The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor The question was bound to come up, but as she celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday, Rina Lofendale did not have an answer. "I don't know," said the longtime Flin Flonner when asked what might explain her longevity. Surrounded by family and friends, Lofendale marked a century of life with cake and conversation at the Personal Care Home, where she now resides. Sophia Rowe, a health-care aide who works with Lofendale, was pleased to be part of the celebration. "She's a sweetheart," she said of the centenarian. "She's very loving, she enjoys getting hugs and kisses. She enjoys attention." Rowe smiled as she shared a running joke between the two women in which Lofendale refers to Rowe as her "angel of joy." 'Absolute angel' But for Rowe, Lofendale is the "absolute angel." "She's very easy to please, she's never been a demanding person with us," she said. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Rina was born in Winnipeg on Aug. 21, 1911. The baby of the family, she remained in the Gateway City until 1939. That was when a young man named Harry Lofendale asked for her hand in marriage. A fellow Winnipegger, Harry had relocated to Flin Flon two years earlier to sell household products for the famed Watkins Incorporated. After Harry landed work at HBMS, he popped the question. Working at The Bay at the time, Rina said yes, headed north and soon grew to love the fast-growing mining town with a funny name. Like many women of the era, Rina dedicated herself to raising a family. She was a stay-at-home mom to three children, Bob, Linda and Wayne. "It was very comforting to be able to come home and know she was there," recalled Wayne, who now lives in Calgary. "And supper was always ready and when we came home there was always things for us to do." After Harry passed away in 1974, Rina moved back to Winnipeg for a few years. See 'Birth...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 She would return to Flin Flon, however, and live in her own suite until the age of 96. After a year of living in the hospital, she moved to the Personal Care Home three years ago. Some historical reflection puts Rina's longevity into perspective. When she was born, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the man on the $5 bill, was prime minister. Population-wise, Canada was five times smaller than it is now. And the nation's first radio broadcast was almost a decade away. Though Rina cannot account for her longevity, those close to her have some ideas. Runs in the family Linda Allen, the only child of Rina's who still lives in Flin Flon, noted that old age runs in the family, though only her mother has reached the three-digit mark thus far. Wayne pointed out that his mother had low stress levels and was not a smoker. As Rowe sees it, Rina also owes a lot to how she perceives the world. "She has such a positive outlook on life on lots of things," said the health-care aide. "In general she's very positive." Even at her advanced age, Rina maintains a social life, going out for lunch once a week with Linda. "We have girls' day out," said Linda with a smile. According to The Centenarian website, there are only approximately 450,000 centenarians worldwide Ð about 0.006 per cent of the global population. However Rina wound up joining this exclusive company, those who love her are just glad she did.
