Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader

When someone has lived a hundred years, a lot changes.

For 100-year-old, Alexandra ‘Senny’ Fedorus, the economy is the biggest one.

“When I worked for $10 a month, it was good wages,” she says. “And now they get $15 an hour. The change is unbelievable.”

Back in the day, “when you were poor, it was nicer living than now,” she adds. “We appreciated every little thing in life.”

The way people grieve has also changed. When Senny was younger, if someone died, their mother couldn’t go to dances or other fun events for a whole year and a father for six months.

“There was no arguing over religion,” says Senny. “My parents were Christians and we followed them.”

Senny was born in Glendon, which is northwest of St. Paul, Alberta. Her parents John and Anna Kryzanowski met and married in Ukraine.

“Dad came first and then my mom later with a boy and two daughters,” says Senny.

Born on July 8, 1921, Senny was one of eight children. She’s the only one still alive.

“I didn’t know a word of English when I started school,” says Senny. “I was eight.

“You had to go to 16 in those days,” she adds.

Senny went to school in a two-room schoolhouse. The one room had Grades 1 to 4 and the other Grades 5 to 9. Senny’s favourite memories of school had to do with sports – basketball and scrub, which is what they called baseball. Also, hopscotch.

Sports are still important to Senny.

This item is reprinted with permission from the Slave Lake, AB, Lakeside Leader. For the complete article, click HERE

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