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Even Marguerite Hendrickson鈥檚 doctor asks her what she eats.
鈥淚鈥檝e got to attribute it to mum鈥檚 mush,鈥� Hendrickson鈥檚 son Gary says as the two eye golf being played on a muted TV. 鈥淪he always made sure that we ate mush [oatmeal] in the morning.鈥�
On June 24, Marguerite is celebrating her 100th birthday. She has called 麻豆社国产home for most of that time. Marguerite took a ferry to the windy community at the head of Howe Sound the day the Second World War came to an end. Her Norwegian husband, Al, had come up a month earlier to begin working in the logging industry.
鈥淚t was pouring rain,鈥� Marguerite recalls. 鈥淭he roads were a stream of mud. It was a terrible day. I got a room at the Newport Hotel. There was a [drunk] fellow in the ditch. I didn鈥檛 know if I wanted to move up here.鈥�
With time, the family set down roots in Squamish. Marguerite and Al had three boys 鈥� Gary, the oldest, Keith and Lefty, the youngest 鈥� all born within three years of each other. And 麻豆社国产slowly grew to a town of 600 people.
鈥淵ou know pretty much everyone after a while,鈥� Marguerite says. 鈥淵ou couldn鈥檛 talk about anyone. Everyone was pretty much related.鈥�
The Hendricksons鈥� house was always packed with boys. Besides her own sons, two more teenaged boys decided to move in with the family. Marguerite added mattresses to the attic in case kids needed a place to crash. The youth had found a way to climb over the patio and underneath the roof into the attic, she notes.听
The mass of teenagers gathering at the Hendricksons鈥� home became too much, Marguerite says. She would find a sea of legs in the sitting room as the boys watched the Friday night fights on the black-and-white television and the chairs would continually be covered in jackets 鈥� jackets she continually threw on the听lawn in a never-ending lesson. Marguerite needed an escape. That came in the form of a job, a position at the Mackenzie Store.听
鈥淚 wanted to get out of the kitchen,鈥� she says.听
The Hendrickson family helped shape Squamish. Al was one of the instigators behind Squamish鈥檚 Loggers Sports. He also helped create the community鈥檚 first swimming pool.听
Marguerite was heavily involved with the Royal Purple, the female division of the Elks of Canada. She sat as the first honour lady for two years.听
鈥淲e held a lot of dances,鈥� she says.听
At the age of 58, Marguerite picked up a golf club. She competed in 15 B.C. Seniors Games, bringing home a medal from each one she entered 鈥� seven golds for her age bracket, five silvers and three bronzes.听
鈥淪he threw the bronze away,鈥� Gary says. 鈥淪he said, 鈥業 can鈥檛 stand them.鈥欌��
On Saturday, June 21, Hendrickson and the community will host a birthday celebration for Marguerite at the 麻豆社国产Valley Golf and Country Club.听
The party starts at 2 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend.听
While there won鈥檛 be any of Marguerite鈥檚 famous oatmeal at the event, there will be cake.听
鈥淪he is special to a lot of people,鈥� Gary says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 mum to a lot of people.鈥�
