TISDALE 鈥� Florence Enderson celebrated her 102nd birthday at Newmarket Place, with her daughter Donna Eremko beside her.
Her nickname at Newmarket Place is 鈥淪ure Shot鈥� due to her deadly aim while competing in beanbag tosses 鈥� her favorite game.
She credits her aim due to shooting squirrels years back.
鈥淚 had to,鈥� Enderson replied.
鈥淭hey would get in the grain, we would have so darn many of them and mom would 鈥榢a-bang,鈥欌�� Eremko explained.
When asked what she wants people to know about her, her response was simple.
鈥淚 want them to know I can ride horses.鈥�
Enderson worked on a farm for most of her life, until she was 99 years old.
鈥淢om never really did retire from farming,鈥� Eremko said.
The thing that gave her the most joy in life was taking the calves out to pasture.
鈥淚 liked the farm, I liked being on the farm,鈥� Enderson said. 鈥淚 liked cows... I liked to feed them, I liked to milk them.鈥�
Her favorite animal story though didn鈥檛 involve cows. It involved her daughter and a run-in with the family ram.
鈥淲e used to have this big ol鈥� ram, and he was big, and he was friendly, but he liked to bunt you if you were bent over or anything like that,鈥� Eremko said. 鈥淚 was probably seven or eight, and my grandfather or dad had given me these mirrored sunglasses. As a kid they were bright green and they had these mirrors. I sat them down on a scale and did something, I don鈥檛 remember what. I turn around and there鈥檚 a green arm of the sunglasses sticking out of his mouth, because he ate everything he could find.鈥�
That wasn鈥檛 the end of those glasses though.
鈥淪o then I had one frame with no lens and the earpiece. I wore those.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 all work for Enderson. Later in her life she went on trips around the world with her daughter. Places visited included Hawaii, Arizona, Los Vegas, Florida and British Columbia.
鈥淎fter I got married, mostly,鈥� Eremko said. 鈥淢y husband was a school teacher so him and I didn鈥檛 get many vacations together.聽 I worked in the bank and couldn鈥檛 get summer holidays when he was off so mom and I went quite a few places.鈥�
鈥淲e had to have fun,鈥� Enderson said.
Despite all the various places they travelled, visiting British Columbia was her favorite.
鈥淢om had a sister in West Vancouver,鈥� Eremko said. 鈥淭he first time we went there we went in February for mom鈥檚 birthday.鈥�
鈥淲e just about froze to death out there; the beds were wet at night.鈥�
When the two were asked how that could have been better than Hawaii they laughed in response.
鈥淭hey were all good,鈥� Eremko said.
With a little suggestion from Eremko, Enderson said the next trip they would take together would be the Dominican Republic.
鈥淢aybe go to the ocean,鈥� Enderson replied.
Looking ahead to the future she said she doesn鈥檛 have plans, instead she鈥檒l see what her family is planning.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the plans are, I don鈥檛 think too much is happening,鈥� Enderson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not planning anything, but I don鈥檛 know what they鈥檝e got planned.鈥�
Enderson said the reason she had such a good, long and happy life started with her parents.
鈥淭hey let me do what I want.鈥�
鈥淎s I remember, grandpa made me toe the line,鈥� her daughter responded. 鈥淗ow come you got away with everything?鈥�
Donna Newbery, recreation co-ordinator with Newmarket Place, had her own suggestion why.
鈥淢aybe because she was Sure Shot.鈥�
