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.
As she marked her 99th birthday on We d n e s d a y , Vernice Henry reflected on the day her outlook on life changed. The Flin Flon pioneer was young then, seated at a table with her mother at a mostly empty Royal Canadian Legion, when a group of people walked in. 'They came in and sat down and they all looked over at me and I said, 'Mom, those people are talking about me,'' Vernice recalls. 'And she put her hand on mine and she said, 'Nevermind, dear, if they're talking about you they're leaving somebody e l s e alone.'' Vernice never forgot the message, the importance of letting go of negative feelings and of seeing the positive in situations. It's what explains her unyielding happiness and, in her view, herimpressive health and longevity. 'I have nothing ill to say about anybody, because I always think that good things outweigh the bad things,' says Vernice. Surrounded by family and friends, Vernice celebrated her milestone birthday at a come-andgo tea at the Seniors Room of the Community Hall. Wearing a princess tiara and bright red dress, she adora b l y a c c ept e d the wishes of 'happy birthday' with smiles and kind words. Vernice was born on June 5, 1914, i n Kamsack, Sask., near Yorkton, one of four children in her family. She lost her father to cancer when she was just ' 'I have nothing ill to say about anybody, because I always think that good things outweigh the bad things.' deep cuts. infrastructure.16. Three years later, her widowed mother packed up the family and moved to a new town in Manitoba called Flin Flon. It was 1933, the year Flin Flon was incorporated, a time when the Great Depression broughtjob-seekers from all over t h e c o u n t r y _ a n d beyond. As a young woman, Vernice curled and, putting her petite frame to use, did acrobatics. She still has the photos of her being hoisted above a man's head at Phantom Lake. She worked as an operator at Flin Flon's first telephone office before marrying the love of her life, Howard Henry. While Flin Flon is often called a close-knit community t o d a y, Vernice says that was even more so the case inthe early days. 'Everybody knew everybody and helped everybody,' she says. 'You can't really be expected to know everybody (today) because they have families and maybe you can't keep track of the amount of families. But I know a lot of people yet.' That she does. Vernice is a popular resident at the Jubilee Housing complex, playing cards and shuffleboard and making conversation. She is also a big hockey fan. Her favourite t e am i s t h e Edmonton Oilers, who joined the NHL the year she became a senior citizen in 1979. Though still sharp, Vernice admits she has s l owe d d own over the years. 'It takes me twice as long to do one little thing,' she says, no hint of complaint in hervoice. Nonetheless, Vernice remains in impressive physical condition. Her daughter, Deena Lofgren, says her mother pays attention to her health and exercises regularly. 'She just looks after her own body,' says Lofgren, whose resemblance to her mother is uncanny. Vernice's attention to her health was particularly important in 2000, the year husband Howard passed away. Despite the immense sense of loss, she carried on with the grace and dignity that are her hallmarks. Today, her family cont inue s to grow. Between her two daughters, Lofgren and Donna Murray, and son Roy, she has six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. And wouldn't it be wonderful if they could all grow up with the same positive attitude as her?
