Alliston resident celebrates 100th birthday

February 26, 2014 · 0 Comments

Norah Bullock is a woman of many talents. Now at 100 years old, she’s had a lot of time to hone those skills and interests.

She grew up as an only child in Toronto, where her father worked as a shoe salesman. When she married her husband Thomas “Edward” Bullock, she quickly got used to a much larger family since Edward was one of eight children.

Norah met her husband in 1936 on the way to Bible Class. A modern woman, she was the one who asked him out.

“I was just going back to Bible Class and I saw him. He said where are you going? And I said, I’m going to St. Mike’s, why don’t you come?”

They married a year later, she in a gown that she sewed herself. Since her teens she has been a talented seamstress, and made clothes over the years for her children to wear. She still has her first sewing machine.

Norah and Edward lived all over, from Ajax to Ohio and finally Fenelon Falls where they started their own business. It was a gift shop and wood working business, set up in an old school house.

Their most notable creation was a spoon shelf designed for small teaspoons that people were just starting to collect as souvenirs. Their spoon shelves sold in stores like Sears, Eaton’s, and the Hudson Bay Company.

Even after her husband’s death, Norah continued to run the shop on her own until her retirement four years later.

At one time, Norah was an avid golfer. She played twice a week at the club she belonged to, Shanty Bay Golf Club, until she was 85. At that time she broke her ankle on the course stepping into a gofer hole. Her golfing days were over.

But she also loved bowling, curling and playing bridge. She continues to play cards to this day, playing most days with her daughter Patricia, who lives nearby. The two have always been very close, Patricia says, more like friends than mother and daughter.

Norah also has two other children, a son who lives in Stratford, Ontario and another daughter in the United States.

Their family has continued to grow and Norah now has nine grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Since her retirement she has spent a lot of time travelling with family and friends, visiting Canada from coast to coast, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Holland, Switzerland and Hawaii.

Her days now consist mostly of socializing and playing cards, with Patricia and others at her retirement home. Patricia visits her mother almost every day to play cards and chat. Norah also talks to her two remaining sister-in-laws on the phone almost every day, her closest friends.

Norah is a modest, but her daughter speaks highly of her skills and experiences. Her incredible life will be celebrated with a centennial birthday party on Saturday, March 1.

Born March 1, 1914, the birthday celebration will be held on Norah’s actual birthday. Norah will be joined by friends and family, and she is looking forward to seeing everybody. Norah’s great grandson will show a video he put together, featuring photos of Norah’s life and 100 birthday’s passed.

By Emily Wood