GLENDON – Love, help, and celebrate - that’s Mary Loch’s advice for living a long life.
On May 31, Mary celebrated her 100th birthday in Glendon. Amid the laughter and the celebration, she sat at the heart of it all, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the community – her radiance lighting up the Glendon Senior’s Hall.
She expressed her thanks to those who stopped by to visit her.
“It’s very nice to celebrate with people around me... who took the time to come and celebrate with me,” she says.
Laura Papirny, one of Mary’s grandchildren, always marvelled at the changes her grandmother witnessed throughout her life. After all, 100 years is a long time.
“With technology and everything, it’s amazing,” how the world changed, says Papirny. Modes of transportation have evolved from horses and buggies to the modern vehicle, for example.
Technology has also made many things so much more convenient, like cooking, something dear to Mary
“She started cooking on a wood stove,” says Papirny, describing how her grandmother loves to bake.
“My earliest memories were baking [Ukrainian bread] with her in the kitchen. She said it’s a tradition,” and Mary taught all her grandchildren how to bake, she says.
Mary smiled. “When she’d [Papirny] come, and there were no cookies because I didn’t have them, she would cry.”
Papirny laughed, saying she always loved her grandmother’s famous peanut butter cookies.
“I’ve always loved my grandchildren. All of them,” says Mary, lovingly.
“We also love you very much. And we thank you for all the knowledge and wisdom you’ve shared,” replied Papirny. “You've always been such a giant part of our lives. And we’re so happy to have you.”
Terry Loch, one of Mary’s children, says that his mother also loves gardening.
“She still gardens. She stays active all the time,” he says. “And she’s stubborn.”
If something does not get done, “she’ll get it done,” he adds.
Terry, who is no stranger to the passage of time himself, says this tenacity and the refusal to yield to the years may be among Mary’s secrets to living a long life.
But if there’s one thing, one hope, one ideal, or one piece of advice that Mary wishes to impart upon others, it would be to simply celebrate life.
“Love each other. Help each other. Get together and celebrate,” says Mary.
