Courtesy of the
Valeda Larocque of Atikokan is celebrating her 100th birthday today (Jan. 11).
She was born and raised on a farm in Pinewood, then raised her own family (with her late husband, Leonide Larocque, a railroad worker) on a farm in that community.
She lived there until a fire about five years ago forced her to move.
After staying with her daughter in Fort Frances for several years, she came to live in Atikokan with her daughter, Elise Boyda, late last year.
Valeda Larocque has 28 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren (“It’s getting very hard to keep track,” said Boyda).
She remains an avid reader, with Louis L’Amour a favourite although she was reading Danielle Steele when the Progress visited, and is generally in good health.
Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown, who was born and raised in the Pinewood area himself, brought birthday greetings from the town last week.
Progress records suggest Larocque is just the second centenarian to reside in Atikokan.
Mary Pat Jourdain of Seine River, who lived well past 100, spent her final days residing in the extended-care wing at Atikokan General Hospital.
