sister’s hand, while sporting this ridiculous  straw hat!   I couldn’t believe the size of Toronto…the largest town I had ever seen was Port Arthur and Toronto was nothing like Port Arthur.

I met my first husband Arthur in 1946, we married and had children.  Life was tough for us as it was for most young couples post war.  We struggled to find a good home to raise our children, struggled with employment and struggled with good health.  My youngest son passed away at 11 months old from tracheitis.  Later, my youngest daughter Peggy suffered from a severe bout of the measles as a baby, infecting her ears. The damage in her ears resulted in 75% hearing loss in both ears.  She got over the measles, but her hearing never returned. I spent most of my time learning ways to teach her how to speak and communicate and how to function independanlty.

Years later, after all the children had grown my oldest daughter was diagnosed with cancer.  I became her primary caregiver and companion, travelling  from Etobicoke to Burlington every day.to take care of her.  It was so difficult and traumatic to witness my own daughter disappearing before my eyes.  She passed away before she reached the age of 40.

I was widowed twice. After the death of my second husband in 1978, I began painting. I had never painted before but knew I needed to try it, so I purchased my supplies and tried painting for the first time.  I intuitively knew what to do and I loved it.  I showed off my work at local exhibitions, always learned new techniques from other artists and then created artwork that still hangs in our homes now.  I am fortunate to have found painting as it helped me to learn so much about others and myself.

My advice to others would be:  You can feel the hurt, but you must carry on as best as you can.  You can’t forget the loss, but you have to let go of the hurt of the loss.  You only have one life to live…so you have to make the best of what you’ve got.”

I have been a client with PSL for 2 years.  They have been so helpful.    Some days I can’t do anything but there is always someone there to provide the help when I ask for it. The support from Peel Senior Link is invaluable.

94 year young

Muriel Przeciszowski was born in January 1923 in Shrewsbury, England in the village of Nesscliffe on a farm called Long Jacks Place. Muriel is the youngest in her family with 5 sisters and 1 brother. She remembers how all her siblings looked out for her and how she was spoiled by all of them. Muriel has many fond memories of her childhood living on the farm, riding horses with her brother, jumping the hedges and going to the sweet shop.

Muriel recalls how her mother, Emily, was very loving and caring and how she always wore an apron. John, was Muriel’s father, was also known as Lanky John because he was 6 foot 3 and slender. Everyone in the village knew him.

Muriel married in 1945. Muriel’s husband Kazek was a fighter pilot in World War 2. When he left the Air Force in England he worked in a factory. He was not happy with his job and decided that he wanted to move to Canada. Kazek came to Canada eight months before Muriel and the children to work at Eastern Power Device and to find a flat for his family to live in Muriel and the children, then aged 12, 11, and 8, came to Canada and joined Kazek. When the company where he worked closed Kazek found a job with American Motors assembling cars. When American Motors closed they sold to Chrysler where he worked until he retired at age 60.

In Canada, Muriel and her family lived in Toronto close to High Park in a two bedroom flat. Muriel worked in the cafeteria at St. Joseph’s hospital in the evenings. Three years later the family moved to a 3 bedroom apartment over a store in Bloor West village. At that time Muriel changed jobs and worked for the Trocadero Club. Muriel worked in the evenings booking weddings and parties as well as working in the snack bar a few nights a week during the dances at the club.

In 1963 Muriel took a course and became a Kindergarten Teacher Assistant for 12 years. When she retired she and her husband sold the house they had bought in the city and moved to the cottage they purchased many years earlier on Snache Island and lived there for 9 years. Then they bought a mobile home in Shrewsbury,  England and lived on Snache Island in the summer and Shrewsbury England in the winters.

Muriel talks about how her children are always around and how very involved they are in her life and willing to drop everything in order to help her anytime.

Today Muriel enjoys knitting and making cat blankets for the Humane Society. Muriel enjoys doing cross word puzzles and watching the news and history programs on TV. Muriel enjoys participating in building activities and outings and likes to go for walks in the afternoon either outside or in the building.

Muriel has many fond memories of traveling with her husband all over Europe when they retired.

In December 2013 Muriel found she was in need of help and found assistance with Peel Senior Link.  Muriel states, “PSL has given me the confidence to live in my home knowing that help is always there when I need it”. “Not so long ago I had a fall and was able to call PSL. The staff came right away and assisted me off the floor, ensured I was comfortable and gave me extra visits throughout the night to ensure I was OK”. “I am very happy with the staff at PSL. The staff are nice and polite”.

97 years young

I was born in a well-to-do family in Beijing, China on March 23rd, 1920. My father was a high-ranking official in Chinese government at that time.  When I was little, we had over ten servants living with us. Then the war started, my family had to move to a small city in China. My parents wanted me to continue school. Due to the war, we had to attend school in a temple and had a lot of fun there in her childhood. My father supported me to complete my university education where after, I worked in a foreign trade corporation.

I married at a young age and moved to Hong Kong because my husband had a well-paid job there.  We had four beautiful children (2 sons and 2 daughters). Unfortunately, my husband passed away when I was 41 years old.  My eldest son was only a teenager. My life had changed dramatically after my husband’s death. I had to learn life skills such as cooking and sewing because I couldn’t afford to buy new clothes for my children any more. I had to work four jobs to support the family. My children also did tutoring while in school to make some extra money.

In 1975, my company sent me to Montreal, Canada to expand our business.

My biggest life achievement is that I successfully raised my children and brought all of them to Canada. On top of that, all of my children completed university education in Canada. Now, I have eight grandchildren (2 of them are doctors) and 4 great grandchildren. My children and grandchildren respect me and we have close relationships. My grandson still comes to me for advice if he encounters some issues in his life. I would like to share one parenting tip with others: Communication is the key to maintain close relationships with your kids.

When I was young, I had lots of hobbies. I was good at knitting, sewing. I made suits for my sons. I liked Chinese painting, Chinese calligraphy. Now due to my poor vision, I cannot do any of them. My favorite pastime is playing Mahjong now as it is a very good brain exercise. Besides that, I enjoy watching TV.

I have been with Peel Senior Link since Dec.15, 2010. I receive personal care and medication assistance from Peel Senior Link staff. I am very appreciative to the Canadian government and Peel Senior Link for providing such a wonderful program for seniors. I live all by myself, without this help I would not be able to maintain my health and live safely in my home.

89 years young

Sairah was born on November 28^th 1927 in Guyana. She has 9 siblings, 5 brothers and 4 sisters. Her mother was a stay at home mom and her father was an icemaker back home in Guyana. Sairah came to Canada in 1977 with the help of her youngest son who was attending college here. Sairah has 2 loving sons. She has 3 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She has lived in Mississauga since she arrived in Canada. She has lived in her Queen Frederica apartment since 1987. For a short period of time she worked as a cleaner in a hotel.

When Sairah was younger she loved travel. She has travelled to Holland, England, Belgium, different cities in the USA and has taken a Caribbean cruise. When she moved to Canada she would travel back home to Guyana every year to visit her family.

Sairah’s favourite hobbies in the past were cooking and sewing. She used to make all of her clothes as well as her sons’ clothing. She still helps with cooking when she visits her children for family dinners by helping peel or chop food.

Sariah enjoys crosswords. She says it helps keep her brain sharp and it also helps with passing the time in between staff visits. At 4:30pm every day during the week she watches her favorite soap opera the Young and the Restless. She cannot miss a day.

In her 90 years her fondest memories are coming to Canada, her 2 sons being born and watching them grow up to be happy and successful husbands with families of their own. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren are great memories as well.

Sairah came onto Peel Senior Link services in December 2011. The impact that Peel Senior Link has had on her life has been great. She has been able to live in her own home with the help of Personal Support Workers assisting with her daily activities, especially after her surgeries. Her health has become stable and has not declined. She has tried her best to stay active by attending the exercise classes that are provided in the lounge on a weekly basis. She comes down to the coffee group to socialize with the other patrons in the building. She recently tried Nordic Pole walking for the first time. It was a little nerve racking for her but in the past few weeks has improved with the help of the instructor and her determination.

92 years young

Che Kin Cheng was born on November 29, 1924 in Hong Kong.  He and his wife lived in Hong Kong until they decided to move to Canada at the age of 60 to join 2 out of their 3 children who were already settled in Canada.

Che Kin worked as a seamen crew member for many years which allowed him to see many parts of South America, South Africa and Asia. In his later working years, he worked as a service advisor for car dealerships such as Chrysler and Hyundai.

Che Kin married his wife, who was a beauty consultant, when he was 18 years old and were married for 63 years until his wife sadly passed away in 2005. He refers to his loving wife as “My Queen”. They raised three beautiful children, two boys and one girl. He now has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild and states that my family is most important and has always been my entire life.

Che Kin’s favourite hobby as a young man was bicycling around the “Hong Kong Island” and participating in marathons. Throughout his life he has always adored music, listening to it and singing. He still sings Karaoke in his apartment as a source of entertainment. He even taught himself how to play the piano, although he is unable to play now due to limited mobility in his hands.

Some of his fondest memories are learning how to speak English in the Catholic School as a boy; marrying the love of his life and watching his family evolve over his lifetime. He also states that coming to Canada and being active in the Chinese community has brought such joy to his life.

Che Kin has been a Peel Senior Link client for 6 years and states constantly how amazing it is to have access to a service like Peel Senior Link as he could not afford to pay for such support. He states, the Personal Support Workers are like is angels, they are generous and kind and always willing to help. He knows that he would either be in a Long-Term Care home by now or have a much lower quality of life if it was not for Peel Senior Link.

His daughter Sabrina states that PSL is a tremendous help in caring for her dad and assisting him stay in his own home which has always been his wish. PSL provides her with peace of mind knowing that there are trained professionals, who are accessible and kind in taking care of her dad. Sabrina will forever be grateful and appreciative of the support Peel Senior Link provides to her and her dad.

Che Kin words of wisdom are to “go with the flow and work hard; it doesn’t matter if you are the best, only that you have tried your best!” Along with, “appreciate everything you have no matter how big or small and be thankful for all you are given.”

100 years young

Marion was born December 1916 in Tidnish, Nova Scotia to a mother who was a homemaker and a father who was a carpenter, tradesman.  She had one brother Douglas with whom she was very close to while growing up.

Marion went to high school, but did not want to go to university because she wanted to go to work and make money instead.  Her first job was a clerk behind the counter of a soda shop where she made sodas and sundaes and as you can imagine, it was a very popular spot.  “Things were different during those times, people were very friendly and there was no crime, much less stress” Marion noted.

Marion met her husband to be Norman, through her brother who was friends with his brother.  While they were dating, to Marion’s dismay, Norman joined the Army with the Nova Scotia Highlanders.  However, Norman was in a car accident and hurt his ankle and was not sent overseas.   This upset Norman very much because all his friends, including Marion’s brother joined up and were sent overseas.  Instead Norman was sent to serve in Halifax and before he left Marion and Norman got married, and Marion went along with him.

Marion’s brother was in the Engineers regiment, where they would go before the troops and build bridges.  All four of Marion’s husband’s brothers including her brother went overseas and by a miracle all of them returned, as Marion noted many of her high school friends did not come back after World War 11.  Some of Marion’s fondest memories were growing up in Tidnish with her brother whom she was extremely fond of.

Marion enjoyed her family life, she had one daughter Geraldine.  She enjoyed square dancing, line dancing, painting, and gardening.   Her mother’s family lived in Toronto, so Marion and her husband and their daughter decided to move to Toronto and they settled in Long Branch.

Unfortunately, her beloved Norman had a heart attack at 49 years of age and passed away when Marion was 47.  Marion was suddenly left on her own with her daughter who was of marrying age.   Marion found work at General Electric in the finance department where she worked for 26 years.  After her daughter Geraldine married Marion enjoyed traveling each year with some of the girls.  Marion traveled to Mexico, Hawaii, Bermuda, Cuba, several countries in Europe, British Iles and all over Canada, to name a few.

Marion was getting up in age, and realized she was having difficulty taking care of the house so she moved into King Street when she was 93 years of age.  Marion has been a Peel Senior Link client for over 5 years and is very grateful for the assistance she receives.  Mostly she enjoys her daily visits and chats from the girls.  She considers herself a very lucky person. Her main advice to others is to keep active and always be doing something.

Thank you, Marion and we look forward to celebrating your 101th birthday!!!

99 year young

Evelyn Irwin was born in 1918 in Toronto, Ontario.  She lived in Toronto most of her life and worked at the Power supermarket (now Loblaws) as a cashier for 25 years.  Travelling was a joy for her. “I traveled all over the world including Hawaii, Europe, Italy, and Florida. My daughter was a flight attendant and she took me everywhere”.  Evelyn’s  husband was in the Canadian Military, ‘He was easy to get along with, he was a hard worker and a good kisser”! (client laughs).  We got married in 1940 and he passed away in 1977.  Evelyn found this a little painful  to talk about as she still misses him and thinks about these things when she is alone.  Some of her hobbies and favorite things to do were knitting, playing baseball, and volleyball in her youth.  Some of her fondest memories were visiting Hawaii and buying her home in Florida.   Advice from her for others would be, “keep moving and exercising, and having a sense of humour is important”.  Evelyn has been a PSL client for over 8 years. “I would not be able to live on my own without PSL”, they are the best; they are approachable, and kind.  They are my angels”.

98 years young

Joseph was born on April 6, 1919 in Calcutta, India. He worked for the government all his life with the Rail Finance Department as an Inspecting Officer. He was married (currently widowed) with 2 children, a son and a daughter. He has 5 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. His son moved to Canada and sponsored Joe in 1984. His son owned several businesses and Joe worked for his son until he retired.

Joe kept himself busy in his retirement volunteering at the Saint Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Mississauga. His role was a sacristan – a helper for the Mass who makes sure all the parts of the liturgy are coordinated. Joe would attend church on a daily basis leaving his apartment in Brampton at 5:00 am every morning to take the bus to Mississauga and stay until 1 or 2 pm. He would bring back food items for all the tenants at Knightsbridge. In the last few years, Joe is unable to make the long walk to church from the bus and is driven now once a week by a church volunteer.

Joe has been a client with Peel Senior Link since 2011 – he has the apartment right beside the Peel Senior Link office which is very convenient if he needs the staff at any time. “If it wasn’t for Peel Senior Link, I would not be able to live independently, the staff help me with everything – my groceries, medication, bathing, cleaning, laundry, I feel reassured that they are here for me whenever I need them, they are my family”.

95 years young

Audrey was born in Windsor Ontario on August 3, 1921 and lived in Windsor for most of her childhood.  Audrey’s father worked at Ford and was constantly being laid off.  This made life difficult for the family. Life continued to be difficult when Audrey’s mother passed away from cancer at a young age leaving 5 children.  At sixteen, Audrey had to quit school and take care of her younger siblings because the other older siblings were not living at home at the time.

When Audrey was 18 years old she moved from Windsor to Toronto because her dad found steady employment at John Inglis and Company in Toronto.  A year later her dad was able to get Audrey a job there as well.

Audrey met her husband when he was deployed to Ontario from England.  They got married in 1943 and decided to set sail to England in 1944, a trip that took them 12 days. They had a fun filled and exciting life.  They had two children a daughter first who was born in 1948 and then a son a couple of years later. Audrey was so happy to have a boy because her husband was happy with a girl, but really wanted a son very much.  Audrey stayed in England for 3 years but then had to move back to Ontario because of her health.  Audrey was born with a hole in her heart which was never addressed because in those days surgery was not an option.

Years later her husband passed away from cancer in 1988.  Audrey always wanted to travel across Canada, not by plane but by ground.  Audrey travelled first to western Canada, spending 15 days touring, and then two years later in 1992 she travelled to eastern Canada.

Audrey made lots of friends over the years especially a particular friend that she stayed in touch with from Windsor.  Sadly she passed away only three years ago.  Another set of friends she had were from England where she was the Maid of Honour at their wedding.  After many years they lost contact and they had been searching for each other for over 50 years!  One day after living at 2440 Truscott, she saw a gentleman downstairs and heard someone call out his name, she thought to herself, now there cannot be two men with that name! She found him and asked him if he remembered who his maid of honour at his wedding was and he instantly recognized her!  The gentleman and his wife became friends again enjoying many gatherings and get together over tea until they passed away.

Audrey’s daughter now lives in Picton Ontario and has four children.  Her son lives in Barrie Ontario and has two.  Out of the six grandchildren Audrey has ten great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.  She feels truly blessed.

Audrey didn’t have too many hobbies, but she liked to new and cook, which she learned because of her mother’s early passing.  Her fondest memories were when she was a child taking trips to visit her aunt and uncle in Springfield Massachusetts.  They had no children so they loved to spoil Audrey and her siblings.  Audrey can remember her uncle holding her upside down and letting her walk on the ceiling!  She enjoyed that very much!

Audrey has been with Peel Senior Link for 13 years, joining in 2004.  She feels comfortable knowing that she is with a reliable company and that when she needs Peel Senior Link, they will be there for her anytime.

If you ask Audrey what advice she would give to people, she would say to eat healthy, keep moving and listen to your body.