WHITEWATER REGION (Westmeath) — A Westmeath woman celebrating her 90th birthday has no shortage of memories.
She’s a gold medallist in bowling – has milked cows by hand – suffered the loss of everything because of a fire – gave birth to three children – and on and on and on.
On March 13, 1928, Joyce Campbell was born in her parents’ home, Hazel and Graham Moore. She was the first of five children — five girls and a boy. Three of her sisters, are still alive – Betty Phannehour, Marilyn Desjardins and Diane Mau. Sisters June Kidder and Jean Roach and brother Glen have died.
On October 15, 1947, Rev. Smith married Joyce and RD (Robert) Campbell in the Parsonage of Westmeath. They moved into a home on Westmeath Road, about mid-way between Perretton and Westmeath. They had three children, Robert, Faye and Judy.
On the day Judy was born in 1959 the original home on that property burned, and a year later a new home was built, which is where Ms. Campbell still lives today. The neighbours rallied around the family, providing a place for them to live, household necessities and clothing.
Ms. Campbell has enjoyed keeping active throughout the years – bowling, square dancing, playing ball.
“I was catcher for the all girl team in Perretton,” she said.
The team disbanded about two years after it started when about half of them got married, Ms. Campbell said with a laugh.
Ms. Campbell said hard work never hurt anyone – she helped her father on the family’s dairy farm – milking cows by hand, singling roofs, and then did the same things on her own farm.
“I shingled the roof on the big barn and did the front half of my own house,” she recalled.
In her younger years, she looked after the farm animals on her own farm, as well as cleaned house for various families and worked at Nicholson’s Restaurant in Pembroke (where Finnigan’s is today).
She was also busy with her hands — quilting, knitting, crocheting and doing jigsaw and word search puzzles. While she finds it difficult to knit and quilt today, Ms. Campbell still crochets and does the puzzles, and also plays the guitar, which she got as a gift for her 80th birthday and plays crokinole.
“I have the map of Canada puzzle on the table,” she said. “It’s 1,000 pieces.”
Happily, she noted she had cataract surgery and now doesn’t need to wear glasses.
Ms. Campbell is also a member of the United Church Women of Greenwood, which she joined after Perretton Church closed. She is an active member of the Riverview Seniors Social Club in Westmeath. She provides a beef and barley soup each month for the soup and sandwich lunch held the third Wednesday of each month.
She and her three sisters still get together each month. The family recently got together, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for a birthday celebration. There’s another gathering next Tuesday for the Birthday Club, of which there are about 12 members.
Ms. Campbell said there aren’t many secrets to living a good life – no smoking and no alcohol.
Laughing, she recalled when she gave away a bottle of maple syrup she won in a draw – thinking it was a bottle of alcohol. Son-in-law Randy Gauvin is still laughing over that give-away.
“Mom loves maple syrup,” he said with a laugh.
Sitting in her livingroom with daughter Judy, son-in-law Randy and daughter Faye, who lives with her, Ms. Campbell recalled many stories. She laughed when she recalled a neighbour took her bike while she was picking raspberries – thinking someone left behind a perfect good bicycle.
Then there was the time she was picking raspberries and she knows a bear was nearby because of the large area that was trampled where it had lain.
They recalled the time they walked to Beachburg, which was at least 10 kilometres, to watch hockey and riding her bike to Westmeath.
And there were plenty of times when many of Faye’s hockey team, along with equipment, gathered in the family car to go to a game.
“There weren’t enough seatbelts for all of us,” Faye recalled.
Ms. Campbell also found a bird’s nest made out of her dog’s hair – which she still has today.
For a few minutes, they all talk about various things that have happened over the years, the sound of laughter ringing throughout the home.
The final celebration for Ms. Campbell’s 90th birthday, will happen during the soup and sandwich lunch next Wednesday at the Westmeath hall. The family invites one and all to come and wish her well.
