Born June 28, 1914, Alvina Hawthorne is now ready to celebrate her 105th birthday with her family and friends at the end of this month.
Hawthorne has a sharp sense of humour and that was highlighted when she was asked how it felt to be turning 105.
“Well, just remember I haven’t been there before, so I don’t know how to compare it,” Hawthorne said with a chuckle.
She loves lively dancing music, as she has over the years.
When asked if she goes out dancing often, Hawthorne said, “no, but there’s lots here. Now and then it hits the spot.”
Hawthorne first came to Olds as a bride to her husband Wes Hawthorne, who owned and operated Hawthorne Jewellery.
She recalled how back when they ran the store, the roads were gravel. That would make things dusty, so they would have to clean their display cases a lot.
“It seemed like the work at the store was not ending. You were cleaning, it was a never-ending job.”
Looking back over her life, Hawthorne has one wish — that she had learned how to fly a plane.
“I thought about it, but I’m sure if it had been approached to me, I’d have backed right down. It was just a daydream,” she said.
Hawthorne resides at a retirement home in Olds. Plays have been staged there and she got the opportunity to portray Queen Elizabeth II.
“I gave a speech to all the young people,” Hawthorne said.
Hawthorne shared some wisdom for young people to consider.
“There’s so much you should do. Kind of follow your heart — don’t forget that, and if you do that, everything else will fall into place,” she said.
