Centenarian loving living long life

St. James-Assiniboia

Madeline (Peggy) Stewart is living her best life.

The St. James resident turned 100 on Jan. 9 and has been reflecting on reaching a milestone age.

On April 22, Stewart was relaxing at the home she built with her late husband, Gordon, 70 years ago. Asked about the secret to living a long, fulfilling life, the cheery centenarian, who was brought up on a farm near Peterborough, Ont., said the outdoors has played a consistent role.

“I’ve just lived a good life,” Stewart said. “I’ve been an outdoor person, as well as an indoor person, and I’ve just kept going.”

Stewart had seven brothers and one sister and, because she was one of the younger siblings, she was tasked with looking after the farm’s vegetable gardens, while some of her brothers “went up to the mines.”

Gardening is a hobby that stayed with Stewart throughout her life, whether she’s been tending to her own vegetables or to a community garden: “We always had a big garden, so we had enough through the winter, as well. We enjoyed the life.”

Carol Schaap, 64, is Stewart’s middle daughter. Diane Siewert, 66, is the eldest, and Sandy De Simone, 61, is the youngest.

“I’ve always had a good diet – all my life I’ve eaten well, and cooked everything fresh,” Stewart said.

Schaap agreed that her mother’s regular intake of fresh food and her love of cooking from scratch, has had a positive influence on her health.

“Back in the day, she’d make things like perogies, curried beef spaghetti and Mexican meat pie,” Schaap said. “She’d also make a nice roast.”

“She’s always been a good cook, and she’s a renowned baker. At Christmas, she’d bake for everyone … a bit like a commercial baker. Last year, I did the baking with her, but only this last time did she do it with me.”

For Stewart’s landmark birthday, Schaap created a recipe book for everyone in the family featuring some of Stewart’s favourites interspersed with a selection of family photos. Titled Nana’s Cookbook – 100 Years of Special Memories, it is a volume Stewart cherishes.

Good genes are also on Stewart’s side, according to Schaap. One of her brothers lived a couple of months shy of 100, and two other siblings made it into their late 90s, for example.

“She’s never smoked, and she’s always been very active,” Schaap said, adding Stewart walked for many years, rain or shine, in Assiniboine Park, and used to enjoy volunteering for different causes, including Meals on Wheels and at her church.

If not for a broken hip a couple of years ago, Stewart might still be raking her leaves, mowing her lawn, or shovelling the snow.

“A big part of it is she loves helping other people and is always thinking about others,” Schaap said. “She’s not one for the spotlight, but she’s had an incredible life, and she’s one these people that has been there in the community and involved in a quiet way.”

Last month, members of Stewart’s family visited her from Ontario. Among them was her great-niece, Jennifer Carter, an undergraduate student in the Canadian studies honours program at Trent University in Peterborough, who has been learning more about Manitoba and its history. Carter’s visit reminded Stewart of her time working in Norway House, Man., decades ago. Stewart was grateful for the family visit, and was thrilled to see everyone again.

Prior to settling into family life, Stewart was a nurse in Norway House, which is where she met her husband-to-be, an electrician. She also worked in other provinces, including B.C.

She still remembers someone shouting “The war is over, the war is over,” in a hospital corridor after news came through that the Second World War had ended.

Nowadays, Stewart enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles – she used to do crosswords – and she also reads the Free Press every day, as she “has to keep up with the news.”

Schaap emphasized it’s important to allow older people to do their thing and maintain their independence, if they have a network of support and family members close by.

“Mom has been wanting to be independent the whole time, and she’s fortunate enough to have had family support. Everyone pitches in,” Schaap said.

Not surprisingly, having lived in the area for so long, Stewart is a popular, well-liked member of the community and often receives greetings or waves from passersby.

When her granddaughter recently visited Sargent Sundae on Portage Avenue, she was given a lime milkshake on the house to bring back for Stewart, replete with a birthday greeting.