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Bea Dezell celebrates 100 years |
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Written by BERNICE TRICK
Citizen staff
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Sunday, 06 July 2008 |
Citizen photo by David MahPrince George pioneer Bea Dezell, who turns 100 today, didn’t let breaking a cake knife bother her at her party Sunday at the Coast Inn of the North. Sunday. (David Mah, Photographer)
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WILLIAMS LAKE
Bea Dezell, widow of former mayor Garvin Dezell, turns 100 today.
"I never thought I'd make it this far. I only wanted to live long enough to raise my children, but then the grandchildren and the great grandchildren came along, and now they are all grown up."
Although she has impaired vision, she hasn't missed much when it comes to supporting her community, travelling and keeping up on the news.
She said it's been quite a ride "from the horse and buggy days to the jet age," but for her, one of the greater inventions has been a special CNIB computer that allows her to read big print "and it talks, too."
"But overall it's the planes and instant travel that's been the biggest invention for me," she said, recalling the past when it would take "days to travel to Vancouver."
"Those DC3's were not so fast, but they got you there. I still love to fly ," said Dezell, who has visited most parts of the world with the exception of Australia and the far East.
"The best trip of my life was to Inuvik by boat, travelling the Mackenize River to Tuktoyatuk and south to Hay River. There were 24 of us who stayed in Native villages and built a cairn at the Arctic Circle.
During the 1950s and '60s, she enjoyed being Prince George's first lady as the mayor's wife.
"We were invited to a lot of events from banquets to official openings. I had two wigs at that time so I was always prepared. Conventions were great -- all over Canada and places like Chicago. I'm a social person so I could end up in Brandon or Regina and seem to meet people to be with."
She's a firm believer in progress. "I think we're living in a great age, except it's more difficult to raise children. Parents need to listen closely to what their children are saying and think back a little on their own youth."
She was raised on Vancouver's North Shore, where she met Garvin who was working in the area.
The couple was married during the depression in 1932 in Vancouver.
The couple set up house in Williams Lake.
"I was exposed for the first time to life with wood heat and without plumbing, but I loved it. We took over operation of an auto court with cabins and a big hall. We put on dances. Garvin called the square dances and we offered lunch. One and one-half sandwiches, two pieces of cake and coffee for 25 cents."
The Dezell's moved to Prince George in 1946. The population was about 5,000, sidewalks were wooden, streets were dirt, phones were party lines only, and electricity came from a city power plant that would fail if the overload was too great. Her home was heated by a sawdust-burning furnace that required half the basement to store the sawdust.
Today she's still active in the White Cane Club, the Good Cheer Club and Knox United Church. She uses a braille typewriter and her many vision aids like magnifiers, and talking clocks and scales has resulted in her being dubbed Granny Gadget at the CNIB, where she's a client and volunteer.
She lives independently with the help of a care worker, and still crochets and likes to go to the lake cabin.
When asked her secret of longevity, Bea who has a small Buddhist sculpture in her home, said, "Every morning I rub this Buddhist's tummy and say `God, keep me well and happy."
"God has been good to me. I have a great family and I've never been very ill."
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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