Oldest bowler still has it

When it comes to bowling, Mildred Ouellette is her own biggest critic.
Being the oldest bowler in town at 91 (or as she puts it, “so they tell me”) gives her that right.
“I’ve been up and down this [season],” said Ouellette, who plays in the Thursday afternoon ladies coffee five-pin bowling league at Plaza Lanes. “I hate to miss any games and I’ve missed a few this year.”
Ouellette bowled a solid 135 average this season. And when she couldn’t bowl, she still came out every week to help with scorekeeping and to spend an afternoon with her friends.
“Mildred is a big part of our league,” said convener Angie Podgorski. “She’s a great example that people of any age can enjoy this game.”
Ouellette first bowled on a regular basis in Brantford during the Second World War while working as a parts maker for the Lancaster Bomber company.
She and her co-workers used bowling as a way to unwind after a long week.
Sadly, her brother, Donald McFayden, was killed in combat shortly before the end of the war, prompting Ouellette to return home to her family in 1945.
But she kept the game with her, joining the Bell Telephone team (where she worked) and playing in a regular league at the old lanes here. “I just love to bowl. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed,” she remarked.
Ouellette celebrated her 91st birthday on April 21 and all 55 of her fellow coffee leaguers threw her an afternoon party. A week later at their wind-up, Ouellette didn’t play much and was hesitant to take a few practice shots for the camera.
“Age is catching up with me,” she warned before taking her ball, stepping up, and throwing it along the edge of the right gutter—a sure miss.
But then something happened. The ball caromed off the edge of the gutter and rolled straight as an arrow towards the middle of the lane. Three seconds later, Ouellette had knocked out three pins to leave her with aces.
She could only shrug as she glanced over at her peers who were cheering her on.
Still got it.