A Dawson Creek resident will reach an incredible milestone on Saturday. Gloria Coons is celebrating her 100th birthday.
Gloria moved to the Peace Region in 1945 from Saint John, New Brunswick. She said she couldn’t have found a nicer place to call home after spending eight decades in the region.
“I have lived a fairly good life, and a quiet life, but you had an exercise. I can just bless the good Lord,” Gloria said, referring to the active and hard-working lifestyle she’s led over the years.
She first settled on a farm in Rolla with her future husband, Arnold Coons. Together, they raised four sons before moving to Dawson Creek when Arnold retired.
Gloria said it was quite shocking moving to such a small town. “Dawson Creek had board sidewalks, mud roads, maybe six or eight streets, and the rest were fields,” she recalled.
However, Gloria said she found the residents of the Peace Region to be the most welcoming.
Over the years, she became involved with many organizations dedicating to making a difference in the lives of others.
“The more you participate, the more you belong. What goes around comes around,” Gloria said.
She is also a lifetime member of the Rolla Women’s Institute and has worked with the organization for more than 75 years.
She said she has belonged to the Order of the Royal Purple for 65 years, and to the Order of the Eastern Star for 50 years.
Gloria was also dedicated to her community through her career. She worked at the Dawson Creek and District Hospital for 22 years, caring for patients and supporting local families.
Gloria said she found meaning by helping others through her work and by following her motto.
“A smile goes a long way and a lot farther than a frown. If you pass someone, even though you don’t know them, if you smile and say hello, you’d be surprised what it does,” she said.
Over the weekend, Gloria will celebrate her 100th birthday at the Rotary Manor, surrounded by more than 60 family members and friends.
