Helen Holmes celebrated her 100th birthday with donations to the Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH).
Her birthday was on July 8th and her family wanted to do something unique for it and so they asked everyone to make a donation to WDMH in her honour.
The foundation says donations are still coming in but so far have received $3,000. They say Holmes was raised near Maple Ridge and in 1940 moved to just outside Winchester with her late husband Bob on what was known as Holmes Road. After they moved to Winchester, the new WDMH opened just down the road. Holmes remembers washing, cleaning and preparing the rooms. She helped make curtains and feather tick pillows. She also remembers the farmers grew extra crops to provide corn to cucumbers to preserves for the patients.
They had a Holstein farm and raised four children. She has nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. Holmes now lives at Garden Villa in Chesterville. Holmes says she’s the luckiest woman in the world.
“I didn’t really know what they were doing for my birthday, but I knew I didn’t need anything. I just need their love. And I know I’ve got that.”
The foundation says her secret to a long, healthy life is she was never one to rest, except for reading or quilting. Holmes says she’s already knit 30 pairs of mittens for the church to donate to those in need this coming winter.
“I feel better when I’m doing something and it’s a good feeling to be useful.”
Cindy Peters, Manager of Direct Mail and Events congratulates Holmes and says they are so grateful to her and her family for the generous donations to celebrate the milestone.