You may already know that the oldest person in Canada passed away. Well, that does not totally sound right, because obviously now there is another oldest in line. However, Elizabeth Buhler, the oldest woman living up until last month just barely missed her 112th Birthday.
There is an interesting little connection here in that the girlfriend I walk with is employed by a grandson of the late Elizabeth Buhler, and she directed me to an article, written by J. O'Connor, in the National Post. A truly inspiring life story!
Elizabeth Buhler was born in 1899 in a Mennonite Colony in the Southern Ukraine, she lived through the Russian Revolution and, after immigrating to Canada, the great depression and both World Wars.
People are amazed about my mother-in-law, who is 93 and has more than 50 great-grandchildren . . . but, to put that into perspective, Mrs. Buhler has the same number of great-grandchildren plus 39 great-great grandchildren!
At 105 she was rejected at the nursing home because she was too fit.
And get this . . . when asked what her secret was, she credited it to exercise, homemade chicken noodle soup and cookies!
For some reason this makes me smile!
Go ahead . . . browse through the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog with no guilt.
18 comments:
Mrs. Buhler's grandson (the one you mentioned) graduated with Bob. Inspiring, that's for sure. We've talked about this lady because she was mentioned in the Vancouver Sun when she died. And of course someone then came forward who was slightly older than her.
I love this Anneliese. . .if that is not an endorsement. . .what is?
I tend to think if she had not gone to a nursing home she might have lived...who knows how much longer.
(The food in those places!)
S.
Oh that makes me happy, too, cookies!
What a great story for sure.
I'm smiling too! I'm off to cook soup and eat cookies.
I love that she was rejected from a home at 105. That's awesome :)
I really love her story!
What a neat story! I'm sure you felt a special connection to her...having a similar heritage. Wonder what her favorite cookie was...:-)
I'll have to share that story at the nursing home! We had a 105 year old resident who the dietitian wanted to put on a low salt diet! Her family and all the rest of us took her side - that at her age she should have as much salt as she felt like! So, eat your cookies, have your salt, - you decide the limits - you'll go home when the Lord decides!
Oh yes - many mennonites make old bones as my mom would say. Of my husband's and my grandparents,6 out of the eight died in their mid to late 90's. In fact it took a fall and a punctured lung to end Harv's paternal Grandpa's life when he was 97! All that ham, noodles, zwiebach and Vareniki certainly didn't shorten their lives.
A 'made me smile' post. Thank you Anneliese:)
I think I still have cookies in the freezer..
That was fun Anneliese!
Yay for cookies - I made some today - oatmeal raisin!
Yes, and my father in law is celebrating 99 next week. If we can make it this far...why not 100? I think I might just invite the Queen. I might have a few pulls by now.
Eat well, play well, work well and relax well.
I love her secrets to longevity...I think I must keep my health in mind and raid the cookies in my freezer right now!
Mrs. Buhler and I are (were) members of the same church, Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite. Friends of ours were her Deacons, and in her last couple of years she would often make the comment to them "I wonder if God has forgotten me...". No, Mrs. Buhler, He did not. Cute.
Mrs. Buhler was the great aunt of friends of ours. Mrs. Buhler had asked her nephew, Jake Harms,( who married us and baptized both tony and myself, also is the father or our friend.) anyway she asked him to do her funeral. The rate she was going he was wondering if he would be around to do it, with being in his 80's himself.
It always amazes me at how God works, and the long life she had with all the changes that she had seen in the world. Her faith was a true testament......and good Mennonite cooking sure did't hurt her :)
Such an inspiring lady, Anneliese. We talked to her nephew not long ago and he was telling us about how she still at 105 was climbing up ladders to put up Christmas lights and decoration. When asked why she didn't let her kids do it for her she retorted.. "Oh.. they are all too old!"
I love cookies and my husband loves home made chicken noodle soup ... think that counts? smile
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