Two women who were teachers and two men born in Denmark make up the four citizens living in Redvers, Sask., who are older than the town.
The southeastern Saskatchewan town turns 100 at the end of July. But the four citizens, who will be in the town’s parade and dedicating a cairn to the rural settlement, are centenarians already. Three turned 100 this spring and one resident, who is 106, moved back last year.
Marion Florence (McLean) Curle was born in Prince Edward Island on March 6, 1904. Her family moved to Virden, Man. She became a teacher and while working in Redvers met her husband Andy Curle.
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After marriage in 1933 she quit teaching and devoted her life to caring for her husband and four children. She now lives at the Redvers Centennial Haven, two doors down from her younger sister, Edna Murray. She said her long life is due to her genes.
“My grandma and grandpa McLean lived to be 98 and 99 years old.”
Peter Niels Madsen was born in Denmark and came to Canada in 1925. After working for others, he married Anna Olsen, also from Denmark, in 1938 and started their own farm near Redvers. They raised cattle and grain until the mid 1980s.
Pete has flown back to Denmark many times over the years to visit relatives, with his most recent trip in July 2003. He still lives in his own home under the care of his daughter. He celebrated his 100th birthday March 9, 2004.
Henry Nielsen was born in Denmark and immigrated to Canada in 1927. That first summer Henry worked for two farmers, then did construction work before again working on a farm in the Unity area.
During this time he heard about a Danish settlement near Redvers and decided to go meet some countrymen. He liked it at Redvers and made it his home. After the arrival of his girlfriend Mitte from Denmark in 1931, they were married and went farming. They moved into Redvers in 1970. Mitte died in 1996 and Henry moved into the Redvers Centennial Haven five years later. On Feb. 29, 2004 he celebrated his 100th birthday.
Clara (Lampert) Johnson, was born in England on March 23, 1898 and came to Saskatchewan three years later. She taught in several different schools in the southern part of the province, including Redvers where she met and married Floyd Johnson in 1922. They raised five children.
After her husband’s death, she sold the farm to her son and moved to Calgary where she spent 33 years. In 2003, she returned to Redvers, to live with her daughter Alfreda Dauvin. She still enjoys knitting, crocheting and reading.
