Meredith Kerr
Journal Staff
Claudia Belanger, born Claudia Marie Gonneville, turned 100 years old on Nov. 10, surrounded by family.
“There’s not too many people who get to celebrate their mom’s hundredth birthday. It’s pretty special, and we’re very blessed to have her,” said Guy Belanger.
On Nov. 9, a smaller gathering with family, friends, and other residents was held at Sunnyside Manor, where she has made her home for the last 15 years.
Claudia grew up in Therien as part of a French family.
“I started school at six and I learned English in no time. I remember my mom would give me a licking because I talked English,” said Belanger, who speaks French and English fluently, but only learned to read and write in English.
She married Napoleon Belanger when she was 17 and he was 23.
Asked how they met, “He was a neighbour,” said Belanger, before her daughter Bibianne piped up and said, “actually your sisters both dated dad before,” causing much laughter.
“I had a good life with him. I can’t complain. We were poor, but a lot of people were poor in those days,” said Belanger. During the first winter of her marriage she said they lived in a very old house made of slats and full of bedbugs.
“We got married in November and then in the spring we moved in to the granary,” said Belanger.
After getting married, Belanger gave birth to a total of 12 children. Three were born premature and died, the other nine (Lorraine, Edmond, Leon, Pauline, Suzanne, Marcel, Bibianne, Gerald, and Guy) survived.
The family farmed in Therien for many years before moving to the Town of St. Paul when Guy was eight years old.
“I went and babysat for my niece for seven years, and then after that I went and worked in Extendicare for seven years in the kitchen,” said Belanger.
After retiring, Belanger took up gardening, quilting and knitting, as well as helping to look after the grandchildren being added to the family. As of her 100th birthday, she has 29 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren, with another on the way.
Belanger traveled to Europe twice, visiting Denmark, France, Italy, and other countries.
“I have a hard time remembering it all, and I never marked anything down,” said Belanger.
“The Eiffel Tower I liked especially, we went there twice. We went to Rome. My husband wasn’t there when we went to Rome because that was me and Mrs. Lemieux,” said Belanger.
Belanger and her husband celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary shortly before he died in the year 2000. Belanger said she moved to Sunnyside Manor in 2003 because she was lonely without Napoleon.
In the 15 years since then, she’s continued to knit and crochet, making hundreds of the infant toques given to each new baby born in the St. Therese Health Centre.
“One day at a time, you get up and you do all kinds of little work,” said Belanger, who has also made quilts and lap blankets for everyone in her family according to her daughter-in-law Dianne Belanger.
“I think she’s wonderful. She’s taught a lot of people and she still has a lot to teach,” said Dianne Belanger.
