Family celebrates Granny Lafferty's life
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Oct 30/00) - They call her Granny, a title that carries great respect for a woman who has helped keep traditions alive in the Deh Cho.
Oct. 22 was Celine (Laviolette) Lafferty's 100th birthday, and dozens of family and friends gathered the day before to celebrate.
There were certificates from Prime Minister Jean Chretien, NWT Premier Stephen Kakfwi, and many kind words spoken about a wise matriarch in Fort Simpson. The celebration included a special mass and a community feast attended by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren.
Her daughter, Albertine Rodh, recalled how much her mother used to love to play cards, square dance and sew. She was said to be quite a minor hockey cheerleader too.
"She (Granny) made all our clothing when we were little," said Rodh. "We all wore moccasins and she made them ... she was a hard-working little woman. Nothing was too hard for her."
Born in Fort Providence on Oct. 22, 1900, Granny met and married Joseph Boniface Lafferty. They had nine children, some of whom died in infancy. Her three surviving children -- Gabriel, Albertine and Germaine -- were at the weekend celebration.
Rodh said Granny also raised three grandchildren.
Germaine Reitberger, who came from Edmonton to mark her mom's birthday, said she and her sister learned to cook from Granny. The aroma of Granny's fresh bread allured many passersby, Rodh said.
"My children used to say, 'I went past Granny's place and I could smell the bread, so I'm going over there for lunch," she laughed.
Rita Cli remembered learning moose-hair tufting skills from her. She told Cli to pass those skills on to others.
Granny earned the Metis Nation's Order of the Shawl in 1996 for helping preserve and promote Metis culture.
"She really inspired me," Cli said. "There's more I could say, but one thing I can say is that Granny was a loving, wonderful person."
