Grandma on her 103rd birthday in February 2010
My grandmother, Nellie Akerlund passed away yesterday morning at the age of 103 in Qualicum, B.C. She lived a lengthy, interesting and eventful life.
On her 100th birthday, she was interviewed by the local Victoria TV station in her Parksville condominium (where she was still living on her own). When asked what her secret to longevity was she replied “Apples and Honey.” Based on very recent research she hit the nail on the head with the fabulous health benefits of both apples and honey. Smart cookie!
Over 20 years ago, she wrote a book about her life. It was written just for the family and she titled it “Restless Waves” as it describes her adventures with my grandfather moving and traveling throughout the prairies and into B.C. What a priceless piece of history to pass down from such a personal perspective. Thank you for that!
She was a hairdresser in her younger years. I remember looking at her hair dressing equipment – a curling iron heated on the stove, old scissors and the likes. Into her 90’s she was still cutting her own hair. My sisters and I thought it odd when she began collecting the hair she had cut and started to make a wig. We had assumed that she was going to wear the wig but later discovered she did it for fun and to express her creativity. We certainly laugh about it now.
I have really appreciated and loved her wisdom and sense of humor over the last several years.
The 3 biggest gifts that I have been given by my grandma?
1) My love of animals – My grandma would spend hours watching birds and other wildlife and could be found standing under the humming bird feeder until the hummingbirds trusted her enough to sit on her hand while having a feed…My grandpa had a fondness for animals too. They had the old reel to reel film movie camera….seems so archaic when we see what is available today. She always had more footage of birds and flowers and a little less of the grandkids at horseback riding lessons, camping and dance recitals.
2) Importance of family and friends – My grandma had many brothers and sisters who often got together to sing, dance and play instruments. They had fun, they were creative and they loved being together. When grandma and grandpa’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration took place, she had her two sisters singing and dancing to the tune of “strolling in the park one day” which had been rewritten to tell the story of Nellie and John meeting, dating, getting married and having kids. It was so fun.
3) The power of prayer and intention – I remember Bobbie, the little grey cat that grandma and grandpa had when I was little. She had a strange growth in her ear that kept getting bigger and bigger. Grandma would spend time every day holding Bobbie on her lap and praying that the growth would go away and Bobbie’s health would be restored. The growth disappeared and Bobbie lived a long and healthy life. To my grandma, this was proof that God did exist and people, animals and the world could be healed.
Thank you grandma for all the wonderful gifts, laughs, stories and love you have shared with all of us. Our memories of you will live on. Maybe we should take time to sip tea and read a chapter or two of Restless Waves……….
In loving Memory of Nellie Akerlund February 27, 1907 – July 15, 2010
