Fort Simpson (Jan 19/07) - Even though she might be 101, Madeline Villeneuve seemed to have a great time at her 100th birthday party on Jan. 10.

Family and friends gathered to wish Villeneuve all the best at her celebration in Fort Simpson. A bit of a mystery, however, surrounds her true age.

Madeline Villeneuve received a letter from the Governor General on the occasion of her 100th birthday. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Church records note Madeline's date of birth as Jan. 6, 1906, making her 101.

However, a birth and baptism certificate signed in 1967 by a Father Turcott marks her birthday as Jan. 10, 1907, making last week's party right on time.

Either way, it's not everyday someone gets to celebrate her 100th or 101st birthday.

"It's amazing," said Gail Villeneuve, one of Madeline's grandchildren. "It just doesn't seem like she's 100 to me."

When she was younger, Joyce Villeneuve remembers sitting with her grandmother, who was always sewing.

For Christmas, her grandmother always made moccasins and mitts as gifts. People would come over and place orders for Madeline's handcrafted goods.

Barb Sloat, another of Madeline's granddaughters, is also amazed at Madeline's long life.

"I never thought I'd see it," said Sloat about the birthday.

Sloat, who was raised by Madeline, said when she was younger she thought her grandmother would live forever.

"Every year after this is precious," she said.

All the grandchildren would sit around her as she sewed and told stories, Sloat said.

Some mystery also shrouds Madeline's early years.

Because her family travelled a lot by dog team, no one is sure exactly where she was born, said Laura Villeneuve, one of her daughters.

At one point the family settled by the Willow River for a while. Madeline has lived near Fort Simpson for most of her life.

In the early 1920s, she married Isadore Villeneuve and together they had 12 children including Laura, Maggie, Archie, Billy, Sonny, Edward, Joseph, George, Frank, Alice, Fredrick and John-Louie. Isadore died in 1987 at the age of 85.

Laura Villeneuve remembers that her mother was always busy.

She would make homemade bread and sell it for 25 cents. RCMP and army members would come to the house to buy food and have things sewed for them. Madeline would polish their brass buttons and their shoes.

For her gloves, mitts and mukluks, Madeline would tan her own moose and beaver hides.

"She did everything," said Laura Villeneuve.

Madeline is still trying to do many things by herself by living in the clusters with her son Sonny instead of moving to long-term care.

Her legacy will likely come from her family.

From her 12 children, Madeline now has 48 grandchildren, 96 great-grandchildren and 30 great-great-grandchildren spread across the North.

Even at 100, Madeline still seems to be feeling young at heart.

While being helped to a seat in front of her birthday cake, she did a few jig steps to the delight of the crowd.