A Kamsack woman, who for 36 years had operated a successful business on main street, celebrated her 100th birthday on September 30.
A large group of family members and friends attended a come-and-go event at the Assiniboine Terrace home of Elsie Todosichuk on the last day of September to celebrate her birthday.
“We had people and people, including 10 Americans, at the party outside,” Todosichuk said last week as she described the celebration while seated at her dining room table which was still laden with several large bouquets of flowers and an open, half-eaten box of chocolates.
Still living in her home, Todosichuk said she has the assistance of Home Care, which has its staff making eight visits a day, including a nurse who checks on her each day.
In good health and blessed with an upbeat, welcoming personality, Todosichuk is afflicted with failing eyesight, which allows her to make out only lights and shadows. To help her about the house, she has had many electric lights installed at various locations in order to navigate from place to place.
At arm’s length, she is has easy access to devices connected to her walker that allow her to make and receive telephone calls and she explained how her bedroom and bathroom have been re-fitted with rails and other support structures.
She was eager to discuss the pros and cons of various artificial lighting sources, explaining which ones allow her to see the best and which ones are poorer. The discussion ended with her saying that it is with natural sunlight that she is best able to see.
“When the sun shines, I can see the whole table.”
The oldest of four children born to Nestor and Artimeza (nee Axenty) Woroschuk on a farm located 11 miles north of Calder, Elsie was raised on the farm and then on May 13, 1934, she married Fred Todosichuk. The couple farmed, raising five children: Marie (Jack) Borody, who died 17 years ago; Viona Esen of Vancouver; Al (Carol) of Kamsack; Mavis (Ken) Dunsmore of Regina and Gary (Linda) of Kamsack.
She has 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Todosichuk explained that while living on the farm she had done all the farm chores including raising chickens and pigs that she sold, but eventually she got sick and after being tested, she discovered that she was “allergic to everything.”
“I had to get rid of all the animals. I was allergic to everything, the animals, dust and grain.”
But, keeping active she began decorating wedding cakes and made paper flowers for weddings and anniversaries.
“My oldest daughter was in the flower business in Penticton and she said I should consider going into that business,” she said, admitting that at first she was “scared.”
As Helen Glass, who had been operating a flower shop in Kamsack, was going out of business, Todosichuk said that Kamsack businesspersons including Kay Horocholyn, Jack Davies and Albert Tysowski, were actively encouraging her to open a flower shop business.
So, accepting their encouragement, and by using a small inheritance she had received after the death of her father, she opened a Tod’s Flower Shop in 1966 in a rented building on main street. Seven years later her business was successful enough to allow her to purchase her own building a few doors down the street. She operated her business there until 2002, the year after the death of her husband. She retired, having sold the business to Linda Scobie.
“I did very well in the business,” she said, adding that she was “all self-taught” although she had consulted various books.
“I had a good business with wedding cakes,” she said, adding that one of the cakes she had made for a granddaughter was encased in glass and was donated to the Power House Museum in Kamsack where it remains as an exhibit, looking every bit as attractive as it was the day it was made.
“I had a very good business,” she said, explaining that at one time she had as many as seven people working with her. “People enjoyed dealing with me.”
Asked to what she attributes her long life, Todosichuk immediately responded.
“Listen to me and you’ll be 100 too,” she said, not kidding.
“White sugar and white flower; I never eat them, and those who listen to me are healthy.
“Also, I drink water with lemon in it every day and eat whole flax with breakfast or porridge. I eat a spoonful of molasses each day and I drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water.”
The only soft drink she allows herself is the occasional ginger ale.
Pleased to have been blessed with good health, Todosichuk admits that other than her eyesight, sometimes her hearing is “not too good.”
Although fitted with a brace for her knee, she said she feels well, suffers no pain and has no intention of moving from her home.
