BIRTHDAY GIRL Lareen Rutty shares a private moment with her great-grandson Henry Rutty, who came all the way from Cape Elizabeth, Maine to celebrate his great-grandmother’s 100th birthday. A party was held at the home Lareen and Lorimer built back in 1955, and which remains in the family today. Nikki Wesley –Burlington Post
Lareen Rutty counts herself among a small percentage of centenary Canadians. In fact, there are currently only one-tenth of a per cent that are her age across the country.
This rare milestone, which Lareen actually reached back on June 17, was cause for celebration. So, her friends and family surprised the centenarian recently with a birthday party at the house she and her husband Lorimer built in 1955 and where she lived up until 1992. The home on Sharalin Court remains in the family. One of Lareen’s six grandsons, Kevin, and his wife Diane now live in it.
The party caught her totally by surprise. “I knew nothing about this. I’m really overwhelmed and grateful that you have all come,” she said to a yard full of guests. More surprises awaited Lareen as congratulatory cards arrived from the likes of the Queen of England, Governor General Michaelle Jean, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Burlington MP Mike Wallace, Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline and Mayor Cam Jackson.
Coming back to the neighbourhood also brought back lots of memories for Lareen. It’s where she raised two sons, made all kinds of wine — a field of dandelions often proved an irresistible draw — and where future North American cookie magnates Bill and Harry Voortman sold their cookies door-to-door.
Here, she amassed an enviable collection of centuries-old Valentine cards and created a massive, beautiful floral garden. The avid greenthumb did the same at various beds around city as a member of a community garden club. And in this northeast community, Lareen’s neighbour Bea McDonough remembers Rutty hiking her then aged 70-plus body over McDonough’s fence to go swimming in her pool.
While Lareen credits her son, also named Lorimer, and her grandsons Dean and Kevin for taking care of her so well all these years, just living in Canada may well have worked in her favour. One study found that societies that care more for the elderly have more centenarians. France, Japan, Spain, Italy and Canada have the highest concentration of centenarians.
Rutty’s gender works in her favour, too. For every male centenarian in this country there are 5-7 women. According to Statistics Canada, Rutty’s age group is growing fast — 22 per cent in comparison to the 2001 census and by 2031 almost five per cent of the population is expected to reach the big 1-0-0.
Having surpassed the average age span of women in Canada by 17.5 years at 100, Lareen remains independent living on her own in a seniors apartment. And her mind is as intact as her sense of humour.
“I am grateful for my family and just you all remember, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. [rc]
© Copyright 2009 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
July 2, 2009
CANADA: Life still full of surprises for Burlington centenarian
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BURLINGTON, Ontario / Burlington Post / News / July 2, 2009
By Melanie Cummings, Special To Burlington Post
BIRTHDAY GIRL Lareen Rutty shares a private moment with her great-grandson Henry Rutty, who came all the way from Cape Elizabeth, Maine to celebrate his great-grandmother’s 100th birthday. A party was held at the home Lareen and Lorimer built back in 1955, and which remains in the family today. Nikki Wesley –Burlington Post
Lareen Rutty counts herself among a small percentage of centenary Canadians. In fact, there are currently only one-tenth of a per cent that are her age across the country.
This rare milestone, which Lareen actually reached back on June 17, was cause for celebration. So, her friends and family surprised the centenarian recently with a birthday party at the house she and her husband Lorimer built in 1955 and where she lived up until 1992. The home on Sharalin Court remains in the family. One of Lareen’s six grandsons, Kevin, and his wife Diane now live in it.
The party caught her totally by surprise. “I knew nothing about this. I’m really overwhelmed and grateful that you have all come,” she said to a yard full of guests. More surprises awaited Lareen as congratulatory cards arrived from the likes of the Queen of England, Governor General Michaelle Jean, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Burlington MP Mike Wallace, Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline and Mayor Cam Jackson.
Coming back to the neighbourhood also brought back lots of memories for Lareen. It’s where she raised two sons, made all kinds of wine — a field of dandelions often proved an irresistible draw — and where future North American cookie magnates Bill and Harry Voortman sold their cookies door-to-door.
Here, she amassed an enviable collection of centuries-old Valentine cards and created a massive, beautiful floral garden. The avid greenthumb did the same at various beds around city as a member of a community garden club. And in this northeast community, Lareen’s neighbour Bea McDonough remembers Rutty hiking her then aged 70-plus body over McDonough’s fence to go swimming in her pool.
While Lareen credits her son, also named Lorimer, and her grandsons Dean and Kevin for taking care of her so well all these years, just living in Canada may well have worked in her favour. One study found that societies that care more for the elderly have more centenarians. France, Japan, Spain, Italy and Canada have the highest concentration of centenarians.
Rutty’s gender works in her favour, too. For every male centenarian in this country there are 5-7 women. According to Statistics Canada, Rutty’s age group is growing fast — 22 per cent in comparison to the 2001 census and by 2031 almost five per cent of the population is expected to reach the big 1-0-0.
Having surpassed the average age span of women in Canada by 17.5 years at 100, Lareen remains independent living on her own in a seniors apartment. And her mind is as intact as her sense of humour.
“I am grateful for my family and just you all remember, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. [rc]
© Copyright 2009 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
BIRTHDAY GIRL Lareen Rutty shares a private moment with her great-grandson Henry Rutty, who came all the way from Cape Elizabeth, Maine to celebrate his great-grandmother’s 100th birthday. A party was held at the home Lareen and Lorimer built back in 1955, and which remains in the family today. Nikki Wesley –Burlington Post
Lareen Rutty counts herself among a small percentage of centenary Canadians. In fact, there are currently only one-tenth of a per cent that are her age across the country.
This rare milestone, which Lareen actually reached back on June 17, was cause for celebration. So, her friends and family surprised the centenarian recently with a birthday party at the house she and her husband Lorimer built in 1955 and where she lived up until 1992. The home on Sharalin Court remains in the family. One of Lareen’s six grandsons, Kevin, and his wife Diane now live in it.
The party caught her totally by surprise. “I knew nothing about this. I’m really overwhelmed and grateful that you have all come,” she said to a yard full of guests. More surprises awaited Lareen as congratulatory cards arrived from the likes of the Queen of England, Governor General Michaelle Jean, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Burlington MP Mike Wallace, Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline and Mayor Cam Jackson.
Coming back to the neighbourhood also brought back lots of memories for Lareen. It’s where she raised two sons, made all kinds of wine — a field of dandelions often proved an irresistible draw — and where future North American cookie magnates Bill and Harry Voortman sold their cookies door-to-door.
Here, she amassed an enviable collection of centuries-old Valentine cards and created a massive, beautiful floral garden. The avid greenthumb did the same at various beds around city as a member of a community garden club. And in this northeast community, Lareen’s neighbour Bea McDonough remembers Rutty hiking her then aged 70-plus body over McDonough’s fence to go swimming in her pool.
While Lareen credits her son, also named Lorimer, and her grandsons Dean and Kevin for taking care of her so well all these years, just living in Canada may well have worked in her favour. One study found that societies that care more for the elderly have more centenarians. France, Japan, Spain, Italy and Canada have the highest concentration of centenarians.
Rutty’s gender works in her favour, too. For every male centenarian in this country there are 5-7 women. According to Statistics Canada, Rutty’s age group is growing fast — 22 per cent in comparison to the 2001 census and by 2031 almost five per cent of the population is expected to reach the big 1-0-0.
Having surpassed the average age span of women in Canada by 17.5 years at 100, Lareen remains independent living on her own in a seniors apartment. And her mind is as intact as her sense of humour.
“I am grateful for my family and just you all remember, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. [rc]
© Copyright 2009 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
