Seeking Centenarians: The City of Prince George has asked for help in identifying Prince George residents who are already one hundred years of age or older, or who will be turning one hundred sometime during 2015.
The city plans to give these centenarians some kind of special recognition during the City's 100th anniversary celebrations. If you know of anyone in that incredible age category, please contact the Council of Seniors office at 250-564-5888.
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Upcoming events: Spruce Capital Senior Recreation Centre, 3701 Rainbow Drive pancake breakfast February 7th from 9 to 11 am. Phone 250-563-6450 for details.
The Order of the Eastern Star is hosting a Valentine Sweetheart Auction Sunday, February 8th at 1 pm in the banquet room at the Masonic Hall, 480 Vancouver St. Tickets are $5.00 and include fancy dessert, tea and coffee and many great auction items.
The Seniors' Anything Goes Talent show at the ECRA -1692 Tenth Ave, Friday, February 6th at 7 pm tickets are $10.
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Ida (Buchi-Humphrey) Nikkel was born in Prince George in 1925, the daughter of Gustav and Caroline Buchi, who were immigrants from Switzerland.
Her parents were married in 1921 and together they decided that Canada was a land of opportunity so they took advantage of a government sponsored indentured farm labor program. The program paid their passage to Canada and required the immigrant to serve for one year as a helper on a farm in Manitoba. Ida's father Gus came over alone in 1923 to get established and then he sent for her mother, Caroline. When their year of indentured labor had been served, Ida's parents moved to Prince George on the advice of a Swiss acquaintance. They purchased acreage in the Fraser Flats area and after a lot of hard work the land was cleared for the purpose of farming. The Buchi's had five children, Fred (1924), Ida (1925), Ivor, Alice, and Leona. They all attended a one-room, wood heated school with no running water and an outhouse.
Ida said, "When I was 15 years old I left home to work as a hired girl on a farm owned by the Turner family. You can see the complete story in the book 'From Broadax to Clay Chinking' by June Chamberland. There were five children in the Turner family; the oldest was seven and the youngest one was still in diapers.
"At that point in time there was no electricity, no fast food and no modern conveniences - just a huge amount of work. The two oldest children had to apply themselves to learning from correspondence courses sponsored by the government and assistance from my grade eight education.
"I just turned 16 and after the school-teaching stint I moved on and found employment in Prince George. I worked in a caf for awhile and then I applied for work and was hired at the Prince George Hospital. I worked as needed in the kitchen, the laundry and in the nursery.
"The military hospital in the area was still under construction so the Prince George Hospital took the military patients. This is how I met Sgt. Alwyn Humphrey, RCAMC; the soldier who would became my first husband. My parents had to give special permission for me to be legally married, since I was not yet 18!
"Al was from Toronto, so I moved to Toronto and found employment at the Toronto East General Hospital while I waited for Al's discharge to come up.
"We moved back to Prince George because my husband wanted to be a farmer - his real goal! That was a dream and a disaster that resulted in a return to Toronto and a good job with Ontario Hydro. We started our family in 1950 with the birth of our son, Leland, and then Sheldon, Dean, and then Keith followed.
"We were married for 22 years and at the age of 46 Al died as a result of heart failure. I packed up my family and took the train back home to Prince George and bought a house on Oak Street. I provided room and board to workers that lived away from their families. As a widow this was my basic source of income and along with some insurance money and an army pension we managed not to starve. I would be a widow for the next 20 years.
"I eventually moved to Kelowna and worked at Sears for 15 years. It was in Kelowna at a dance that the Sears social club put on that I met George Nikkel. We were married in 1988 and after awhile George's health began to fail, so we decided to move back to my roots in Prince George. George wanted me to be near my family for support in case he left me once more a widow. He passed away in 2004.
"I am now 89 years old, and thanks to my wonderful neighbors, who help me all the time, I am still able to live in my own home. I enjoy picking berries and gardening. I am proud to say that I started growing apple and pear trees from seed.
"I knit a lot and I donate most of it to charities, my family or to my friends. I volunteer at the Hart Pioneer Senior Centre; it is a great place with great people. I write poetry and stories, that my sister Leona Nyberg has helped me make into self-published books. My books include 'A collection of Verse' and 'A Personal Collection'.
"I just want to say that my husband George Nikkel is still with me in my heart both night and day.
While the marriage vows say, 'til death do us part', death did part the bodies, but not the heart! He is still my Nikkel from heaven, and when I go for walks, I find pennies from heaven and sometimes nickels or quarters!"
